CHALLENGE: Winter Holiday Reading Challenge

Jan at bookinhand has been hosting a Winter Holiday Reading Challenge. I like to pick a few seasonal reads coming into December so I signed up to read for this challenge.

"Dave Cooks the Turkey" by Stuart McLean, 22 pages

Classic hilarious short story by Stuart McLean. Dave from the Vinyl Cafe tries to help his wife Morley achieve the perfect Christmas by offering to do his share, and then, in classic Dave mode, forgetting. The rest of the story is Dave trying to cover up his forgetfulness. It's better to read this one after hearing McLean read it to get the perfect pauses and inflections that make these stories classic Canadian comedies.

The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories, edited by Alberto Manguel, 317 pages

I reviewed this book of short stories here on my blog. Lots of great authors from around the world.









"The Christmas Shoes" by Donna Van Liere, 109 pages

I confess to not knowing the song that this book is based on. Not my usual type of book, pretty sentimental and corny, but I shed a tear or two, as expected, even if you can see the ending from the beginning.










I have Silent Night by Mary Higgins Clark to read. I may get around to reading it some day when I am really tired and need and easy book to read. I read one of her Christmas stories last year. I think it is neat that she writes books specifically for Christmas each year. Nice tradition for her fans to enjoy.

I also just noticed the next book I started, Voices by Arnaldur Indridason is set the week before Christmas in Iceland and begins with a man in a Santa suit getting murdered. I didn't even plan it and I'm reading another Christmas-y book.