Christmas Books Worth Reading

I've was hoping to have this post out before Christmas, but alas, things got busy.  Better late than never, now you can prep for next year!  Anyway, I've seen a number of facebook posts recently, asking about favorite books for Christmas.  I have a number of friends who do a countdown to Christmas with children's books, and I like to give a book to my kids for their Christmas Eve gift to open before bed.  That being said, there are a lot out there that are downright lame.  So, here are some of my choices that I think are worthy of your time:

 

1. The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg

Read this instead of watching the movie.  Please.  A lovely tale about children who know and recognize the true meaning of Christmas.  Beautiful, haunting illustrations.

2. A Child's Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas

This story is about a little boy's experience with the sights, sounds, smells, and adventures of Christmas in his small Welsh town.  The characters in the story are wonderfully rich and quirky, and the warmth and laughter it brings truly will make you smile.  I believe this would technically be considered a prose poem, but it is very accessible and easier to read than some of Thomas' other poetry.  And if you can find an audio recording by the author, or even go see a play of this work, its almost better to listen to than to read.  You can really let yourself disappear into the richness of the language and the story.  I have a soft spot in my heart for Wales since I had the pleasure of studying abroad there for a few months during college.  One of the best experiences of my life. And one of the best days while there was when I was able to see a performance of this work at  the college a few days before my own Christmas in Wales.  It was truly a marvelous experience.

3. Merry Christmas, Festus and Mercury, by Sven Nordqvist

I came across this treasure in some used book sale, and one look at the cat on the front had me hooked.  When I read it and looked at the other illustrations, I loved it even more.  Its got a quirky feel to it because of its focus on a different tradition/culture, so its refreshing, and the relationship of this old man and his cat is hysterical and heartwarming all at the same time.  Not sure how easy it would be to find a copy, but keep an eye out.  I believe there are others in the series.

4. Duck and Goose, It's Time for Christmas!, by Tad Hills

A fun little board book for the younger crowd.  Duck and Goose and two funny characters who are getting ready for Christmas.

5.  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson

This is a chapter book instead of a picture book, but is a pretty quick read nevertheless.  Its about a town putting on their Christmas pageant and all the funny moments that entails, as well as how one family of misfits teach everyone the true meaning of Christmas.

6.  A Little House Christmas: Holiday Stories from the Little House Books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I have re-read the Little House books so often I have lost count, and they only get better and better.  Many of my favorite excerpts (except for my all-time favorite parts about her falling in love with Almanzo - but that's for another post) are the Ingalls' Christmas celebrations.  They are so happy with so little, and I love the old-time traditions and family gatherings.  I'm so excited to find this collection because it gathers all these stories together to be enjoyed during the holidays.  And I plan to definitely get the collection that has the original Garth Williams illustrations.

7. A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

A true classic, the story of Scrooge and his journeys with three spirits who teach him about the true Christmas spirit of love and kindness.  My favorite quote is when Scrooge is confronted with Jacob Marley's ghost, who is weighed down with the chains of greed he forged in life:
“But you were always a good man of business, Jacob," faltered Scrooge.

"Business!" cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"

8. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, by Susan Wojciechowski

A talented old woodcarver never smiles, having lost his family to illness.  But when a widow and her son ask him to make a new crèche, he discovers his own Christmas miracle.  Lovely illustrations and a touching story. 

9. A Christmas Parable, by Boyd K. Packer

This is a deceptively simple story about a man who has a dream that teaches him about the greatest Christmas gift of all - the Atonement of the Savior.  I especially love his poem at the end about being washed clean, in relation to the miracles of Christ both in the Bible and in our hearts today.  My mother started a tradition many years ago of reading this book to us on Christmas Eve and then writing down Christmas memories in the back.  We would then review our favorite memories from the year before, and then each take a turn picking one of the Nativity pieces to display.  Finished off with reading the Christmas Story from Luke.  So many joyous memories, surrounded by an eternal family.

10. Christmas Bells, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Most of us know this poem better as the words to the carol "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", however it is interesting to read the original version, which has a total of seven stanzas.  Two omitted from the song make reference to the Civil War.  Either way, the words of this poem/song are some of the most joyous, hopeful, and true words you will hear.  No matter what each Christmas brings, whether in hard times or good times, Longfellow's verse will give you renewed hope that "God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! / The Wrong shall fail, / The Right prevail, / With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

So, there are some of my favorite books.  However, I can't end without sharing a few of my other favorite entertainments for Christmas:

Movies

It's a Wonderful Life

Mr. Kreuger's Christmas

White Christmas

Miracle on 34th Street

While You Were Sleeping

Music

"O Holy Night" and "O Come O Come Emmanuel" by Manheim Steamroller

"Halleluja Chorus" from The Messiah

"Jingle Bells?" by Barbara Streisand 

"Silent Night" by Boyz II Men

"Ode to Joy" by Beethoven

"A Soalin" by Peter, Paul & Mary

"What Sweeter Music" written by John Rutter

The Way of Kings

by Brandon Sanderson

I am really obsessed with this author right now, as you might notice from the many books I've read of his lately.  It has been so long since I've really found a good set of fantasy books, and Mistborn fulfilled that longing.  Then I voraciously read a few of his other single books like Elantris and Warbreaker and like them, though not on the epic scale of the others.  Then I discovered a 10 book series called the Stormlight Archive, the first book of which is The Way of Kings and I quickly ordered it from the library.  A large volume, in both a physical and a written way, but well worth the time.  Then I excitedly went to order the 2nd book, only to find it was not available.  Why?  Because it hasn't been published yet!  I didn't realize that this is a "projected" 10 book series, meaning that Sanderson has only finished and published the first one, and now I have to wait for 9 more books, which will probably mean the next 10 years of my life will be spent waiting to know what happens at the end!  But if the first book shows anything of that ending, it will be well worth the wait.

So, as I read The Way of Kings I felt like the book did two things.  It told a great story.  Actually it tells a number of great stories about great characters.  But it also felt like a huge introduction to the even larger series.  What I'm saying is, it covers a lot of territory, sets up a lot of stuff for future reference, and leaves a lot of parts hanging with no definite answers, because there are many more stories to come that will flesh it all out.  As long as I go into the book understanding this, I love it because it builds and builds the suspense.  And yet, it is amazing to me that an author can do all that, yet still work in some really amazing stories and characters as well.

And as you can imagine, its not easy to really sum up.  This first book tells the beginning stories of a few different characters.  First, a man who goes from healer, to soldier, to slave, to leader.  The details of his slavery on the "bridge crew" are fabulous and the setting and characters are well thought out and presented.  Another character is a mysterious assassin, one who loathes his job but is for some reason compelled into it.  There is also a female character who becomes the apprentice of a wise woman, only in hopes of stealing her most precious possession, but instead finds herself learning more than she thought.  And finally, another character is a chivalrous military leader who is turning away from way and trying to find the way of peace.  All these characters are set amid a world that is plagued by great storms, so much that the world has adapted, with descriptions of plants and animals and people that are suited for weathering great tempests. A truly epic landscape and story.

And just like another great series, The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss, its killing me to have to wait for the next installment!  Its going to be a long 10+ years.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

by Mary Roach

In honor of Halloween just having finished, I thought a review of this book would be appropriate.  Though it sounds rather gruesome, it is very interesting and quite hysterical.  The author's side notes are almost better than the actual text, because this is where all her random and bizarre comments are made.  A word to the wise however.  I am not a squeamish person in any sense of the word.  Lots of time in the hospital probably got that out of me years ago.  However, this book definitely went into some details that were best left for non-meal time.  But by no means should you avoid it for this reason, just choose your reading time wisely.

I was introduced to this author by the book Packing for Mars, and found it just as entertaining. Whereas that book deals with the very real human details of what it takes to get a person into space (the food, the sanitation, etc.), this book literally details with very human details, as in the remains of a person and what is done with a body after physical death occurs.  Experiments, embalming, burial, investigation, and decay are all covered, but in a way that allows for humor and respect to both have a part of the story.

The ways in which human cadavers have contributed to science is innumerable and amazing.  Medical testing, crash tests, CSI studies, organ transplants, etc. have all led to very real and very important contributions to our way of life.  And cadavers have been a part of all of that.  Of course, many of the ethical questions come into play as well, and Roach discusses many of these, including religious beliefs, grave robbing, etc.

Overall, though it sounds a little disturbing and somewhat gruesome, this book actually gives you a great respect for the human body and its complex design, for science and its discoveries, for those who donate their bodies to science, and to the families that respect these wishes.  Instead of avoiding this topic and feeling it taboo, I love that Roach unveils a stunning landscape of something that is all around us, and just below the skin.  As much as this book is centered around death, it is actually very much about the wonder of life.

Jump! (and Halloween books)

by Scott M. Fischer

This is a fun children's book that my son actually discovered at the library.  Each page is about an animal that gets scared by a bigger animal, which makes it JUMP!  The book has great rhymes, good rhythm, and kids love to "help" read the story when its time to turn the page and JUMP!  And the artwork is fun, nothing fabulously amazing but not cheesy either.  My son picked this book to share with his Kindergarten class on his Superstar Day, and it was very popular.  The teacher commented that it was a very good choice for that age.  I love finding new books for the kids, and I enjoy them myself.

On a side note, I was invited to read at my nieces' school for their Halloween party.  My mother often reads there and she is quite popular but she was going to be out of town and recommended they ask me.  I was happy to fill in.  It was to be arranged thus: 15 kids at a time from ages K-7th grade, for 15 minutes each, and I would do this 5 times in a row.  I bit daunting but it was also exciting.  I love sharing my love of books with anyone and everyone.  I tried to think outside the box and pick some different books that the kids may not have read before.  And it was difficult to think of how to appeal to all the different age groups.  Luckily, the kids seems to enjoy it and were very respectful and well-behaved.

I had four different things to read, though I found I had to shorten my time and finally had to cut one out.  However, I'll include them all because they went well together.

1) I started out with reading/singing a poem called "Three Little Witches" by Marjorie Barrows.  My mom used to sing this to me when I was a kid, and it has a good rhythm and is fun.  A good way to get them interested and paying attention.

2) For the younger children, I chose a book called "Little Goblins Ten" which is kind of a Halloween version of the poem/song "Over in the Meadow".  Its a counting book, but its also got a good rhythm, and with this one I had the kids participate.  When I would say a word they had to respond back.  So it would go, "Haunt! said the daddy" and the kids would have to say back, "Haunt! said the two" and they would have to do it the way I did, so I tried to really ham it up and make scary Halloween noises

3) "The Witches" by Roald Dahl is a favorite of mine and so I used them for the older children, some of whom had read it.  I started by summarizing what Dahl says are the characteristics of a "real" witch, things like that they are bald, have no toes, etc.  The kids got a kick out of this part.  I then read an excerpt, the chant that the Grand High Witch says about their evil plan to turn all the children into mice.  This is the one I finally had to cut out of the last couple because I didn't really have enough time and I had to summarize the book a lot, but it was a good choice and a high recommendation from me.

4) I finished with Chris Van Allsburg's "The Witch's Broom".  It has the most wonderful haunting illustrations, as all his works do (Polar Express, Jumanji, Harris Burdick) and though its about a witch's broom, really its not too scary at all, just clever and quite a funny turn at the end.  It has a lot of deeper meaning which I thought maybe some of the older kids might pick up on as well, but most of the kids really were quite mesmerized with it.

So, all in all, it was a lot of fun and I hope the kids enjoyed the reading.  I certainly did, and I loved being able to visit the school and teachers, since I actually attended there way back in 4th grade.  Oh, and I forgot to mention that since a few of my books were about witches, I decided to dress the part, complete with a homemade broom, black teeth (braces are handy for this), and a big ugly wart on my nose.  It was fun!

The Hero of Ages

by Brandon Sanderson

I just read one of the best fantasy trilogies I've read in a long time!  I actually already reviewed the first book in the series, Mistborn, if you want to get some idea of where I started.  However, I just HAD to write about the third book of the series, which I just finished yesterday.  It was so good.  It made me want to re-read it all again.  And it made me want to re-read my Lord of the Rings trilogy as well.  Two very good signs.

Most of the fantasy series I have ready of late have started off with a pretty good first book, but then die off from there.  As much as I enjoyed Hunger Games, the 2nd and 3rd books weren't quite as good as the first in my opinion.  The Mistborn Trilogy however defied my expectations.  I enjoy the first book and appreciated its complexity, its basis in some kind of physical/scientific type "magic" that is somewhat believable, and I appreciated the depths of the characters.  Little did I know what all that would become.

In similar fashion to The Lord of the Rings by the great J.R.R. Tolkien, the first book is simpler than the others, does a lot of set up, and gets you involved in the characters themselves.  The second book, The Well of Ascension, is the transition story, where everything feels like its all going to fall apart and you're not sure they're really going to ever make it.  But you can't quite beat the final third book, The Hero of Ages, which brings it all together.  Not in a neat little "happily ever after" package, but in a complex coming together of all the things the author has been setting up over the course of the series.  I liked that I guessed a few key happenings before they occurred, but others threw me completely for a loop and literally made me gasp.  I think I may have actually talked out loud to a few of the characters.

For all the violence in this series (and it is fairly violent), I most appreciated the concepts of leadership, faith, what is "right", and good vs. evil that the author really delves into.  He leaves moments of time within the book where the characters really think about what the believe and what they believe in, instead of just going from battle to battle.  It gave me much to think about, and I don't often find that in modern day fantasy novels.  Again, a reminder of Tolkien.  Don't get me wrong, I can't say that is on the level of Tolkien writing for the writing itself, but the overall scope of the story is beautiful, terrifying, intriguing, and refreshing.

I love the feeling of finishing an excellent book.  But I hate the feeling of now having to go find another book that I can only hope will be as good.  Wish me luck!

Ghost in the Wires

by Kevin Mitnick

An interesting read this time around, not sure its a recommendation but it was definitely intriguing and made me think.  The book is about the author's life as "the world's most wanted hacker."  This guy was really good at hacking into almost anything, but only saw it as a challenge, not as a way to get rich.  He was addicted to the high he got when he broke into something supposedly secure and top secret.

He hacked into the telephone companies, the DMV, and final the FBI.  Much of this was to protect himself while on the run from the authorities, and he used the information he gained at that time to create new identities and track those who were trying to track him.  In the end he was finally caught and spent some time in prison.  After his release, he became so well-known as the top hacker that he eventually made lots of money off of speaking engagements, media deals, and his own consulting business which provides hacking services to companies legally, to check their security. 

The writing in the book is somewhat technical, but if you skim through the stuff that doesn't make sense you get the gist of what he is saying most of the time, and it is quite a fascinating and riveting story  that keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering if he's going to stay one step ahead of the authorities.

However, it was a complicated read for me because although Mitnick admits that his activities were illegal and he often acted stupidly, he also never really seems sorry for much of what he did.  He has this strange outlook where he is finds it unthinkable that people treat him unfairly, whether that is his hacking buddies who rat him out, or the FBI or government who do things that aren't completely honest.  Yet he deceives many of these people himself.

I'm not saying that some of the injustices in his case were warranted.  Just because someone is a "bad guy" does not mean that they don't have rights or that others can then treat them unethically.  However, what I do have a problem is the writer's attitude toward it all.  First, he never seems to see that although he doesn't hurt anyone outright, his actions have far reaching consequences.  I can't help think of his family and the terrible heartache he put them through, or the tax dollars that went to catching him and locking him up, or the life he missed out on by choosing to run.  And what about the people that he convinced to do things they shouldn't, what are the ramifications for them?  Mitnick to me seems to have quite a tunnel-vision view of how his acts didn't really "hurt" anyone.

And again, how can he be doing illegal, unfair, and deceptive things to others and then turn around and be surprised and horrified that others do the same to him.  His cry that his incarceration was "not fair" is one that strikes a bit of a hypocritical chord to me.  Deception, no matter how small or large, hurts a lot more when it is directed at you instead of at someone else.  He did not seem to take his own medicine very well, though that is no excuse for some of what he went through.  And finally, its a little depressing that in the end he makes huge amounts of money off this, not just as a "legal" hacker, but as a type of celebrity.  Then I find myself asking if I am not being hypocritical because I just spent the last five days reading his book.  Yet, just because I don't agree with what someone does, doesn't mean I shouldn't read a book about what they did.  Ah well.  We all have some of that in ourselves I think.  The trick is to be able to recognize it and try to be better.

Caleb's Crossing

by Geraldine Brooks

Bethia is a young Puritan girl who lives in a tiny island settlement of early American pioneers.  Although this group is more liberal than those from the mainland, her father still believes that they are there to save the souls of the "savage" Native Americans who already live on the island.  The two groups find a way to live together in a careful peace and Bethia's father even gains some followers.  However, he is constantly deterred by a powerful chieftain who has a lot of control over his people.

Amidst all this, Bethia explores her beautiful island and happens upon the nephew of this chieftain, whom she calls Caleb.  He teaches her about his customs and the island, while she teaches him to read and tries to convert him to Christianity.  They become as close as brother and sister, though they know this would be absolutely forbidden from both sides.  Later Caleb comes to live with the white settlers and becomes the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College.  But the pull of these two very different worlds takes its toll on him and changes him forever.  Bethia too learns more of what she really believes and herself walks a little in both worlds.

This book is loosely based on the story of a real young man named Caleb who graduated from Harvard.  There are very few details of his life, so the author admits that much of it is fiction, especially the character of Bethia.  However, the story has a feeling of being very honest and true to the time period.  Much of the book is about the struggle of finding what someone really believes for themselves, and how they reconcile that with what others believe.  The author doesn't allow herself to make judgements about what is "right" or "wrong", but tells a story about others trying to figure that out.  Its about friendship and love, and also about prejudice and hate. Its got a lovely little romance thrown in for good measure.  On another level, the book is also about the role of women in a society that hardly puts them much above the "savages", for even the Native Americans are allowed to go to school, whereas a woman is not.

Brooks has a haunting voice for description, especially the details of the beauty of the island, as well as the living conditions at the college.  The book made me extremely grateful for the education I received at such an easy price.  It has not always been so for others, nor is it even now for some.  The story made me take a deeper look at what I believe and reminded me how grateful I am to know that I have a loving, kind, and forgiving Heavenly Father who loves all his children.