A blog about books, music, movies and more…
Noel Street
by Richard Paul Evans
My thoughts:
Elle is a single mom living in Mistletoe, Utah. The year is 1975 and her husband has passed away in the Vietnam War. She struggles financially while trying to raise her son, Dylan.
The people in Mistletoe are kind, but when Elle meets a local mechanic named William, he puzzles her. After a kind gesture, the two connect, and Elle discovers that William is a Vietnam POW who’s still living with demons.
A Wedding in December
by Sarah Morgan
My thoughts:
Aside from reading a few reviews, I went into this one blind and ended up falling in love with it–nearly reading it in one sitting. A Wedding in December consumed the majority of my Sunday.
The book opens with Maggie, mother of two daughters (Katie and Rosie) who are now both in their twenties and living on their own. Maggie sort of has some empty nest syndrome because she’s spent most of her life making a home for her family, including her husband Nick, but so much has changed. It’s Christmas, Maggie’s favorite time of year, and she can’t wait to decorate their home in England (Honeysuckle Cottage) for their annual family celebration. She expects both girls to come home for Christmas. After a phone call brings the announcement of a Christmas wedding (in Aspen, Colorado), Maggie begins to think this might be the worst Christmas ever.
The Noel Stranger
by Richard Paul Evans
My thoughts:
It was an early morning yesterday
I was up before the dawn
And I really have enjoyed my stay
But I must be moving on
Like a king without a castle
Like a queen without a throne
I’m an early morning lover
And I must be moving on
Now I believe in what you say
Is the undisputed truth
But I have to have things my own way
To keep me in my youth — “Goodbye Stranger” – Supertramp
Mild Spoilers:
Maggie Walther’s life is a pretty good one. She’s been married for nine years, owns a thriving catering business, and her husband is a well-liked local councilman. Everything is sailing smoothly in their lives until Maggie receives a phone call from the newspaper informing her that her husband has been arrested for bigamy.
Maggie goes into shock and begins to ask herself multiple questions: Why did he do this? Didn’t he love me? What’s wrong with me? Why wasn’t I enough? She falls into depression and must find a way to reclaim her life.
25 Days ‘Til Christmas
by Poppy Alexander
My thoughts:
25 Days ‘Til Christmas was nothing like what I expected. It’s much more complex than any other Christmas books I’ve read, dealing with some tough issues like depression, death, lonliness, suicide, and learning disorders.
In this story we read about Kate and Daniel, both living in Bristol, England, who are now suffering grief after loss. Kate’s husband (Tom) passed away after leaving for the army and she’s left to care for their young son (Jake) with little support. Daniel lost his sister (Zoe) due to a heart condition that was left untreated.
