I made a new tab this month and wanted to point it out. I've read all the way through the 20th century and am working my way through the 19th. I thought it would be fun to share it on my blog. Here is the link: Reading Through the Centuries
Books Read:
The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home by Charles Dickens (1845) 3/5 stars
This 80 page novella is marketed as a Christmas tale, but there was no mention of Christmas, nor did it give me a festive, holiday feel. It was a sweet story overall, though with little meat to it. In addition, the "villian" of the piece made an abrupt 180° that just wasn't believable. As with everything I've read by Dickens (and that's a goodly amount), I liked it in general, but I certainly didn't love it.
A Seasonal Pursuit by Rebecca Connolly (2024) 3/5 stars
Regency Christmas Brides, book 1
The plot of this no-spice Christmastide romance was sweet, and I liked Rose's character development. However, it does not have a true feel of the Regency period; in fact it could have been placed anywhere in a hundred year time frame and felt as legitimate. (The downside of being an amateur historian is being extra sensitive to historical detail.) This is part of a multi-author series, best read in order.
This is a set of three interconnected Christmassy stories that retell A Christmas Carol, "The Gingerbread Man" and The Nutcracker. They are sweet and imaginative, but don't have the depth or maturity of the author's more recent books.
The Abbot's Ghost, or Maurice Treherne's Temptation: A Christmas Story by (Louisa May Alcott writing as) A.M. Barnard (1867) 4/5 stars
The Midnight Blizzard by Mary Mecham (2024) 4/5 stars
This is a no-spice wintery retelling of "Cinderella", with magic, blackmail, sled dogs, forbidden love, and nods to "The Twelve Days of Christmas". It's well-written, interesting, and a good deal of fun.
Christmastide in Emerald Falls by Angela E. Johnson (2024) 4/5 stars
Men, Mistletoe, and Marriage series, book 1
This is a retelling of the movie It's a Wonderful Life, set in a village in Regency England, with a no-spice second-chance romance. There were several things that did not feel like England or that time period, but it was such a sweet, fun, and even moving story that I forgave it's faults and simply enjoyed it. (This is part of a multi-author series, best read in order.)
This novella is a typical Victorian melodrama, with love triangles, ghostly apparitions, evil intentions thwarted, and virtue rewarded. As such, it's completely enjoyable and worth reading for those, like me, who enjoy that genre.
The Christmas Bride by Grace Livingston Hill (1934) 3/5 stars
This is a gentle romance with a strong Christian message. Though I don't fully agree with the author's theology, it is still a pleasure to read such unabashed faith. The characters aren't well-fleshed and it is full of "too good to be true" actions, but it was still enjoyable, if light.
Mr. Campion's Christmas by Mike Ripley (2024) 4/5 start
An Albert Campion Mystery, book 12
Ripley has written a series that continues the adventures of Margery Allingham's Campion. This is the first one I have read and I absolutely loved it. The well-written story still had the feel of Allingham's books and kept the familiar cast. While listed as a mystery, it is (like the originals) more of an adventure or thriller, with an exciting (if improbable) plot that was satisfying, engaging, and completely enjoyable. As a long-time Campion fan, I'll certainly read more of this series.
Audiobooks Completed:
Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope (1865) 5/5 stars
The Palliser Novels, book 1
This was a reread and I loved it even more this time. My original review is found here.
The Finishing Stroke by Ellery Queen (1958) 3/5 stars
Ellery Queen mysteries, book 26
This Christmas house party mystery was a great deal of fun -- until the let down of the complicated solution.
This is a short, gentle romance with a strong Christian message. It's well-written and entertaining, and though did not deliver as much of "The Nutcracker" storyline as I expected from the blurb, I still enjoyed it greatly.
Andrew Basnett mysteries, book 1
In this well-written and fun mystery, a 70 year-old retired professor finds a dying man in his cottage a few days after Christmas and, being a good listener, picks up enough information to solve the crime.
Rules of a Ruse
by Laura Beer
Did Not Finish:
Regency Christmas Brides, book 2
A Lovely White Christmastide by Teah Kemp Weight
This Regency Christmas romance has a 21-year-old woman successfully running a horse farm for the past two years. That was so unbelievable for the time period that I almost didn't make it past the first chapter. It is connects to the story of A Seasonal Pursuit, though, so I pushed through despite things that didn't feel historically true*. With 2 1/2 hours left of the audiobook, though, I simply couldn't go on. (*For example, the hero is disgusted by a Scottish dish because it was made from boiled calves' trotters, despite the fact that calf's foot jelly was a standard delicacy at that time.)
Men, Mistletoe, and Marriage series, book 2
This is a Regency retelling of my favorite movie, White Christmas, so I wanted to love it. I was also looking forward to it because it continues with characters from Christmastide in Emerald Falls. Sadly the book was so untrue to the time period* that I finally gave up 46% through-- with a feeling of relief, I might add. Those that love the movie and aren't as conscious of historical inaccuracies might enjoy it, though, due to all the fun parallels to the movie. (*For example, the two sisters rode for hours in a carriage with two unrelated men, while their chaperone travelled in a separate vehicle. Despite the author's attempt to justify the situation, it is simply unbelievable.)
The Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin
It caught my attention from the beginning with great writing and an intense plot. When I realized, though, that it was going to be a series of bad things happening to children, I decided to stop.
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