Celebrate the Christmas season with That Artsy Reader Girl and her bookish friends! 

Celebrate #ChristmasWithJana: Instagram ✦ Twitter ✦ Event Schedule

I’d like to welcome Jodi Meadows, author of the Newsoul trilogy, the Orphan Queen duology, and the Fallen Isles trilogy, to the blog today to tell us what she would give the characters in her most recent book, Before She Ignites. I read and reviewed Before She Ignites [read my review here] in September and really loved it, so I’m excited to see what Jodi would give these beloved characters!

Jodi’s Presents for Her BSI Characters

While the people of the Fallen Isles don’t celebrate Christmas, they do have another holiday at the end of every year: the Hallowed Restoration. Those are the five (sometimes six) days at the end of the year where families gather together to reflect on the previous year, look forward to the new, and argue while they eat too much food. There are often parties involved, and occasionally there’s gift giving.

If I lived in the Fallen Isles and could give presents to my characters in Before She Ignites, here’s what I would offer them:

Mira
Mira is not a girl lacking in Stuff, so I wouldn’t give her something else to clutter her bedroom. Instead, I’d want to offer her a hug and some self-confidence. Maybe I’d write a letter detailing all the ways I think she’s a fabulous human and deserves love.

Ilina
Ilina is a practical person, so what she really wants is something useful, and probably something related to dragons. I’d like to give her an entire library of dragon-related texts to help her be the best dragon trainer in the Fallen Isles.

Hristo
Probably some kind of weapon, like a nice dagger or sword, but forged in his homeland. He takes sentimental value very seriously, so the more thought put into a gift, the more it matters to him.

LaLa and Crystal
Since these tiny dragons are so adorable, they probably deserve cute bows and sparkly hunting gear.

Aaru
If you’ve read the book, then you know Aaru really likes his peace and quiet. In that way, he’s definitely a boy after my own heart. So I’d give him noise-canceling headphones. The fancy kind that really do cancel the noise, not just the ones that pretend like they do.

Gerel
We have to be honest about Gerel. Whatever I get her, she’ll just return it for cash. So I’d probably just give her cash or a gift card. That’s really all she wants anyway.

Chenda
Chenda is fancier than I will ever be, and so I can’t even guess as to what she would want. If I thought I could afford it, I’d take her to some kind of high-end shop and let her pick out her own present.

Tirta
Somehow, Tirta got a job cooking. Tirta is a terrible cook, it turns out. As a gift, I’d probably try to arrange for some kind of cooking class and a few basic cookbooks.

Altan
Altan isn’t a nice person. Even without Santa in the Fallen Isles, I’d still give that meanie a lump of coal.

Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows
Series: Fallen Isles Trilogy #1
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on September 12, 2017
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 400
Add to Goodreads
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Book Depository

Before

Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. Since the day she was born, she’s been told she’s special. Important. Perfect. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty named after her, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland.

But Mira has never felt as perfect as everyone says. She counts compulsively. She struggles with crippling anxiety. And she’s far too interested in dragons for a girl of her station.

After

Then Mira discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect.

No longer beholden to those who betrayed her, Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles–and herself–before her very world begins to collapse.

About Jodi Meadows

Jodi Meadows wants to be a ferret when she grows up and she has no self-control when it comes to yarn, ink, or outer space. Still, she manages to write books. She is the author of the INCARNATE Trilogy, the ORPHAN QUEEN Duology, and the FALLEN ISLES Trilogy (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen), and a coauthor of MY LADY JANE (HarperTeen). Visit her at Website: www.jodimeadows.com

Twitter  | Goodreads | Website

Celebrate the Christmas season with That Artsy Reader Girl and her bookish friends! 

Celebrate #ChristmasWithJana: Instagram ✦ Twitter ✦ Event Schedule

Today I’m welcoming my friend Alyssa, book blogger at Books Take You Places and host of the On the Same Page Secret Sister Project! She’s here (on her birthday, by the way!!) to tell us about her Christmas traditions. I love traditions and any excuse to form a new one.

Hi all!

I am so happy to be on Jana’s blog today to help her celebrate A Bookish Little Christmas! Today I will be talking about some of my Christmas traditions growing up and the kinds of things I like to do to celebrate nowadays.

 

Growing up, Christmas was always my favorite time of year. Yes, this was in large part because I was a spoiled brat and got ALL THE PRESENTS, but that wasn’t the only reason why I loved the holiday so much. My earliest memories of Christmas were when my grandmother had a tiny third floor apartment in a town nearby. She had this tiny living room and would put up a tiny tree on top of a table in between two of the most comfortable chairs ever. She decorated the tree with tinsel and those ornaments that look like apples and she only ever used colored Christmas lights. The best part was that every year we would make new ornaments out of walnuts and glitter and my grandmother would act as if they were just the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. My grandmother collected Santas and they were alllll over the living room. Everywhere you looked, there was a Santa. I still covet this collection and ask her every Christmas if she is ready to bestow her giant collection to me – no luck thus far! Now, my favorite “Santa” will come as no surprise to those who know me. My uncle bought my grandmother a statue of Black Peter one year and I fell in love. He had these switches in his sack that I would take out and hold while watching different Christmas movies. I LOVED this guy, and every year I peruse Ebay and debate buying him for myself (Justin, do you see this, honey?)

So anyway, why did I love Black Peter so much? This weird tradition came from my great grandmother from Germany and my mother and her rather macabre likes. I grew up learning about Belsnickel. An easy explanation is that Belsnickel is akin to Saint Nicholas. He brings treats to good children but instead of coal, he brings switches to beat the naughty children. His companion is Krampus, who is often the one who does the beating. These stories turned into a new tradition in my family where we began to celebrate Krampusnacht. On the evening of December 5 we would leave out our shoes for when Belsnickel and Krampus visited. In the morning, if it was filled with treats then we knew Santa was coming to bring us gifts. If I had been particularly bratty around that time, I would get some rocks thrown in there to remind me to be on my best behavior, or Krampus was going to come and give me the switch. Interesting family I grew up with, eh? So ANYWAY Black Peter is another companion to Saint Nicholas, and for some reason I found these complex beings a lot more interesting than the traditional Santa Claus.

That being said, have you read Krampus: The Yule Lord by Brom? I HIGHLY recommend it if you enjoy dark fantasy and authors such as Neil Gaiman. For readers looking for a dark and harrowing story on the origins of Santa Claus, differences between Christmas and Yuletide, or a vivid novel steeped in Norse mythology, this novel is highly recommended.

 

So what am I doing this year? Let me tell ya! I am going to be making Christmas cookies with my mom (head over to Sarah’s blog to see some yummy and easy recipes for some of those) and sitting by my tree A LOT. As of writing this, it is less than one week until I go and pick out my Christmas tree for a day of decorating! I already have it in my calendar as “CHRISTMAS TREE DAY” because I am SO EXCITED. I always watch those old school Christmas movies like The Year Without a Santa Claus and The Muppet Christmas Carol while decorating and have the best time ever. I will then spend the next few (yep, FEW) months bundled up on my couch next to my tree. It is my very favorite thing to do. Finally, around Valentine’s Day I will make myself take down my tree because by that time it will probably be droopy and sad looking.

 

What will I be reading? I am weird because I always choose my last book of the year months in advance. I have ELEVEN books to go on my Goodreads goal (LOL why does this always happen?!) but I have a few end of year reads in mind…

 

The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle – I have owned this book for YEARS and have yet to read it. This is just one of those classics that somehow slipped by me as I was growing up and I cannot wait to read it.

 

Krampusnacht: Twelve Nights of Krampus by Kate Wolford – This book was gifted to me by my secret sister and I cannot wait to delve in this holiday season! Short, horror, Krampus-filled stories? Yes, please.

 

The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories by Tara Moore – This one I have been coveting for a while now and no libraries have it so if I don’t receive it from Santa (or Belsnickel) I might have to just treat myself. I mean…hello…CHRISTMAS GHOST STORIES!

…and finally…my last read of the year…

 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The Illustrated Edition – I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS ONE! I have refrained from buying it just so I could hold off and have it be my last read of the year. I am SO excited to fall into this world and ring in the new year with my favorite characters.

What will you be reading this holiday season? Sending you all of the best wishes! XO

 

Celebrate the Christmas season with That Artsy Reader Girl and her bookish friends! 

Post Schedule ✦ Instagram ✦ Twitter

I’m excited to welcome Meredith Schorr, author of The Boyfriend Swap (and a bunch of other novels), to the blog today to share with us the letter that her main character, Robyn Lane, has written to Santa this year! I recently read and enjoyed The Boyfriend Swap, and Robyn is a very sweet and quirky character that I had so much fun getting to know. She knows her boyfriend, Perry, will not fit in at her family’s holiday party this year so she swaps boyfriends with someone else and you can imagine how things go!

Dear Santa from Robyn Lane

Dear Santa,

Merry almost Christmas.

Since it’s in your job description to keep tabs on when I’ve been naughty or nice, I bet you also know when I’m being a lazy music teacher. With winter recess beginning tomorrow, the art teacher and I combined our classes so we could each do half the work. First, I led the kids in singing holiday songs. Now, Ms. Cassidy is helping them write letters to you, and I joined in on the fun. I know I’m supposed to include a list of presents I want for Christmas, but all I truly want is a peaceful and joyous Chrismukkah celebration with my family. (I hope you’re not offended that I’m half Jewish. You’ve always struck me as an equal-opportunity gift giver.)

Oh, Santa, I dread bringing Perry home with me for the holidays. If I have to sit through another family dinner—make that three—listening to my family subtly patronize my showbiz boyfriend because he doesn’t have a pension plan or reliable health insurance, I’ll lose it. Sure, he gets overly excited when it’s his turn at the mic and purposely chooses lengthy songs to maintain the spotlight longer, but it’s only because he’s passionate. He hasn’t had his big break yet, but it doesn’t mean he won’t. He’s so talented—a triple threat like his idol, Matthew Morrison. He just needs a little luck and maybe an agent. Why can’t my parents, ex-performers themselves, cut him some slack rather than try to set me up with every single suit-and-tie guy within a mile radius?

Speaking of corporate types, can you please wipe all memories of my childhood crush on Will Brady from my brain? I’ve barely thought about him in nine years and suddenly, with one double date to discuss this stupid boyfriend swap, it’s all come back. I can hardly close my eyes without seeing his sparkling hazel eyes staring back at me. And the way his smile lights up his entire adorable face. Thank God he didn’t agree to the swap. But why didn’t he agree to the swap? Was I that much of a loser in high school? I was one of the weird kids, who actually danced at the school dances instead of drinking the spiked punch and making out in dark classrooms, but I’m not ashamed of who I was then or who I am now.

This, Santa, is why I date creative types. They actually favor me over sophisticated business women like Sidney Bellows. I mean no offense to Sidney. I’m not at all surprised by Will’s attraction to her. She’s sharp and sassy, and her red hair makes her really stand out in a crowd. She’s perfect for Will and they’re both lawyers. Perry’s much more my type and he makes me happy. My parents will just have to deal with it.

I digress. This is supposed to be a letter to Santa, not a diary entry. Sorry ☹

Oh, the kids are getting ready for dismissal. I’d better end this.

In closing, all I want for Christmas is a stress-free celebration.

Thank you! Merry Chrismukkah, Santa!

Love,
Robyn

The Boyfriend Swap by Meredith Schorr
Published by Henery Press on November 7, 2017
Genres: Christmas, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 288
Add to Goodreads
Amazon • B&N

Is Christmas really the most wonderful time of the year? New Yorkers Robyn Lane and Sidney Bellows aren’t so sure.

Robyn has always dated struggling creative types. For once, her parents would love her to bring someone with health insurance and a 401(k) to their Chrismukkah celebration. Her actor boyfriend doesn’t qualify. While across town, Sidney’s professional life already belongs to her parents. She’s an attorney at her father’s law firm and she works tirelessly to keep her love life private. If she brings her lawyer boyfriend to their annual Christmas extravaganza, her parents will have the wedding planned by New Year’s Eve.

A mutual friend playfully suggests they trade boyfriends for the holidays. The women share a laugh, but after copious amounts of wine, decide The Boyfriend Swap could be the perfect solution. This way, Robyn can show off her stable attorney boyfriend and Sidney’s high-society family will take no interest in her flakey actor beau.

It’s a brilliant plan—in theory. In practice—not so much. When Will turns out to be the boy-next-door Robyn crushed on hard throughout her teenage years, and Sidney’s family fawns all over Perry like he’s an Oscar-winner rather than a D-list wannabe, one thing is certain: The Boyfriend Swap might just change their lives forever.

About Meredith Schorr

A born and bred New Yorker, Meredith Schorr discovered her passion for writing when she began to enjoy drafting work-related e-mails way more than she was probably supposed to. After trying her hand penning children’s stories and blogging her personal experiences, Meredith found her calling writing romantic comedy, women’s fiction, and contemporary young adult fiction. She secures much inspiration from her day job as a hard-working trademark paralegal and her still single (but looking) status. Meredith is a loyal New York Yankees fan, an avid runner, and an unashamed television addict. To learn more, visit her at www.meredithschorr.com.

Celebrate the Christmas season with That Artsy Reader Girl and her bookish friends! 

Celebrate #ChristmasWithJana: Instagram ✦ Twitter ✦ Event Schedule

Today I’m welcoming Jen Gilroy, contemporary romance author of the Firefly Lake series published by Forever.Jen has chosen to talk about her favorite holiday books as a child, which is always one of my favorite topics. I’ve always loved Christmas books, and that started during my childhood when my sister and I would get new Christmas books every year to add to our collection. I loved pulling our huge basket of books out of storage every year and re-reading all my favorites.

My Favorite Holiday Books as a Child

by Jen Gilroy

Thank you for inviting me to write a guest post for A Bookish Little Christmas, Jana. It’s a pleasure to be here to celebrate the holidays with you and your readers.

I was a bookish child who grew up into a bookish adult, and many of my favorite books are still those I first loved in childhood.

Especially for A Bookish Little Christmas, here are my top five favorite childhood books for the holidays—holding memories of cozy times, love of family, and the true meaning of the holiday season.

The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter’s “little books” were presents from my grandparents, and The Tailor of Gloucester, first published commercially in 1903, was the story I always wanted to have read to me at Christmastime.

When a poor tailor falls ill, kind mice finish sewing a waistcoat for the mayor of Gloucester’s Christmas day wedding. With a naughty cat, singing birds, what were then to me all sorts of funny new words and, of course, Potter’s luminous illustrations, this magical story has always captivated me.

And although it was written over a hundred years ago, The Tailor of Gloucester has a surprisingly modern message. Then as now, kindness and generosity are hallmarks of the holiday season, and those qualities are at the heart of this Christmas fairytale.

A Little House Christmas, Holiday Stories from the Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder/Illustrated by Garth Williams

All the “little house” books were childhood favorites and depictions of the cozy, homemade Christmases that run through the stories were part of my holiday reading from the time I learned how to read on my own.

A Little House Christmas was a present from a cousin several years ago and includes some of my most treasured “little house” Christmas moments—in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, on the Kansas prairie (the story of how Mr. Edwards met Santa Claus always bring a lump to my throat), and on Plum Creek in Minnesota.

Although the Ingalls family weren’t rich in money or “things,” they had love in abundance, and these stories of hardship, sacrifice, and generosity capture the true meaning of the holidays for me.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore

This classic poem is part of my earliest childhood Christmas memories, and across the years, I can still hear the warmth and love in my late dad’s voice as he recited it to me.

It has even greater poignancy for me now, though, since it’s become one of my own family’s cherished Christmas traditions. Each Christmas Eve night from the time she was a baby, my husband has brought out his tattered childhood copy of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas to read to our daughter. Even though she’s now a teen, it’s still an important part of her life and relationship with her dad.

White Boots by Noel Streatfeild
(published in the US as Skating Shoes)

Although not specifically a holiday book, White Boots (initially published in October 1951) by English children’s author Noel Streatfeild is a book I read for the first time at Christmas when I got a paperback copy in my stocking.

It’s the story of a girl who begins ice skating to build up her strength after an illness, becomes keen on the sport, and forms an unlikely friendship with a more affluent girl—and the local star skater.

Even though the world of post-war Britain is long gone, the characters in this gentle book about family, friendship, and following your dreams still ring true today. And a chapter simply titled “Christmas,” celebrates all the things—including crackers, the traditional lunch, and a “splendid…cake”—that make an English Christmas special.

In the 1998 movie, “You’ve Got Mail,” the character played by Meg Ryan describes Skating Shoes to a bookstore customer as “completely wonderful.” I heartily agree!

Just For You, Blue Kangaroo! by Emma Chichester Clark
(published in the US as Merry Christmas, Blue Kangaroo)

No list of my favorite holiday children’s books would be complete without including one of the books I discovered and loved through reading to my daughter when she was small.

I gave her Just For You, Blue Kangaroo! (first published in 2004) the Christmas she was four. Although we now live in Canada, my daughter was born in England and spent her childhood there so Blue Kangaroo, a blue stuffed kangaroo who lives with a little girl named Lily, was a firm favorite.

Whenever I read this charming Christmas tale about how Lily helps her mother get ready for the holidays—and ensures Blue Kangaroo is included too—I go back to those precious bedtime story days with my sweet girl cuddled by my side.

Along with the memories, the story and illustrations make this heartwarming book a cherished festive treasure that I re-read each year.

Happy holidays to you, Jana, and everyone at That Artsy Reader Girl. May you celebrate this wonderful season with those you love, as well as some of your own favorite childhood holiday books.

–

What were some of your favorite holiday books as a child?

 

Back Home At Firefly Lake by Jen Gilroy
Firefly Lake #3
December 5, 2017 from Forever
Genres: Adult Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Holiday
Pages: 368
Add to Goodreads • Buy from Amazon

A heartwarming small-town romance that will make you believe in love and second chances.

She has a million reasons to leave.
Can he give her the one she needs to stay?

Cat McGuire’s return to Firefly Lake is turning into much more than she bargained for. Sure, she missed the crisp pine-scented air and the comfort of having her family around her. But being home makes her feel less like the successful single mom she is–and more like the awkward teen who never fit in. It doesn’t help that hockey-pro Luc Simard is back in town, too. Luc was her childhood crush, the hometown hero who never noticed her, and yet somehow he still makes her heart skip a beat.

Luc’s homecoming has been bittersweet. He’s lost his wife and his career, but there’s no better place to start over than Firefly Lake. Coaching the local kids’ hockey team makes him feel alive again, and he thinks his life is complete–until Cat arrives. The shy girl he always wanted to protect is now the gorgeous woman who’s stealing his heart and making him believe in second chances. But how can he convince Cat that Firefly Lake is where she truly belongs?

About Jen Gilroy

Jen Gilroy lives in a small town in Ontario, Canada. She’s worked in higher education and international marketing but, after spending too much time in airports and away from her family, traded the 9-5 to write contemporary romance and women’s fiction to bring readers’ hearts home. Jen likes ice cream, diners, vintage style and all things country. Her husband is her real-life romance hero, and her teen daughter teaches her to cherish the blessings in the everyday.

The Cottage at Firefly Lake, the first book in her Firefly Lake series, was a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® award in 2015. It was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon Award 2017. Her new release, Back Home at Firefly Lake, was chosen as one of Amazon’s best books of December 2017.

Celebrate the Christmas season with That Artsy Reader Girl and her bookish friends! 

Celebrate #ChristmasWithJana: Instagram ✦ Twitter ✦ Event Schedule

I’m so happy to welcome April Rose, book blogger at HauntedByBooks13, to the blog today to talk about some of her favorite Christmas movies, music, and books! I love all three of these things, so this is exciting. Hopefully her recommendations give you something new and festive to look for this Christmas season!

April’s Favorite Christmas Movies, Music, & Books

Hello, everyone! April Rose here! I am so excited to be a part of Bookish Little Christmas! I am going to be sharing my favorite holiday books, music, and movies!

Let’s start with movies!

Home Alone
Home Alone 2
The Santa Clause

Music

Books

My True Love Gave to Me by Various Authors
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I didn’t realize that I haven’t read that many holiday books until I was trying to come up with ones to share. So I’ll list a few I want to read to make up for it.

 

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
What Light by Jay Asher

Well, that’s all the favorites I have to share. Happy Holidays!

What are some of your favorite Christmas movies, music, and books?