Today I thought I'd share some of the Christmas books coming out this year. I always look forward to new books with Christmas as the subject. How about you?
Tree of Treasures: A Life in Ornaments
Bonnie Mackay
Release date: September 27, 2016
A beautifully illustrated look at Christmas ornaments and the memories they hold on our trees
First highlighted in the New York Times, Bonnie Mackay’s annual Christmas tree showcases a lifetime collecting almost 3,000 ornaments.
Now, through beautiful photography and illuminating vignettes, Tree of Treasures shares the heartfelt stories behind a hundred of those cherished possessions, whether it’s the story of a family member, like Mackay’s grandfather, a well-known vaudeville performer; long-held relationships with friends and colleagues in the international community of Christmas crafts makers; a memory of a beloved pet; and much more.
From serene lace angels and vintage Santas, to exquisite glass-blown spheres and small silk purses, Tree of Treasures showcases ornaments both beautiful and well-loved, illuminating how ornaments, as we unpack and hang them each holiday season, tell the story of our lives.
Chicken Soup for the Soul:
The Joy of Christmas: 101 Holiday Tales of Inspiration, Love and Wonder
Amy Newmark
Release date: October 18, 2016
Anyone who loves this joyous time of year will love these heartwarming and entertaining stories of family bonding, holiday hijinks, community spirit, and family and religious traditions. A fantastic holiday gift and a great way to start the season!
Christmas is a merry and joyful time of year, full of family, friends, and traditions. You’ll delight in reading these 101 holiday tales of inspiration, love, and wonder. Many will make you laugh out loud; others will make you tear up a little. And all the stories are “Santa safe” so they can keep the magic alive for the whole family!
The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas
Al Ridenour
Release date: October 11, 2016
With the appearance of the demonic Christmas character Krampus in contemporary Hollywood movies, television shows, advertisements, and greeting cards, medieval folklore has now been revisited in American culture. Krampus-related events and parades occur both in North America and Europe, and they are an ever-growing phenomenon.
Though the Krampus figure has once again become iconic, not much can be found about its history and meaning, thus calling for a book like Al Ridenour's The Krampus: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil. With Krampus's wild, graphic history, Feral House has hired the awarded designer Sean Tejaratchi to take on Ridenour's book about this ever-so-curious figure.
Al Ridenour has lectured on Krampus at the Goethe Institutes in Los Angeles. He became somewhat of an internet phenomenon himself due to the hilarious hijinks he coordinated with the controversial Cacophony Societies.
Pretty Paper
Willie Nelson
Release date: October 25, 2016
More than fifty years ago, Willie Nelson’s beloved Christmas song “Pretty Paper” first hit the airwaves. And for all these years, Willie has wondered about the real-life Texas street vendor, selling wrappings and ribbons, who inspired his song. Who was this poor soul? What did his painful trials say about our loves, our hopes, our dreams in this holiday season—and in the rest of our lives?
It’s the early sixties and Willie Nelson is down and out, barely eking out a living as a singer songwriter. The week before Christmas, he spots a legless man on a cart, selling wares in front of Leonard’s Department Store in Fort Worth, Texas. The humble figure, by the name of Vernon Clay, piques Willie’s curiosity, but Vernon is stubbornly private and—despite Willie’s charming queries—has no interest in telling his story. Willie is tenacious, though, and he eventually learns that Vernon is a fellow musician, a fine guitarist and singer.
When Vernon disappears, he leaves behind only a diary, which tells an epic tale of life-altering tragedies, broken hearts, and crooked record men, not to mention backroad honky-tonks, down-home cooking, and country songwriting genius. Deeply moved and spurred on by Vernon’s pages, Willie aims to give the man one last shot at redemption and a chance to embody the holiday spirit.
The Santa Claus Man:
The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York
Alex Palmer
Release date (paperback): October 3, 2016
Before the charismatic John Duval Gluck, Jr. came along, letters from New York City children to Santa Claus were destroyed, unopened, by the U.S. Post Office. Gluck saw an opportunity, and created the Santa Claus Association. The effort delighted the public, and for 15 years money and gifts flowed to the only group authorized to answer Santa’s mail. Gluck became a Jazz Age celebrity, rubbing shoulders with the era’s movie stars and politicians, and even planned to erect a vast Santa Claus monument in the center of Manhattan — until Gotham’s crusading charity commissioner discovered some dark secrets in Santa’s workshop.
The rise and fall of the Santa Claus Association is a caper both heartwarming and hardboiled, involving stolen art, phony Boy Scouts, a kidnapping, pursuit by the FBI, a Coney Island bullfight, and above all, the thrills and dangers of a wild imagination. It’s also the larger story of how Christmas became the extravagant holiday we celebrate today, from Santa’s early beginnings in New York to the country’s first citywide Christmas tree and Macy’s first grand holiday parade.The Santa Claus Man is a holiday tale with a dark underbelly, and an essential read for lovers of Christmas stories, true crime, and New York City history.
The rise and fall of the Santa Claus Association is a caper both heartwarming and hardboiled, involving stolen art, phony Boy Scouts, a kidnapping, pursuit by the FBI, a Coney Island bullfight, and above all, the thrills and dangers of a wild imagination. It’s also the larger story of how Christmas became the extravagant holiday we celebrate today, from Santa’s early beginnings in New York to the country’s first citywide Christmas tree and Macy’s first grand holiday parade.The Santa Claus Man is a holiday tale with a dark underbelly, and an essential read for lovers of Christmas stories, true crime, and New York City history.
Note: This one is exciting because it's a new eBook edition of Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan by Clement A. Miles, which I have shared on this blog previously (you can access it in the sidebar menu). It's only 99 cents on Amazon and you can pre-order it for your Kindle. I pre-ordered my copy!
Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan
Clement A. Miles
Release date: November 16, 2016
The Deep Roots of the Christmas Tradition
In Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan, Clement A. Miles takes an in-depth look into the Christmas traditions. What does he find out? First of all, that Christmas isn’t all about the birth of Jesus. The roots go much deeper taking us to a time before Christianity when pagans ruled the land and worshiped gods like Saturn and Mithras.
Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan
Clement A. Miles
Release date: November 16, 2016
The Deep Roots of the Christmas Tradition
In Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan, Clement A. Miles takes an in-depth look into the Christmas traditions. What does he find out? First of all, that Christmas isn’t all about the birth of Jesus. The roots go much deeper taking us to a time before Christianity when pagans ruled the land and worshiped gods like Saturn and Mithras.
This Xist Classics edition has been professionally formatted for e-readers with a linked table of contents. This ebook also contains a bonus book club leadership guide and discussion questions. We hope you’ll share this book with your friends, neighbors and colleagues and can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it.
Twelve Days of Christmas: A Christmas Novel
Debbie Macomber
Release date: October 4, 2016
Continuing in a festive annual tradition, #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber returns with a new original holiday novel full of romance and cheer—and the magical prospect of finding love in even the most guarded hearts.
Friendly and bubbly, Julia Padden likes nearly everyone, but her standoffish neighbor, Cain Maddox, presents a particular challenge. No matter how hard she’s tried to be nice, Cain rudely rebuffs her at every turn, preferring to keep to himself. But when Julia catches Cain stealing her newspaper from the lobby of their apartment building, that’s the last straw. She’s going to break through Cain’s Scrooge-like exterior the only way she knows how: by killing him with kindness.
To track her progress, Julia starts a blog called The Twelve Days of Christmas. Her first attempts to humanize Cain are far from successful. Julia brings him homemade Christmas treats and the disagreeable grinch won’t even accept them. Meanwhile, Julie’s blog becomes an online sensation, as an astonishing number of people start following her adventures. Julia continues to find ways to express kindness and, little by little, chips away at Cain’s gruff façade to reveal the caring man underneath. Unbelievably, Julia feels herself falling for Cain—and she suspects that he may be falling for her as well. But as the popularity of her blog continues to grow, Julia must decide if telling Cain the truth about having chronicled their relationship to the rest of the world is worth risking their chance at love.
All I Want For Christmas (14 Christmas Novellas to Benefit Diabetes Research)
Release date: November 1, 2016
“5-B POPPY LANE” by Debbie Macomber
Come visit with Helen Shelton, her granddaughter Ruth and Ruth's husband, Paul. They'll offer you a cup of mulled cider and the story of how they met—and they'll share Helen's breathtaking adventures during the Second World War.
“KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE” by Bella Andre
For Mary Sullivan Christmas has always been about family. As she hangs her ornaments, she's swept back to the first days of her whirlwind romance with her husband--and the love that would be the foundation on which they built their family.
“FINDING EACH OTHER” by Melody Anne
Brayden Steele gave up his love of Christmas many years ago when he lost his mother and father in a car wreck. But just because he no longer believes in Santa Clause, doesn’t mean the magic has given up on him.
“BEFORE THAT PROMISE” by Violet Duke
If anyone can make Drew Lawson believe in the magic of Christmas, it's the mind-wreckingly beautiful Skylar Sullivan. She's the girl-next-door he'd classified as completely off-limits two years ago--and she's standing on his doorstep on Christmas Eve.
“CELEBRATION AFTER DARK” by Marie Force
On the occasion of their 40th wedding anniversary, Big Mac and Linda McCarthy take a look back at how they came to be, while each of their children confront a new challenge in their own lives. Come to Gansett Island to celebrate the holidays and the anniversary of the island’s most loved couple!
“A DUNDEE CHRISTMAS” by Brenda Novak
Welcome to Dundee, Idaho, where the town is small but the hearts of the people living in it are large. A woman seeking refuge in an unfamiliar town during a snowstorm is taken in by a man who helps her discover a new sense of home. But Ken Holbrook provides more than safety and comfort because with him, she also finds love.
“UNMATCHABLE” by Laurelin Paige and Kayti McGee
After Jane Osborne is unceremoniously dumped by a rich man, and then invited to his wedding, on (Christmas Eve no less), she decides to hire a date from Craigslist and pass him off as an upgrade.
“CHRISTMAS MIRACLE FOR DAISY” by Jane Porter
When his goddaughter, Daisy, is orphaned, confirmed bachelor Cormac Sheenan adopts her. All goes well until Marietta's seasonal Santa Claus promises his daughter a mommy for Christmas. Cormac is livid, until his old flame Whitney Alder comes back to town.…
“CHRISTMAS WISH: A HOPE FALLS HOLIDAY NOVELLA” by Melanie Shawn
For the movie star and the single mom, will a Christmas Wish become their new reality?
“A COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE” by RaeAnne Thayne
Widow and caterer Jenna Wheeler is determined to spin Christmas into the stuff of magic for her four children, even if that means helping out her new landlord, sexy billionaire Carson McRaven. At first, Carson wants nothing to do with Jenna, children or the holidays, but he has a little to learn about the spirit of Christmas.
"THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS" by Melinda Curtis
Simon Castle' s on his way to a make-or-break meeting unseasonably scheduled for December 25--until the gorgeous redhead subbing for his limo driver takes him on a detour.
“GINGERBREAD DREAMS” by Anna J. Stewart
Can carpenter Hamish MacFadden show free-spirit Essie Goodman how magical family--and Christmas--can be?
Come visit with Helen Shelton, her granddaughter Ruth and Ruth's husband, Paul. They'll offer you a cup of mulled cider and the story of how they met—and they'll share Helen's breathtaking adventures during the Second World War.
“KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE” by Bella Andre
For Mary Sullivan Christmas has always been about family. As she hangs her ornaments, she's swept back to the first days of her whirlwind romance with her husband--and the love that would be the foundation on which they built their family.
“FINDING EACH OTHER” by Melody Anne
Brayden Steele gave up his love of Christmas many years ago when he lost his mother and father in a car wreck. But just because he no longer believes in Santa Clause, doesn’t mean the magic has given up on him.
“BEFORE THAT PROMISE” by Violet Duke
If anyone can make Drew Lawson believe in the magic of Christmas, it's the mind-wreckingly beautiful Skylar Sullivan. She's the girl-next-door he'd classified as completely off-limits two years ago--and she's standing on his doorstep on Christmas Eve.
“CELEBRATION AFTER DARK” by Marie Force
On the occasion of their 40th wedding anniversary, Big Mac and Linda McCarthy take a look back at how they came to be, while each of their children confront a new challenge in their own lives. Come to Gansett Island to celebrate the holidays and the anniversary of the island’s most loved couple!
“A DUNDEE CHRISTMAS” by Brenda Novak
Welcome to Dundee, Idaho, where the town is small but the hearts of the people living in it are large. A woman seeking refuge in an unfamiliar town during a snowstorm is taken in by a man who helps her discover a new sense of home. But Ken Holbrook provides more than safety and comfort because with him, she also finds love.
“UNMATCHABLE” by Laurelin Paige and Kayti McGee
After Jane Osborne is unceremoniously dumped by a rich man, and then invited to his wedding, on (Christmas Eve no less), she decides to hire a date from Craigslist and pass him off as an upgrade.
“CHRISTMAS MIRACLE FOR DAISY” by Jane Porter
When his goddaughter, Daisy, is orphaned, confirmed bachelor Cormac Sheenan adopts her. All goes well until Marietta's seasonal Santa Claus promises his daughter a mommy for Christmas. Cormac is livid, until his old flame Whitney Alder comes back to town.…
“CHRISTMAS WISH: A HOPE FALLS HOLIDAY NOVELLA” by Melanie Shawn
For the movie star and the single mom, will a Christmas Wish become their new reality?
“A COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE” by RaeAnne Thayne
Widow and caterer Jenna Wheeler is determined to spin Christmas into the stuff of magic for her four children, even if that means helping out her new landlord, sexy billionaire Carson McRaven. At first, Carson wants nothing to do with Jenna, children or the holidays, but he has a little to learn about the spirit of Christmas.
"THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS" by Melinda Curtis
Simon Castle' s on his way to a make-or-break meeting unseasonably scheduled for December 25--until the gorgeous redhead subbing for his limo driver takes him on a detour.
“GINGERBREAD DREAMS” by Anna J. Stewart
Can carpenter Hamish MacFadden show free-spirit Essie Goodman how magical family--and Christmas--can be?
The Mistletoe Secret (The Mistletoe Collection)
Richard Paul Evans
Release date: November 15, 2016
From the master of the Christmas novel, The Mistletoe Secret is a moving holiday story about two people who brave loneliness and loss to find love.
Twenty-nine-year-old Kelly Arrington is at a low point in life. Briefly married, her husband abandoned her before the birth of their stillborn child. Lonely and in mourning, she copes by starting an anonymous blog, The Mistletoe Letters, named for her home on Mistletoe Road.
“Is anyone out there?”
She signs each of her deeply personal posts LBH, which only she knows stands not for her initials, but for “Last Breaking Heart.”
New York writer Tyler Richards is reading her posts. Nursing his own broken heart and trust issues, he finds himself falling for this anonymous blogger. Following a trail of clues LBH has inadvertently revealed, he tracks her down to the small town of Tribe, Alabama. He makes his way there, and begins the search for a Lisa, Lori, maybe a Luanne. Instead, he finds a woman named Kelly to help him track down the mysterious LBH.
In the spirit of the season, New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry presents readers with the gift of another holiday mystery, taking them to the Holy Land for an intriguing and miraculous journey of discovery.
The year is 1900, and Victor Narraway is giving his wife, Vespasia, an unforgettable Christmas present—a trip to Jerusalem. Vespasia is enchanted by the exotic landscape of Palestine, and charmed by a fellow traveler the Narraways meet at their hotel in Jaffa. But when the man is murdered over a torn piece of ancient parchment he was taking to Jerusalem, Victor and Vespasia risk their lives to finish his mission and deliver the mysterious document to its home. Pursued by a shadowy figure with evil intent, they embark on a dangerous yet ultimately enlightening pilgrimage to the holy city, where the mysterious message on the parchment may finally be revealed.
Rich in suspense and wonder, A Christmas Message is at once a breathtaking adventure story and a poignant meditation on faith and spirituality.
Twenty-nine-year-old Kelly Arrington is at a low point in life. Briefly married, her husband abandoned her before the birth of their stillborn child. Lonely and in mourning, she copes by starting an anonymous blog, The Mistletoe Letters, named for her home on Mistletoe Road.
“Is anyone out there?”
She signs each of her deeply personal posts LBH, which only she knows stands not for her initials, but for “Last Breaking Heart.”
New York writer Tyler Richards is reading her posts. Nursing his own broken heart and trust issues, he finds himself falling for this anonymous blogger. Following a trail of clues LBH has inadvertently revealed, he tracks her down to the small town of Tribe, Alabama. He makes his way there, and begins the search for a Lisa, Lori, maybe a Luanne. Instead, he finds a woman named Kelly to help him track down the mysterious LBH.
A Christmas Message: A Novel
Anne Perry
Release date: November 1, 2016
The year is 1900, and Victor Narraway is giving his wife, Vespasia, an unforgettable Christmas present—a trip to Jerusalem. Vespasia is enchanted by the exotic landscape of Palestine, and charmed by a fellow traveler the Narraways meet at their hotel in Jaffa. But when the man is murdered over a torn piece of ancient parchment he was taking to Jerusalem, Victor and Vespasia risk their lives to finish his mission and deliver the mysterious document to its home. Pursued by a shadowy figure with evil intent, they embark on a dangerous yet ultimately enlightening pilgrimage to the holy city, where the mysterious message on the parchment may finally be revealed.
Rich in suspense and wonder, A Christmas Message is at once a breathtaking adventure story and a poignant meditation on faith and spirituality.
The Christmas Town
Donna VanLiere
Release date: October 18, 2016
Lauren Gabriel spent many years of her childhood in foster homes, wishing her mother would come back for her and be the family she needs. Now twenty-years-old, she still longs for a place that she can truly call home. Her work as a cashier is unfulfilling, and at Christmas it’s unbearable with the songs and carols and chatter of Christmas that she hears throughout the day.
When Lauren ends her shift one night, she finds herself driving aimlessly in order to avoid returning to her lonely apartment. And when she witnesses a car accident she is suddenly pulled into the small town of Grandon, first as a witness but then as a volunteer for the annual fundraiser for Glory’s Place, a center for single mothers and families who need assistance. Could this town and its people be the home she has always longed for?
The New York Times bestselling author of the timeless The Christmas Shoes and The Christmas Hope is back with this moving and uplifting story about finding love, hope, and family in unexpected places.
The Christmas Angel Project
Melody Carlson
Release date: September 6, 2016
Five women from different walks of life have become close friends through their book club--enjoying one another's company even more than they enjoy the books. So when the leader of the book club unexpectedly passes away on the cusp of the Christmas season, the four remaining friends are stunned. They relied on Abby for inspiration and motivation. She was the glue that held them together, and they're sure that without her the group can't continue.
When the group gathers "one last time" to open a bag Abby's husband gives them, they find Abby had made each of them an angel ornament for Christmas, crafted especially for each woman and accompanied by a sweet and personal note. Inspired by their beloved friend, together Cassidy, Louisa, Grace, and Belinda decide to commit themselves to becoming Christmas Angels to others in need. Each woman will use her life situation and talents to reach out and help others in her own unique way--little knowing that her own life and her relationships will be changed forever.
Fan favorite Melody Carlson is back with another touching Christmas story sure to grip readers' hearts and perhaps inspire them to become Christmas Angels themselves.
Deck the Hallways (A Fixer-Upper Mystery)
Kate Carlisle
Release date: November 1, 2016
The latest mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Crowned and Moldering.
Someone's been slayed! If contractor Shannon Hammer can't nail the real culprit in the St. Nick of time, her dad will wind up in the clink...
Even at Christmastime, Shannon is more spackle than sparkle, which is why she leaps at the chance to transform a grand old Victorian mansion into ten charming apartments for homeless families. Filled with the spirit of the season, all of Lighthouse Cove turns out to help—including her best friends, a troupe of far-from-angelic Santa Claus impersonators, and her father, Jack.
But their merriment is soon dashed by a heated scuffle between Jack and the miserly president of the bank who’s backing the project. When the man is murdered, all eyes are on Jack, and visions of prison time dance in Shannon's head. Now, she needs to pull off a crime-solving miracle, before her father’s Christmas goose is cooked…
Which one(s) are you looking forward to?
This post is part of....
Always in spirit...
Deck the Hallways is the one I'm looking forward to. :)
ReplyDeleteWe watch some family movies every Christmas.
ReplyDelete