An Almost Perfect Christmas | Nina Stibbe | Review

Friday, 21 December 2018

An Almost Perfect Christmas | Nina Stibbe | Review

From perennially dry turkeys to Christmas pudding fires, from the round robin code of conduct to the risks and rewards of re-gifting, An Almost Perfect Christmas is an ode to the joy and insanity of the most wonderful time of the year.

Through a mixture of short stories and personal essays, Nina Stibbe explores all the great Christmas traditions in An Almost Perfect Christmas. There's Stibbe's mum's yearly struggle to produce the perfect Christmas turkey, a short story dealing with the etiquette of buying presents for your teacher, a definitive glossary of Christmas terms, and many other short morsels of festive fun to be found in this little gem of a book.

Full of Stibbe's usual charm and humour, familiar to anyone who has read her bestselling non-fiction book Love, Nina, An Almost Perfect Christmas is the perfect collection for the busy festive season. During this time of year, when people are often so busy that finding the time to read an entire novel can seem almost impossible, this is the ideal book to dip in and out of, the literary equivalent of the best kind of selection box. Each piece in the collection stands on its own, and they can be read in any order, but they also slot together to form a nostalgic and honest look at the trials and triumphs of the classic English Christmas in Stibbe's familiar down-to-Earth style.

There isn't a piece in this collection that I didn't enjoy, but my personal favourites were 'Merry Xmas Everybody', an account of Nina's fight to control the Christmas party playlist against the wishes of her sister and children, 'The Christmas Tree', about how the Stibbe family ended up with a less than perfect Christmas tree, and 'Timothy the Christmas Turkey: A Story', a fictional story about a family who try to choose a more ethical turkey for their Christmas dinner. Whatever your favourite Christmas tradition, there is a story in this collection for everyone, to make you feel nostalgic and Christmassy no matter how you celebrate.

It's not often I find a book that I really would recommend to everyone, but I feel pretty safe in saying that An Almost Perfect Christmas is the perfect gift for any Christmas lover or, for that matter, Christmas haters who might even come around after reading Stibbe's tale of Timothy the Christmas Turkey. The hardback's petite size makes it the ideal stocking stuffer for all your bookish friends, and Stibbe's view of Christmas is one sure to resonate with anyone who has ever experienced a desire like that of Nina's mum's to create the perfect Christmas. 

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Features | 8 Bookish Prints To Gift This Christmas

Wednesday, 14 November 2018

Features | 8 Bookish Prints To Gift This Christmas

Once again we're getting to that time of year when Christmas is fast-approaching, leaving many people searching for the perfect gifts for thier friends and family. Whilst I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot of gift guides popping up on your Bloglovin' feeds over the next few weeks, I thought it would be nice to share one for the bibliophiles, focusing specifically on prints sourced from small business owners over on Etsy. Here's a quick roundup of eight bookish prints that the bibliophiles in your life are sure to love!

1. This monochrome print by Abbie Imagine says it all; it's perfect for those with out of control TBR piles!

2. This pretty watercolour design from Emma Block, titled 'The Reader', would add a lovely pop of colour to any room.

3. Looking for a cute print that would make a great addition to a bookshelf? This shimmery gold foiled design from Nutmeg & Arlo could be the one!

4. Featuring books, cats, plants and even knitting this colourful print from HWIllustrator is sure to make a lovely gift.

5. If you're buying for someone who loves a personalised gift you'll adore this bookstack design from NatalieLauraEllen which can be customised to feature six of their favourite books!

6. This simple design from Fable & Black features an Ursula K. Le Guin quote and is available in three different sizes - perfect for sitting on a bookshelf.

7. With it's unique design, this black and white illustrated print from Gosia Herba, titled Bibliophilia, will fit in beautifully with any gallery wall.

8. This linocut design from Pandablue Creations features the statement 'books are friends that you can fit in your bag' - something any bibliophile would surely agree with!

Photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash

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My New Crush Gave to Me | Shani Petroff | Review

Friday, 22 December 2017

My New Crush Gave to Me | Shani Petroff | Review

Charlie Donovan knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: Teo Oritz. And she has a plan: to rig the paper's Secret Santa so that she can win his heart with five perfect gifts. But to do that she needs help. Enter J.D. Oritz, Teo's cousin and possibly the most annoying person on the planet.

Having recently broken up with her ex-boyfriend, Charlie finds herself without a date to her friend Noelle's Lovers' Ball party, which also happens to be the hottest holiday party around. Everyone at school is talking about it and everyone will know if Charlie shows up dateless. Luckily, Charlie leaves nothing up to chance. Not only is she going to have a date for the party, she's going to have the most perfect date with the most perfect boy, Teo Oritz, and she has the most perfect plan to get it.

Charlie's plan has two parts: 1. Rig the school paper's Secret Santa so she gets Teo and can give him five gifts that show just how well she knows him and 2. Spend as much time with Teo as possible so he can see how great she is. For both of those things she is going to need some help from Teo's cousin, J.D. Fortunately, J.D. is willing to help but unfortunately, that means Charlie has to spend time with J.D too. However, the more time she does spend with him, the more Charlie starts to think that may not be such a bad deal after all.

Charlie needs to be in control of everything and while this story may revolve around a romantic plot, it's as much about Charlie learning to let go of her best laid plans as it is about her finding a date to a party. Charlie's mom has to work on Christmas Day, spoiling the usual traditions that Charlie is so fond of, and in order for J.D. to help her with her plan to get Teo to be her date, she has to give J.D. full control of what photographs appear in the school paper's special holiday edition. Giving up control is not something Charlie does lightly. For Charlie to have a good Christmas she needs to learn that not everything can be planned or controlled, and sometimes things turn out a whole lot better than you might have planned anyway.

With a classic plot and plenty of holiday cheer, My New Crush Gave to Me is the perfect YA read for fans of cheesy Christmas romcoms and ideal for reading snuggled under the duvet with a cup of festive hot cocoa this holiday season. It's a little predictable at times, sure, but just like those romantic Christmas movies we all know and love, that's just part of the cosy charm of it, and there are still always a few fun twists and turns to be found. One of the greatest things about this novel is the friendship between Charlie and her best friend, Morgan, who run a homemade cookie company and edit the school paper together. It's the kind of friendship between girls that I would love to see more of in YA literature, and a really great aspect of this story.

If you're looking for a cosy Christmassy read featuring a Secret Santa plot, an annoying yet lovable neighbour boy, an unforgettable Christmas jumper party, and lots of holiday baking, then this is definitely the book for you.

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I'll Be Home For Christmas | Various | Review

Wednesday, 30 November 2016

I'll Be Home For Christmas | Various | Review

 

  *Review copy c/o Netgalley

I’ll Be Home For Christmas is a new collection of short stories and poems all inspired by 'home', a word that means so many different things to so many different people. The anthology features works from a selection of UK YA authors who have teamed up to raise money and awareness for Crisis, the national charity for homeless people. From tales of hardship to those that explore various relationships, each author has a very unique interpretation of the theme, creating a diverse collection that truly has something for everyone.

Stories/poems included are as follows:

• Home And Away, Benjamin Zephaniah
• Ghosts Of Christmas Past, Non Pratt
• If Only In My Dreams, Marcus Sedgwick
• Family You Choose, Cat Clarke
• The Associates, Kevin Brooks
• The Afterschool Club, Holly Bourne
• Homo For Christmas, Juno Dawson
• Amir And George, Sita Brahmachari
• The Letter, Tracy Darnton
• Claws, Tom Becker
• Christmas, Take Two, Katy Cannon
• When Daddy Comes Home, Melvin Burgess
• The Bluebird, Julie Mayhew
• Routes And Wings, Lisa Williamson

As with any anthology there were some stories I liked more than others but overall I really enjoyed exploring the variety of interpretations of the theme as well as all of the different writing styles. Some stories were upsetting, some terrifying, others heartwarming, but all were thought-provoking.

For every copy of the book sold £1 will be donated to Crisis.

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Dickens at Christmas | Charles Dickens | Review

Thursday, 9 January 2014

Dickens at Christmas | Charles Dickens | Review

I saw this beautiful collection of Dickens Christmas stories in Waterstones in mid-November, and was desperate to buy it. It’s beautiful, right? It features Dickens Christmas stories – A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, The Battle of Life, The Cricket on the Hearth, and The Haunted Man, but also stories that Dickens wrote for the special seasonal editions of his periodicals All the Year Round and Household Words and a festive tale from The Pickwick Papers. And although it’s not Christmas anymore, Dickens is a timeless author that really doesn’t need to be confined to one time of year.

I haven’t really read much Dickens. I’ve read Oliver Twist, but it was a few years ago. Does this make me a bad Brit? Oops. But this collection was so beautiful, and I’ve wanted to read more classic literature that I literally couldn’t let this pass me by.

The first story featured is from The Pickwick Papers and honestly I found it quite hard to get through. However, straight after that it went straight into A Christmas Carol, which I really enjoyed. This was probably in part because I knew the story, but it allowed me to immerse myself in Dickens writing style and from there I was able to enjoy the other stories. My favourite of the stories was probably The Haunted Man. It’s much more of a grisly tale than the much loved A Christmas Carol. However, it’s a truly moving tale and I absolutely loved it.

I am so glad I bought this collection of stories. It looks beautiful on my bookshelf and I’m sure I’m going to bring it out every winter to read it through. 

This post was written by regular reviewer Kath, get to know her here.

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Let It Snow | John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle | Review

Monday, 9 December 2013

Let It Snow | John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle | Review

In the middle of a snowstorm on Christmas Eve, the three stories of Let It Snow centre around the happenings in and around the town Gracetown.

Maureen Johnson's 'Jubilee Line' follows one girl as she tries to trudge through the snowstorm after her train breaks down, bumping into a hapless boy and striking up an unlikely friendship. 'Cheertastic Miracle' by John Green is the story of three best friends and their mad misadventures to get to the Wafflehouse in Gracetown, snowstorm or no snowstorm. Lauren Myracle's 'The Patron Saint of Pigs' wraps up this mini trilogy with some help from Starbucks, a teacup pig and a good ol' Christmas Miracle...

So what's my verdict?

Fluffy, light-hearted and silly, Let It Snow is like a warm hot chocolate with extra marshmallows on top! Maureen Johnson's quick witted 'Jubilee Line' kickstarts the book with much flair and is by far my favourite of the three stories. Her lead character Jubilee and the kinda-sorta romantic interest Stuart's friendship fun to see develop and I have to admit I loved their ending - as cheesy as it was!
I had high hopes for John Green's short story and his sarcastic, humourous and - at times - ridiculous writing style is definilley present in 'Cheertastic Miracle'. The main trio of characters feels very familiar in terms of personality to those in Green's previous novels, which would explain why I warmed to some of them straight away!

Lauren Myracle's 'The Patron Saint of Pigs' is probably my least favourite, mainly because it felt like it was simply tacked onto the end and I wasn't a fan of her main character. I did, however, enjoy how she intertwined all of the elements of the previous two books into her own story! The final ending had the feel of a Christmas Rom-Com!

All in all a nice quick, super cheesy, festive read that will have you snorting with laughter at some points and that warm fuzzy Christmas feeling inside ;)

Reading Soundtrack:

Christmas Wrapping: The Waitresses; The Only Gift I Really Need: Dashboard Confessional; White Christmas; Michael Buble; Won't Be Home For Christmas: Blink 182; Shake Up Christmas: Train; River: Joni Mitchell; Christmas Lights: Coldplay

For lovers of 

all three authors, Rainbow Rowell and 'Love Actually'.

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A Redbird Christmas | Fannie Flagg | Review

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

A Redbird Christmas | Fannie Flagg | Review

"Mildred looked at her, highly incensed. "And just how am I supposed to know what I want until I get there? That's why it's called shopping, Frances!" And with that she marched out the door." - Fannie Flagg, A Redbird Christmas

One day on his annual visit at the doctor's office Oswald T. Campbell gets some chocking news. He only has a few months to live unless he moves to the South. Oswald ends up in the small town of Lost River, Alabama. Lost River happens to be the home to a bunch of interesting and heart warming characters and a redbird called Jack.

A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg is the perfect Christmas novel. Not only because parts of the story take place during the holiday season but also because this is a true feel good novel that gives you that nice warm and fuzzy feeling that everyone should be feeling this time of year. Because let me tell you something! A Redbird Christmas was a genuinely enjoyable reading experience. It was short and sweet and just made me feel warm and happy. If you've read a few of my previous reviews you might be a bit surprised because I tend to criticize books for not having enough action. A Redbird Christmas has almost zero action, but I still loved it! There's no other way to explain it than that the book has a really good and enjoyable vibe. The characters are really well written and make the story really interesting even if it's mostly about their slow small town lives. This novel seriously makes me want to move to a small lazy town in Alabama. Just imagine getting your mail by boat!? (Yes, that happens in Lazy River, Alabama).

This is the first book by Fannie Flagg that I've ever read (even though the movie Fried Green Tomatoes based on Flagg´s novel with the same name is one of my favorite movies). But after this reading experience I'm really intrigued to read more of her novels. I enjoy her writing style and she really has the ability make the simplest thing feel magical in A Redbird Christmas. And like I said before, I loved what she did with the characters. I could go on an on about how I loved every single one of them.

So yeah, you guessed it right. I really really liked A Redbird Christmas and to be honest I wasn't excepting to like it as much I did. This is a well written, short and sweet read. I think you all should give it a go because with it's 224 pages it's a pretty short yet enjoyable read for the upcoming holidays! I give A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg.

This post was written by regular reviewer Niina, get to know her here.

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How The Grinch Stole Christmas | Dr Suess | Review

Monday, 24 December 2012

How The Grinch Stole Christmas | Dr Suess | Review

Christmas Eve! Christmas Eve! Christmas Eve! How excited is everybody right now?

I thought I'd give you a little review filled with festive cheer in the form of my favourite Christmas tale of all time ... How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess.

It's a tale known by many of the Scrooge-like Grinch, who's lived in a cave on a mountain overlooking the little Whos in the idyllic Whoville. With his tiny cold heart (that was two sizes too small) the Grinch is sick of the Whos and their noisy holiday preparation and even louder and cheerier singing voices, so he's decided he's had enough. He's putting an end to Christmas and stealing all of the Christmas cheer away right from under the Whos noses on Christmas Eve, dressed as Santa Claus himself accompanied by his trusty companion Max.

We all know the ending here...

And the whole message of the book can be summarised with just one line:

"What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

It's a message of goodwill to all and that all the material possessions and presents and fanciful feasts are really nothing compared to spending Christmas with the people you really care about =) Not to mention the fact that it's never too late to let your heart grow for Christmas day. 

Reading Soundtrack

You're A Mean One Mr Grinch: Glee Cast; Winter Wonderland: Michael Buble; Where Are You  Christmas: Faith Hill; All I Want For Christmas Is You: Mariah Carey; Welcome Christmas: How The Grinch Stole Christmas soundtrack; 

For lovers of:

CHRISTMAS! of course :) How The Grinch Stole Christmas movie and for any of you Christmas Scrooges out there!

And on a final note!

Everyone here on the Blogger's Bookshelf team would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

This review was written by Ria, find out more about her here.

Image via GoodReads & design by Ria

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A Christmas Carol | Charles Dickens | Review

Sunday, 16 December 2012

A Christmas Carol | Charles Dickens | Review

“God bless us, every one!”

As it's Christmas I decided it was the perfect time to review A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Usually I wouldn't have read this book, I've never read a Charles Dickens book before and even thought Christmas is my favourite time of the year, the story of Ebenezer Scrooge never excited me. I read this book as apart of my final year of high school, I've analyzed, highlighted, bent and basically worn in this book like no other. I think it's become one of my most favourite books ever.

Ebenezer Scrooge is an old man. He's cold, he senile and he's tight when it comes to money. It's only when on Christmas Eve Ebenezer is visited by the ghost of his dead business partner, Marley, that he becomes even remotely aware of his hostility. Marley warns him that he will be visited by three ghosts, Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come. It's the visits by these ghosts to Scrooge's past, present and future that Scrooge's eyes are opened to the world of the lower class.

The book itself was written by Dickens in an attempt to convince, or better yet scare, the upper class in the 1800's to be more charitable members of society. The gothic theme and the use of ghosts was a smart tactic used by Dickens. Religion was highly present when A Christmas Carol was written, the threat of a lifetime haunted by ghosts and an afterlife of suffering was a terrifying thought. An even more smarter tactic was the fact that only members of high society could afford books and the education to read, thus allowing Dickens' to pinpoint his audience.

I really enjoyed the story. The charitable message paired with the spirit of Christmas made for a heart warming tale. I think it's important to recognize the message being told in A Christmas Carol not just during the holidays, but the whole year round. The book can be quite difficult to read in some parts, written in Standard English, it's hard to form a mental picture in some parts. Saying that, I really enjoyed the eloquent language used by Dickens throughout the story.

Recommended For

As I've never read a book like this, I can't really compare it to other books. If you like moral tales, mild ghost stories or Christmas themes you may enjoy this book. The writing to me almost seems like a more mature version of Lemony Snickett's.

This review was written by Taylah.

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Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares | Rachel Cohn & David Levithan | Reviewed by Ria

Monday, 29 October 2012

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares | Rachel Cohn & David Levithan | Reviewed by Ria

First post nerves! Ahhh!

It’s actually very appropriate that the first of our reviews on Blogger’s Bookshelf should start with Dash & Lily Book of Dares, as this is the book that got the cogs in my head thinking ‘Hey I wanna start a book blog and tell people other than my friends, who are sick of hearing about me talk about books, about this book!’

Well here we go…

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares is co-penned by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn, with David obviously writing for Dash’s side of the story and Rachel for Lily’s,. Co-penning a book like this means two sides of the story is presented…with each side presented in alternating chapters.

The premise is simple. Dash, a ‘snarly toothed’ 16 year old hipster, who’s a bit of a loner and has a hatred for the festive Christmas season finds a red notebook in an old bookstore tucked into a corner of New York City. The notebook,  - spoiler alert! - , challenges whoever reads it (or dares them) to follow the instructions. The victorious reader will then be considered to be potential boyfriend material by for the author. Said author is Lily, a quirky, awkward and equally hipster-ish girl – though by the end of the book Dash definitely wins in the hipster stakes - with a charming love of everything Christmas-y and the holidays that come with it.

Dash decides to take on the challenge, out of boredom more than anything else and so it begins. The story follows on from there with the two only communicating via the red notebook with their ‘dares’ taking them all around the City. Note only do the pages of the note fill up with cryptic clues and instructions but the two also embark on very personal journeys. They pour out their souls onto the blank pages, spilling their stories, inner secrets and thoughts for the other to read, and calls into question "Why is it so much easier to talk to a stranger? Why do we feel we need that disconnect in order to connect?" - quote from Dash himself

Personal highlights were the dares themselves, which were both achingly adorable and ‘face hiding in a pillow’ cringe-worthy (mostly for Dash). The setting of the story, New York City during the cold festive season, definitely acts as an aid to push the story along and proves a charming backdrop to what is essentially a teen love story. Plus, the secondary characters, Lily’s pretty awesome Aunt, Dash’s friends (both the douche-y and downright adorable) and ex-girlfriend all add colour and random madness at times.

So my verdict? 

Dash & Lily is definitely a quick teen-ish read that does leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling inside by the end of the book. Be prepared for a little second hand embarrassment as well as frustration when things go wrong. For those not used to this genre, Dash in particular can seem pretentious as a character at times and I’m sometimes left thinking Lily may be a little delicate for him – she proves me very wrong.. 

Overall it was enjoyable and the switch between each author, filling in the blanks of the other’s story, was refreshing to read. 

Reading Soundtrack: 

The Bitch of Living: Spring Awakening Broadway Cast; It’s Time: Imagine Dragons; Same Old Situation: Chuck Criss; Sunshine: All American Rejects; Don’t Look Back Into The Sun: The Libertines

For lovers of…You’ve Got Mail, John Green’s books – Will Grayson/Will Grayson in particular, ‘coming of age’ indie films, and Gleek fans of the fanfic ‘Little Numbers’ – which was partly inspired by this book!

This review was written by regular reviewer Ria, get to know her here.

*all photos in this post (c) Ria Cagampang

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