Christmas by the Book by Anne Marie Ryan

Christmas by the Book 

Book Summary

In small-town England, two booksellers facing tough times decide to spread some Christmas cheer through the magic of anonymous book deliveries in this uplifting holiday tale for book lovers everywhere.

Nora and her husband, Simon, have run the beautiful oak-beamed book shop in their small British village for thirty years. But times are tough and the shop is under threat of closure--this Christmas season will really decide their fate. When an elderly man visits the store and buys the one book they've never been able to sell, saying it's the perfect gift for his sick grandson, it gives Nora an idea. She and Simon will send out books to those feeling down this Christmas. Maybe they can't save their bookstore, but at least they'll have one final chance to lift people's spirits through the power of reading.

After gathering nominations online, Nora and Simon quietly deliver books to six residents of the village in need of some festive cheer, including a single dad of twins who is working hard to make ends meet, a teenage boy grieving for his big sister, a local Member of Parliament who is battling depression, and a teacher who's newly retired and living on her own. As the town prepares for a white Christmas, the books begin to give the recipients hope, one by one. But with the future of the bookshop still up in the air, Nora and Simon will need a Christmas miracle--or perhaps a little help from the people whose lives they've touched--to find a happy ending of their own....

My Thoughts

Nora and Simon Walden own The Stowford Bookshop in England.  Nora inherited the shop from her mother who passed on her love of books to her.  Unfortunately, the shop is currently in the red plus the taxes are due.  It is hard to compete with online retailers.  Another problem is that many of the people in the village are struggling so books are a luxury they cannot afford and weather is keeping the tourists away.  When the oldest book in the store sells, it gives the couple an idea.  They post on social media asking people if there is someone in their lives who can use a boost this holiday season.  They draw out six names and send them a special Christmas book.  Nora and Simon get to see how each book makes a difference in the life of the receiver.  Christmas by the Book by Anne Marie Ryan is a feel-good Christmas tale.  The book does get off to a slow start as we are introduced Nora and Simon.  The story becomes more engaging the further I got into the book.  We get to see how the books affect the receivers.  The story also touches on depression.    Many people are ashamed of having depression and do not discuss it with others.  Winter plus the holiday season tend to make this mental health condition worse.  I thought the author handled this subject very well.  Christmas by the Book allows us to see how a gift can spread joy and hope.  I liked how each book was right for each person’s situation.  It was great to see what Nora and Simon’s idea sparked in others.  The ending left me smiling.  Christmas by the Book will help you get into the holiday spirit.  Christmas by the Book is an uplifting holiday tale with a special sale, tax troubles, beneficial books, a dark depression, Christmas chaos, and a merry miracle.  

Christmas by the Book is available from Amazon*.  You can follow Anne Marie Ryan on Amazon so you can receive a notification when she releases a new book.  Thank you for visiting today.  Tomorrow I am sharing my thoughts on Digging Up Trouble by Kitt Crowe.  It is the first A Sweet Fiction Bookshop Mystery.  I hope that you have an uplifting day.  I am off to work on my Halloween decorations outside.  A witch flew into our pine tree and two ghosts have taken up residence in the palm tree.  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Light of Luna Park by Addison Armstrong

 The Light of Luna Park

Book Summary

In the spirit of The Orphan Train and Before We Were Yours, a historical debut about a nurse who chooses to save a baby's life, and risks her own in the process, exploring the ties of motherhood and the little-known history of Coney Island and America's first incubators.

A nurse's choice. A daughter's search for answers.

New York City, 1926. Nurse Althea Anderson's heart is near breaking when she witnesses another premature baby die at Bellevue Hospital. So when she reads an article detailing the amazing survival rates of babies treated in incubators in an exhibit at Luna Park, Coney Island, it feels like the miracle she has been searching for. But the doctors at Bellevue dismiss Althea and this unconventional medicine, forcing her to make a choice between a baby's life and the doctors' wishes that will change everything.

Twenty-five years later, Stella Wright is falling apart. Her mother has just passed, she quit a job she loves, and her marriage is struggling. Then she discovers a letter that brings into question everything she knew about her mother, and everything she knows about herself.

The Light of Luna Park is a tale of courage and an ode to the sacrificial love of mothers

My Thoughts

The Light of Luna Park by Addison Armstrong is a dual timeline novel.  The story alternates between Althea Anderson and Stella Wright.  Stella has just lost her mother and her grief is highlighting parts of her life that are unsatisfactory.  Stella quits her job and decides to empty out her mother’s apartment on her own.  While going through a special box, Stella finds some curious letters.  She begins to wonder if she really knew her mother.  Stella decides to follow the clues and see where they lead.  Stella is in for a journey where her mother’s deepest secret will be revealed.  I found The Light of Luna Park to be a depressing story.  The beginning is slow with the pacing picking up in the second half of the story.  I thought the author captured both time periods (1926 and 1950) especially the attitudes of doctors in the 1920s, the PTSD that affected World War II soldiers, and the feelings of people towards the education of students with disabilities.  I did not find either character likeable and there was too much repetition of certain details (twice is fine, but more than that is too much).  Althea was preferrable to Stella for me.  Stella’s woe is me attitude got on my nerves.  I understood that Stella was grieving, but she let it overwhelm her whole life (it makes for a depressing story).  It was interesting learning about Dr. Couney, and his infamous incubator babies exhibit at Coney Island.  At the end of the book, I was left with unanswered questions.  The Light of Luna Park had an interesting premise, but it did not appeal to me.  Each of us view books differently.  I suggest that you read a sample to see if this historical novel appeals to you.  The Light of Luna Park is a dual timeline novel with infamous incubators, a committed mother, a repugnant principal, abnormal missives, an unsettled spouse, and an essential mission.

The Light of Luna Park publishes Tuesday, August 10 and it is available from Amazon*.  This is Addison Armstrong's debut novel.  You can follow her here on Amazon to receive news on her next release.  I appreciate you visiting today and reading my thoughts on this new novel.  I will return tomorrow to feature Death and Sensibility by Elizabeth Blake.  It is the 2nd A Jane Austen Society Mystery. I hope that you have sunny day.  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.