Christmas Time Reading

It's Holiday season! Gifts, decorating, family, friends, music- it’s a great time of year! And what better way to celebrate than at the library! There are lots of things right here full of stories, information, and history of just about every holiday you can find. In order to continue spreading that holiday cheer, I’m here to show you some great reads for your holiday season. Whether you want to learn more about the history of certain holidays, get some yummy recipes, or just chill with a good holiday story, there are tons of places to look for that festive read. May I offer you some Christmas hors d'oeuvres?

Encyclopedia of Christmas [ REF GT4985 .G79 2000] 

 
Ever had a desire to know why we write letters to Santa, use holly and ivy to decorate, or why Christmas in America was at first condemned by the early church? Then check this book out, which gives tons of information about the holiday season, and all the wackiness that seems to follow it. It talks about how we have gotten most of our Christmas traditions, as well as traditions from other times and places. For example, did you know that the mistletoe as a Christmas sign comes from Norse mythology, but kissing under it comes from Britain? Did you know that when “The Nutcracker” debuted in 1892, audiences hated it, and the ballet was almost closed down? The only reason we know about it today is because Tsar Alexander III happened to like it and insisted it continue. Did you know that pretty much everything we know about Christmas tree decorating comes from Germany? Flip through this book to learn even more little-known facts to amaze your friends during awkward pauses at your Christmas party!

Plum Pudding Murder-Joanne Fluke  [available in Popular Reading, 1st floor]

 Looking for a nice light read to take a look at in between wrapping presents and drinking that third thing of eggnog? This paperback, part of Fluke's Hannah Swensen mystery series, is the tale of said Hannah, a small town baker who almost always seems to stumble into mysteries, in between baking cookies, dealing with her wacky town, and looking for love. In this story, a Yuletide murder takes place in the middle of her town's Christmas carnival, and Hannah has to figure out who the killer is before the 12 days of Christmas ends! It's light and breezy and cozy, a perfect little book to read when you just want to unwind. It also has several Christmas recipes in it, that sound quite tasty and a lot easier than most of what I have attempted off of Pinterest! And more festive!
 

The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued his Career and Revived our Holiday Spirits- Les Stanford  [ebrary Academic Complete Online Access]
 

You’ve read A Christmas Carol right? The timeless, much adapted, much parodied tale of a grumpy old rich guy who is shown the true meaning of Christmas by three spirits, and then vows to change his ways. It’s an archetypal Christmas story, and has shaped not only what we know about Christmas, but also what we know about the time period it's set in, The Victorian Era, a time of street urchins, top hats, and endless emotional and sexual repression. But what’s really interesting is the story behind A Christmas Carol, and how much of an impact it really had. In this e-book, it discusses more about how Dickens began his career as a writer, his early life, and how he came to write his classic novel. Dickens' novel wasn’t just huge, it changed Christmas and how we celebrate it forever. It’s an interesting read if you like Dickens, history, or are interested in how Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and the rest of the gang changed culture forever.  

 

 CP