Thanks to a post by Deborah at The Beautiful Matters blog, I realized I had never really shared about my yearly Christmas books. There are some I read every Christmas season...it just isn't Christmas without it!
This is my Winthrop desk, inherited from my Aunt that stands in the bedroom...loaded with books! Notice the bookcase next to it...stuffed...and another facing it in the corner, also stuffed!!! I have been a voracious reader ever since getting my first adult library card at 5 years of age! LOVE books!
The main part is filled with my collection of Miss Read...I have all of them, Elizabeth Goudge...ditto and Jan Karon...all but her last one and that's on my Christmas list!
These are 2 that come out every Christmas by Elizabeth Goudge...a children's book called I saw Three Ships and the Christmas book, which includes her choices of scripture, song, poems and exerpts of Christmas writings from her books. If you haven't read her, she is marvelous! And very spiritual! My favorite book...although it is hard to decide on just one....is The Dean's Watch...which makes me cry each time I read it! They have just begun to release them on Kindle...hooray!
Then there are 3 Christmas themed books from Miss Read, who writes from the perspective of several small Cotswold villages through the eyes of several school mistresses from the late Victorian era to the 1950s. I found her in the 1970s and have collected her from both the US and the bookshops of the UK for ones I couldn't find here. The 3 books here are a Christmas compilation, and stand alone called No Holly For Miss Quin and a 2 story edition of Christmas Tales featuring The Christmas Mouse and Village Christmas.
Then there are some of the Christmas mysteries I read...2 by Ngaio Marsh featuring Roderick Alleyn. The Death Of A Fool has British Morris dancing at it's crux. Then a more contemporary book called Death At Sandringham House by C. C. Benison featuring housemaid Jane Bee and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who lends a hand solving a murder during a Christmas pantomime at Sandringham House...great fun! One of a series, but the only totally Christmas book.
This is sort of Christmas miscellaneous...Charles Dicken's Christmas story The Cricket On The Hearth, A Child's Christmas In Wales by Dylan Thomas and a book called The Queene's Christmas with Good Queen Base...Elizabeth I...being the center of solving a murder at Christmas time. Very fun and informative...great historical detail.
Then there is Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher and Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon. I'm so glad she wrote another one!
And on my Kindle app I just read The Twelve Clues Of Christmas by Rhys Bowen featuring Lady Georgiana Rannoch...granddaughter of Queen Victoria and 35th in line for the throne in 1930s England...one of a series of books that I enjoy, and this is a Christmas theme.
Those are pretty well my main Christmas reads...aside from Victoria magazine Christmas issues back to 1988. Hope you have some books that bring Christmas joy to you...with a cup of tea, of course!
This is my Winthrop desk, inherited from my Aunt that stands in the bedroom...loaded with books! Notice the bookcase next to it...stuffed...and another facing it in the corner, also stuffed!!! I have been a voracious reader ever since getting my first adult library card at 5 years of age! LOVE books!
These are 2 that come out every Christmas by Elizabeth Goudge...a children's book called I saw Three Ships and the Christmas book, which includes her choices of scripture, song, poems and exerpts of Christmas writings from her books. If you haven't read her, she is marvelous! And very spiritual! My favorite book...although it is hard to decide on just one....is The Dean's Watch...which makes me cry each time I read it! They have just begun to release them on Kindle...hooray!
Then there are 3 Christmas themed books from Miss Read, who writes from the perspective of several small Cotswold villages through the eyes of several school mistresses from the late Victorian era to the 1950s. I found her in the 1970s and have collected her from both the US and the bookshops of the UK for ones I couldn't find here. The 3 books here are a Christmas compilation, and stand alone called No Holly For Miss Quin and a 2 story edition of Christmas Tales featuring The Christmas Mouse and Village Christmas.
Then there are some of the Christmas mysteries I read...2 by Ngaio Marsh featuring Roderick Alleyn. The Death Of A Fool has British Morris dancing at it's crux. Then a more contemporary book called Death At Sandringham House by C. C. Benison featuring housemaid Jane Bee and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who lends a hand solving a murder during a Christmas pantomime at Sandringham House...great fun! One of a series, but the only totally Christmas book.
This is sort of Christmas miscellaneous...Charles Dicken's Christmas story The Cricket On The Hearth, A Child's Christmas In Wales by Dylan Thomas and a book called The Queene's Christmas with Good Queen Base...Elizabeth I...being the center of solving a murder at Christmas time. Very fun and informative...great historical detail.
Then there is Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher and Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon. I'm so glad she wrote another one!
And on my Kindle app I just read The Twelve Clues Of Christmas by Rhys Bowen featuring Lady Georgiana Rannoch...granddaughter of Queen Victoria and 35th in line for the throne in 1930s England...one of a series of books that I enjoy, and this is a Christmas theme.
Those are pretty well my main Christmas reads...aside from Victoria magazine Christmas issues back to 1988. Hope you have some books that bring Christmas joy to you...with a cup of tea, of course!
My goodness, Ruth, you are indeed a voracious reader! I like to read to but I don't usually re-read books, other than reference type books. I have a Kindle too and I get two emails every day with offers of free Kindle books. If you wish to have those emails come to you, email me and I'll give you the information.
ReplyDeleteLove your selections Ruth. We have very similar tastes. My daughter has that same desk she found in an antique store; it's beautiful! Thanks for the mystery recommendations. A couple years ago our book club read some Louise Penny Christmas mysteries, which I really enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, no one should be without a library card! :)
Wonderful selections. Some I know, some I am looking forward to discovering on your recommendation. I like to listen to the audio version of a Child's Christmas in Wales. It's a favorite gift for me to give also. Angels to you!
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a selection. I absolutely love the Mitford series by Jan Karon and have read a few Miss Read. Mysteries are my favorite and I shall try some of your suggestions. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely collection of cherished books, Ruth. I have the Miss Read (Fairacre) books, but most of them are newer editions. I must read more Goudge because I agree with you that she's a very good writer. I'm reading an excellent book by DE Stevenson now called The Young Clementina. I also have read all the Karon books except her latest. Well, I haven't read the ones that came after Mitford, but want to. And Winter Solstice is a favorite. I hope to read it again one day, but there's so little time for reading, and so many books that I have yet to read for the first time. You are indeed a kindred spirit! Enjoy your weekend, Bess
ReplyDeleteI had to come back and tell you - today, while gallivanting with my MIL we found a newly opened Goodwill shop. And guess what I found? A stack of Miss Read books! I took 4 because taking them all seemed gluttonous but I'm thinking I might go back at the end of the week and see if any are still there. So there is a bit of serendipity for us. I am starting with the Christmas stories - Village Christmas & The Christmas Mouse.
ReplyDeleteHi Ruth... hope hubby feels better soon. You have a neat heritage with English tea..is it!!?? Wondering if my Irish ancestors were tea fans? Happy to linkup this week.
ReplyDeleteGreat stack, Ruth! Delited to find your collection shared & authors I know I'd love.
ReplyDeleteC. C. Benison is local to me and my home city here in the Canadian prairies - he has written a Christmas series I'm sure you'd enjoy - The Father Christmas Mysteries [3] of them! Find them on goodreads then search your library systems - maybe a request will bring them in?
HapPy seasonal Reading!