"Christmas at Thompson Hall and Other Christmas Stories" by Anthony Trollope

I got this book because the first story, "A Christmas at Thompson Hall," was one of the selections for the  #DickensDecember2021 reading group this year.  And I went ahead and read the whole thing because... Christmas!  I'm not sure that I've read anything by Trollope before, but I really want to read something else of his now because he has a very engaging and conversational style, and I like that.

Anyway, here's what I thought of each story in this collection:

+ "Christmas at Thompson Hall" was hilarious.  I was laughing and laughing aloud over this story.  So much so that my kids asked me what was so funny, so I tried to summarize it, but it's so ridiculously complicated that I only confused them.  They'll just have to read it themselves.  It all revolves around a woman who is dragging her husband back home to England to have Christmas with her family.  And then he catches a cold, and she tries to get mustard to make a mustard plaster for him, and Victorian hijinks ensue.  I really don't want to explain more than that because it would spoil the fun for anyone who hasn't read it yet, but wants to.

+ "Christmas Day at Kirkby Cottage" was kind of a let-down after the bouncing fun of the previous story. Young lovers have an argument about the importance of Christmas and then make up.

+ "The Mistletoe Bough" is about a girl who thinks she shouldn't marry the man she loves because she thinks she's being a better person by denying herself happiness.  If that sounds like a downer to you, well, that's because it is.  It ends happily, at least.

+ "The Two Generals" was interesting because I haven't read any other stories about the American Civil War written by an Englishman.  His perspective of what people on either side of the conflict might be thinking was very interesting, and pretty even-handed.  The story is about two brothers from Kentucky who each become generals during the war... but one in the Union Army and one in the Confederate.  And they both love the same girl.  And they both sneak home for Christmas, and conflict ensues.

+ "Not If I Know It" revolves around a verbal misunderstanding between two friends, one of whom takes terrible offense to the way the other answers a request.  They spend Christmas glaring and grumbling, and it's just kind of a grumpy story all around.

So, clearly, "Christmas at Thompson Hall" was my favorite, and I really liked "The Two Generals" too, but I doubt I'll reread the other three stories.  Still, the first was so funny that I'll keep my copy just to reread it for laughs some future Christmas.

(Mine from my Instagram account)

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: G.  Clean and unobjectionable stories.  But you may never look at mustard pots the same way again, or handkerchiefs, or hotel corridors.

This is my 33rd book read and reviewed for my third Classics Club list and my 50th for #TheUnreadShelfProject2021!!!

"The Abbot's Ghost" by Louisa May Alcott

I mostly just bought this because of the gorgeous cover painted by Haleigh DeRocher, and the fact that it's something by Louisa May Alcott I hadn't read yet.  I expected to like it moderately well, but not to like it lots and lots.  Maybe that's why I liked it lots and lots!  Low expectations can be a blessing sometimes.

Maurice Traherne was injured saving his cousin Jaspar's life and is now confined to a wheelchair.  Another cousin, the sweet and lovely Octavia, has been Maurice's constant nurse and companion and comfort.  But Octavia's mother wants her to marry someone rich, and Maurice is penniless.  Pretty standard story so far, right?

A handful of friends come to stay with this family at their big English home, which used to be an abbey.  One of the visitors is a woman that both Maurice and Jaspar had loved once, but she's now married to a rich man much older than herself.  She starts to meddle with both young men, flirting with one and antagonizing the other, even though her husband is also a guest there.  Emotions run high, and then the servants start seeing the abbey's legendary ghost!

After the first few pages, I cared very much about Maurice and Octavia, and I flew through this book, hoping against hope that somehow, everything would turn out well for them.  I was fully prepared for a tragic or hopeless or unhappy ending... but surprise!  Everything turns out really well for them!  I won't say how, though.

I love that DeRocher is bringing out these beautiful illustrated editions!  I have her Christmas Carol and Anne of Green Gables too, and I'm hoping to get more of hers eventually.  They are such a nice size, with clear and readable type and lots of full-color illustrations inside.  But the covers are my favorite thing because they are so smooth and clean-feeling.  I just love to hold them.  You can check out this section of her shop to see all the books she's currently offering.  She's been putting out some lesser-known or obscure works by well-known classic authors too, like this, which is so cool.

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: G.  Clean and lovely.

This is my 34th book read and reviewed for my third Classics Club list and my 51st for #TheUnreadShelfProject2021.

"The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices" by Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins

I think the best thing I can say about this book is that... I've read it, so now I never have to wonder if I ought to read it.

Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins went on a trip around the northwest part of England together, and they wrote up a fictionalized version of their trip to include in Dickens's magazine Household Words.  And it's both nonsensical and dull, which is kind of hard to make work, but they do.  The most interesting part, for me, was the beginning where they go hiking up a mountain and one of them sprains his ankle.  That was humorous and lively, and reminded me a lot of going hiking with my kids.  Someone is always lagging behind, someone is always whining, and so on.

There are two ghost stories included in their adventures, one kind of weird and one downright creepy.  I'm not a big fan of ghost stories, but I know the Victorians were, so I guess those were supposed to add some thrills?

Anyway.  If you are a fan of Dickens or Collins (or both), you might find this interesting just because they did collaborate on it, but I will be selling my copy to the used bookstore forthwith.

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG for those ghost stories, which were too creepy for young kids.

This is my 32nd book read and reviewed for my third Classics Club list and my 49th off my TBR shelves for #TheUnreadShelfProject2021.  

"A Very Bookish Christmas" by Rebekah Jones, Sarah Holman, J. Grace Pennington, and Kate Willis

I liked A Very Bookish Thanksgiving and A Very Bookish 4th of July, but I think A Very Bookish Christmas is my favorite yet.  Probably because I love Christmas so much, I suppose.  Or maybe I just connected to more of the stories?  I don't know!  But I had such a lovely time reading these four novellas.  My favorites were Sincerely, Jem by Kate Willis and Molly and Anna by Sarah Holman, but I enjoyed the other two stories too!

Gingerbread Treasures by Rebekah Jones is kind of inspired by the Sherlock Holmes stories (by A. Conan Doyle), especially his reputation for being aloof and brusque with people who don't know him well.  It's got a mystery and a Christmasy setting, but it never quite grabbed me the way I wanted it to.

Molly and Anna by Sarah Holman is inspired by Pollyanna (by Eleanor H. Porter), and I really loved how Holman tackled the difficult subject of recognizing and working to overcome personal prejudices.  The story was never preachy or unrealistic, but instead showed how a person can have a bias against others for what they feel are legitimate reasons, but still be in the wrong.  And it showed how God can help people overcome prejudice by opening their eyes to their mistakes and misconceptions and filling their hearts with love and understanding.  I thought Holman handled all of that so deftly, while also making me care about the two orphans and the aunt who took them in and learned from them by loving them.

Sylvie of Amber Apartments by J. Grace Pennington is inspired by Anne of Green Gables (by L. M. Montgomery), and I really related to how the young protagonist felt like people around her just couldn't understand her imagination.  I really liked the way she discovered a kindred spirit within her own family, and there was a moment toward the end that brought tears to my eyes because it was so heartwarming.

Sincerely, Jem by Kate Willis is inspired by Daddy-Long-Legs (by Jean Webster) and was the most light-hearted of the four novellas.  I grinned and chuckled my way through it, which was such fun.  I have several pen pals myself, and I like epistolary novels, so that was totally my jam.

(Mine from my Instagram.)

Particularly Good Bits:

Maybe friendships were like Christmas, she decided.  You celebrated them while they were happening and loved the memories you had when it was over (p. 403, Sincerely, Jem by Kate Willis).

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: G for tackling some difficult things like racism and prejudice in a kind and honest way that is totally child-appropriate.   Like the previous two books I've read from this series, I've handed it off to my 14-yr-old son, who likes them even better than I do.

This has been my 48th book read off my TBR shelves for #TheUnreadShelfProject2021!!!  I hit my second goal!!!

"The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern

I've seen It's a Wonderful Life (1946) dozens of times.  I remember first seeing it at my grandparents' house in July when I was probably eleven or twelve.  My aunt found out we had never seen it and insisted on loaning us her copy so we could rectify that omission in our cultural education.  I've been a fan ever since.

But I'd never read the short story it's based on, until now.  Isn't that silly of me?  I must admit I've been a bit hesitant to read it because... what if it wasn't as wonderful as the movie?

Well, it's not.  But how could it be?  It's a Wonderful Life is one of those jewel-perfect movies where nothing could possibly have improved it.  However, the short story is heartwarming and cozy, and it has the same basic message: that each life impacts every life that touches it, and the lack of one person can make a huge difference in the lives of many.  It reminds me a lot of John Donne's famous statement about no man being an island.

The copy I have also contains a history of how Van Doren Stern wrote the short story and its twisting road to moviedom.  He woke up with the whole story in his head one morning, wrote it out, revised it many times, tried to get it published many times, but had no luck. Finally, he had it printed up in a little booklet at his own expense and gave it to friends and family as a Christmas card.  One of those found its way to Frank Capra, freshly back from WWII and looking for his next movie idea.  He called James Stewart, also just discharged from the Air Force, told him the idea, and James Stewart basically insisted they make it together because he loved the idea so much.

The movie does a better job of fleshing out the characters and their lives, so if you have neither read this short story nor seen the movie, I do recommend the movie over the story.  But if you already know the movie, the short story is really lovely because you can kind of trace how the germs of the various ideas and scenes are there, but got expanded and rounded out for the movie.

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG because it does open with George Bailey contemplating suicide, though it does not go nearly as dark as the movie does.

This has been my first entry into the It's a Wonderful Life Blogathon hosted by Classic Movie Muse.  Check out her master list for everyone's entries!

This is also my 47th book read off my TBR shelves for #TheUnreadShelfProject2021.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J. K. Rowling

This is only the second time I've read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  I read it once back in 2007, the night was released, which was a wild ride.  And now, I've finally read it again.  I liked it better this time through, though I still agree with my original assessment that it's about a hundred pages too long.  It takes a long time to get going, and I think it could have very easily lost fifty pages of preparation for Bill and Fleur's wedding and fifty pages of nothing happening while Harry, Ron, and Hermione wander around looking for Horcruxes.  

But the last two hundred pages or so are breathtaking in their beauty and perfection.  The way Rowling ties together every character arc in such satisfying, yet surprising ways just makes me giddy.  The Battle of Hogwarts can't be improved on, in my humble opinion.  Especially how Neville runs around attacking Death Eaters with plants in inventive and successful ways.  And Mrs. Weasley.  I always loved Mrs. Weasley, but she became my hero in this book.  She's one of the greatest mothers in literary history.  If you know, you know.

I love how the theme of this book is that... you don't have to be perfect to be a hero.  And you can be loved even if you have flaws.  Which is important, because there are no perfect people.  I see so many times these days where people get angry and act all betrayed when they find out someone they've lionized is not perfect.  As if anyone ever could be.  Sorry, folks, but we live in a fallen world, and not one human being is truly, wholly good in and of themselves.  No, not one.  Not you, not me, not Harry Potter or Albus Dumbledore or J. K. Rowling.  And if you can't accept that, you're dooming yourself to a lifetime of disappointment and rage.  Have fun with that.

Anyway.  I did it!!!  I reread all seven Harry Potter books this year.  And I thoroughly enjoyed them :-D  I'd say my biggest surprise this time through is how big a fan of Kingsley Shacklebolt I've become.  I never really noticed him before, but this time he just kept standing out to me as being particularly full of shiny awesome.

Particularly Good Bits:

"I'd say that it's one short step from 'Wizards first' to 'Purebloods first,' and then to 'Death Eaters,'" replied Kingsley.  "We're all human, aren't we?  Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving" (p. 440).

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG-13 for non-gory torture, lots of death, and some scary imagery.

"The Beautiful Ones" by Emily Hayse

Remember how much I liked These War-Torn Hands?  Yeah, well, I downright loved The Beautiful Ones.  Everything I loved from book one is still here -- the sweeping vistas, the epic fight of good versus evil, and Jack Selby.  Not a lot of Jack Selby, but still a bit here and there to keep me happy.  Same for Raymond Lacey, who was my second-favorite in the first book.  I'm afraid he's dropped to third now because... Kate Carnegie, man!  Did she ever step up her game in this book!  I want to hang out with her and be best friends and go on adventures and sit quietly by the fire at night not feeling like either of us has to say anything if we don't have anything to say.  My goodness, I loved her.

So, the citizens of Glory Mesa start this book trying to kind of settle into a new, peaceful life now that a whole lot of Bad Guys got cleared out of the Territory.  But it doesn't take long for them to discover that there are more Bad Guys around.  Some of them right in Glory Mesa, in fact, though others are ranging around out in the wild too.  There's a plot to kill the governor, some former enemies become friends, and some relationships fall apart too.  We've got new faces in town, but familiar faces abound.  We get to see new places, including an area that sounds a lot like Yellowstone, but we also hang out in Glory Mesa quite a bit, too.  I really liked that mix of familiar and new.

Of the new characters, I loved Britt and Buck April and Cristobal Newton.  In fact, I identified a lot with Newton in particular -- especially his longing for his home and his loyalty to new and old friends.  I liked that he was a bit enigmatic, but very truthful and straight-talking.  I really hope we see a lot more of him in book three.

I hear that there's going to be one more book in this series, which I must admit disappoints me.  I was hoping for at least four books, maybe even five or six.  I'm enjoying these too much to want them to end so soon!  But I'm also looking forward to seeing how everything winds up, so I won't pout too much.

I especially loved how Hayse wove the question "what does it mean to be a hero" all through the book.  Do brave deeds make you a hero?  Are good intentions enough?  What about self-sacrifice?  Willingness to sacrifice?  Reluctant sacrifice?  Lots of interesting things to chew on and mull over here!

(Mine from my Instagram)

Particularly Good Bits:

The sun floods the valley between the hills like a mountain river after a storm.  There's a wildness to the land.  Even the peaceful moments mirror the deadly ones (p. 6).

A thrill runs through me.  To be moving to a place where legends are everyday men, where a heart has to be brave to survive -- I don't think I could get any luckier (p. 32-33).

I'm inches from death, and yet all I see is the poetry of it: the dust from the spent bullets rising in the golden light of morning; the smoke from the guns hanging on the air over the rocks like mist; the green, beautiful land cut down the center with a golden stream (p. 69).

"A principle isn't a principle if it gets thrown out in desperate times" (p. 82).

The mountains are mockers.  They stay right there in your sights, never getting closer.  I'm tired to my bones, and it's not trail-weariness (p. 85).

"If it is our fate to go up in flames in the end, we will make it a good end."  He smiles with that strange, boyish light in his eyes that only manages to make him more the man, not less.  "And for now, we wait, and live our lives, as we always have, the best we can" (p. 275).

There is nothing more beautiful than one's home, one's stars, and the smell of the trees standing like sentinels around the land you love (p. 295).

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG for some western violence, a scary encounter with a dragon, and discussions of ancient curses and magic.  No cussing; no smut. 

This was my 46th book read off my TBR shelves for #TheUnreadShelfProject2021.