As part of a Goodreads Challenge, I read some lighter fare in December starting with:
97. Skipping Christmas (John Grisham) – the book that Christmas with the Kranks was based on, which had me laughing through my commutes – see my review here.
98. Christmas at the Vinyl Cafe (Stuart McLean) – my favourite holiday read of the season which will become a tradition – see my review here.
99. The Christmas Tree (David Richard Adams) – two reflective short stories. Review here.
100. Last Christmas in Paris (Gaynor & Webb) – based on an elderly WW2 soldier reading his old love letters from the war as he reminisces after his wife’s death. Review here.
101. The Future Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge (Charlie Lovett) – a light sequel to A Christmas Carol which had his nephew meeting the spirits and refining his ways.
102. The Stupidest Angel (Christopher Moore) – this was a quirky tale that blended the unlikely zombies with Christmas. It read like cult-fiction and was a fun story that I have added to the Franklin Street LFL if others are looking for something unique. I love that it was shared by a CanadianContent Goodreads group member so wanted to pay it forward and continue to share this book.
103. Christmas in Ontario – a non-fiction book detailing holiday traditions specific to Ontario.
104. Landline (Victoria Rowell) – a new take on the lessons of A Christmas Carol or It’s a Wonderful Life which detailed a work-a-holic wife and mother who skips the holidays to work on a new project with a colleague. As she speaks to her husband on a landline phone which takes her back to their early days together, she comes to realize what is really important.
105. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (Frank L. Baum) – this classic was written by the author of The Wizard of Oz and is a different take on the story of Santa Claus, how he was cared for by immortals and the origins of his gift giving. His writing was beautifully descriptive and this would be a tale worth reading to children over a series of evenings.
The Christmas reading was a nice departure from some of the heavier books that I had been reading but I am ready for some more CanLit in the new year!
Did you complete any holiday reads? What were your favourites?
A Year of Books 
I read Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (L. Frank Baum) (Charming story, great tale for kids for the season. Might try to find a hard copy for my great niece), Miss Kane’s Christmas (Caroline Mickelson) (light, fluffy, romance novella. Liked the main character, she had spark), The Brands Who Came For Christmas (Maggie Shayne) (fairly typical romance plot but well written and both of the main couple were likeable), Grosvenor Square Christmas (Anna Campbell) (four short stories, early 1800s, liked them), Mistletoe and Murder (Carola Dunn) (1920s murder mystery, country house, poor relations, not quite Agatha Christie but not bad)
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Thanks for sharing! It is nice to read a few new (and fluffy) stories before the holidays and mix in with some classics!
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The only Holiday book I read was A Halifax Christmas Carol, which I loved!
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I will add this to my list for next year!
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