Review of Home for Christmas-Stories for Young and Old

 

 

Home for Christmas -Stories for Young and Old

This book has 20 short stories for the Christmas season. I felt  some books were not for the very young but an older child of 10 or more could read this with the family and discuss the contents. The stories could be read one or two at a time. Before each story, there is a woodcut illustration in black and white which helps identify the story. Some of the stories are European so many I have not heard. I especially liked the Miraculous Staircase and I slightly recall reading this years ago.

 

The list of stories are:

Brother Robber by Helene Christaller

Three Young Kings by Gorge Summer Albee

Transfiguration by Madeleine L' Engle

The Cribmaker's Trip to Heaven by Reimmichl

The Guest by Nikolai S. Lesskov

Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck

The Other Wise Man by Henry van Dyke

The Miraculous Staircase by Arthur Gordon

No Room at the Inn by Katherine Peterson

The Chess Player by Ger Koopman

The Christmas Lie by Dorothy Thomas

The Riders of St. Nicholas by Jack Schaefer

Grandfather's Stories by Ernst  Wiechert

The Vexation of Barney Hatch by B. J. Chute

The Empty Cup by Opal Menius

The Well of the Star by Elizabeth Goudge

A Certain Small Shepherd by Rebecca Caudill

The Carpenter's Christmas by Peter K. Rosegger

What the King's Brought by Ruth Sawyer

The Christmas Rose by Selma Lagerlof

On page 335 there is a page of acknowledgements for the stories and when they were published. This is also a great way for the children and adults to learn about authors together.

 

The book was published by Plough Publishing House.

Complied by Miriam Le Blanc

Illustrated by David G. Klein

 

David G Klein is an illustrator for advertising, institutional, editorial and books whose work has appeared for Grey Advertising, Saatchi and Saatchi, NYT, WSJ, Business Week, Forbes, DC Comics, Marvel, Random House Books, Tor Books, Franklin Press
He is acknowledged through such awards as:
Society of Illustrators
Society of Newspaper Designers
Society of Publication Designers
He has Authored:
"The Paper Shtetl"
"The Golem's Voice"

www.dgklein.com

I received a complimentary copy from Plough Publishers to read and review. The opinions are my own.

Review of A Thing of Beauty

A Thing of Beauty by Lisa Samson

From the back of the book:

Former child star Fiona Hume deserted the movie biz a decade ago--right after she left rehab. She landed in Baltimore, bought a dilapidated old mansion downtown, and hatched dreams of restoring it into a masterpiece, complete with a studio for herself. She would disappear from public view and live an artist’s life.
That was the plan.
Ten years later, Fiona’s huge house is filled with junk purchased at thrift stores, haggled over at yard sales, or picked up from the side of the road. Each piece was destined for an art project . . . but all she’s got so far is a piece of twine with some

A Thing of Beauty by Lisa Samson

From the back of the book:

Former child star Fiona Hume deserted the movie biz a decade ago--right after she left rehab. She landed in Baltimore, bought a dilapidated old mansion downtown, and hatched dreams of restoring it into a masterpiece, complete with a studio for herself. She would disappear from public view and live an artist’s life.
That was the plan.
Ten years later, Fiona’s huge house is filled with junk purchased at thrift stores, haggled over at yard sales, or picked up from the side of the road. Each piece was destined for an art project . . . but all she’s got so far is a piece of twine with some antique buttons threaded down its length.
She’s thirty-two years old and still recognizable, but Fiona’s money has finally run out. She’s gotten pretty desperate, too, and in her desperation she’s willing to do almost anything for money. Almost. So it is that she comes to rent out the maid’s quarters to a local blacksmith named Josia Yeu.
Josia is everything Fiona isn’t: gregarious, peaceful, in control without controlling . . . in short, happy. As the light from the maid’s quarters begins to permeate the dank rooms of Fiona’s world, something else begins to transform as well—something inside Fiona. Something even she can see is beautiful.

Leona's Review:
Sorry, this was not a great or even a good read. I was disappointed that this was published by a Christian publisher. The language was not to my standard and I tired of a disorganized and a pessimist Fiona.
The cover really did not do the book justice.
At one point Fiona said " I really am my own worst enemy".

I like to say that a book that one does not like does not mean everyone does not like it; this book has received a number of 5 stars so keep that in mind when considering reading it.

I received a complimentary copy from booklookbloggers.com to read and review. The opinions are my own.

Leona Olson

www.mnleona.blogspot.com antique buttons threaded down its length.
She’s thirty-two years old and still recognizable, but Fiona’s money has finally run out. She’s gotten pretty desperate, too, and in her desperation she’s willing to do almost anything for money. Almost. So it is that she comes to rent out the maid’s quarters to a local blacksmith named Josia Yeu.
Josia is everything Fiona isn’t: gregarious, peaceful, in control without controlling . . . in short, happy. As the light from the maid’s quarters begins to permeate the dank rooms of Fiona’s world, something else begins to transform as well—something inside Fiona. Something even she can see is beautiful.

Leona's Review:
Sorry, this was not a great or even a good read. I was disappointed that this was published by a Christian publisher. The language was not to my standard and I tired of a disorganized and a pessimist Fiona.
The cover really did not do the book justice.
At one point Fiona said " I really am my own worst enemy".

I like to say that a book that one does not like does not mean everyone does not like it; this book has received a number of 5 stars so keep that in mind when considering reading it.

I received a complimentary copy from booklookbloggers.com to read and review. The opinions are my own.
I will give it a 2 star for the effort of writing the book.

Leona Olson

www.mnleona.blogspot.com