Christmas reading and films

November 2024

Recommended Christmas reads

Murder under the mistletoe by Richard Coles  

Murder under the mistletoe

By Richard Coles

It is Christmas Day and at Champton Rectory, Canon Daniel Clement and his mother Audrey are joined by the residents and guests of the big house to drink, eat and be merry. At the festive feast, peace and goodwill prevail. Until two meet under the mistletoe. One of them falls down dead. And Daniel suspects murder has returned to Champton. Can Daniel and Detective Sergeant Neil Vanloo solve the crime and catch the Christmas killer?

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A Christmas gift for the East End Library girls by Patricia McBride  

A Christmas gift for the East End library girls

By Patricia McBride

With the echoes of war reverberating around London, Cordelia, Mavis, and Jane are delighted to be blessed with some good news: the King and his Queen will be making a visit to the East End. As excitement builds, so does their apprehension. With each passing day, the threat of destruction from air raids increasingly plagues their worried minds. But with Christmas on the horizon, their morale is at an all-time high, and the girls are determined to display to their esteemed guests all they have done with the library - and with so little. For Mavis especially, she is more focused on the library than ever - her beloved Joe is still fighting overseas and she is waiting for news on whether she might adopt young Joyce. But perhaps the royal visit will not be the only Christmas gift she will be surprised with this year...?

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Christmas shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella  

Christmas shopaholic

By Sophie Kinsella

Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) adores Christmas. It's always the same - Mum and Dad hosting, carols playing, Mum pretending she made the Christmas pudding, and the next-door neighbours coming round for sherry in their terrible festive jumpers. And now it's even easier with online bargain-shopping sites - if you spend enough you even get free delivery. Sorted! But this year looks set to be different. Unable to resist the draw of craft beer and smashed avocado, Becky's parents are moving to ultra-trendy Shoreditch and have asked Becky if she'll host Christmas this year. What could possibly go wrong? With sister Jess demanding a vegan turkey, husband Luke determined that he just wants aftershave again, and little Minnie insisting on a very specific picnic hamper - surely Becky can manage all this, as well as the surprise appearance of an old boyfriend and his pushy new girlfriend, whose motives are far from clear. Will chaos ensue, or will Becky manage to bring comfort and joy to Christmas?

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White Christmas by Katie Flynn  

White Christmas

By Katie Flynn

December, 1938: Rozalin Sachs has grown up in the vibrant city of Frankfurt. But with the Nazi Revolution gaining power, her family is forced to flee Germany. When a tragic accident separates Roz from her parents, she finds herself aboard the Kindertransport bound for Holland. Here Roz meets a young lad called Felix and they vow to stick together as their journey takes them to England. Eventually they find themselves in Liverpool with the promise of a new life, until a devastating incident takes Felix away. And in a desperate attempt to escape the terrible situation she has found herself in, Roz joins the Women's Land Army. On the sprawling farm at Hollybank Roz meets Bernie, a dashing farmer's son, who has more than just friendship on his mind. Roz is flattered by his affections, but will he win her heart, or will her love for Felix remain as strong as ever?

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Christmas everlasting by Nora Roberts  

Christmas everlasting

By Nora Roberts

Local Hero: Single mother Hester Wallace hardly has time for the holidays. Between settling in to her new apartment and chasing after her nine-year-old son, Radley, she's beginning to feel the pressure of trying to have it all together. So when her neighbor, comic book writer Mitch Dempsey, offers to look after Radley in the afternoons, Hester reluctantly accepts. Mitch is a stranger, after all, even if he is generous and has a connection with her son. Eventually, Hester finds herself relying on Mitch... and even worse, admitting that he's found his way into her heart.

All I want for Christmas: Wanting a change from her fast-paced life in Manhattan, Nell Davis moves to the small town of Taylor's Grove, Maryland, to revamp the local music program. Her sweet students, identical six-year-olds Zeke and Zack Taylor, have already stolen her heart -- though she can't say the same for their brooding father, Mac. A single parent, Mac firmly believes that any romance will only distract him from raising his sons. Little does he know, a mother like Nell is exactly what the boys are hoping for this Christmas...

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The Christmas rose by Dilly Court  

The Christmas rose

By Dilly Court

As the ship glided into the harbour, guided by the wintery waters of the Thames, Rose took a deep breath. Had she done the right thing? Leaving everything behind her to follow the man she loved? But as London refused to appear through the thick fog that engulfed it, Rose felt more lonely than ever.Raised in Australia, Rose Munday is on the way back to the city she was born in. But, expecting to be met by her sweetheart, she is left alone on the waterfront, surrounded by whistles and scornful glances, chilled by the east wind coming off the docks. How could Max have abandoned her? With no money and no family left in London, Rose must go to work. Finding herself a position as a typist in a slowly modernising London, Rose's future begins to take shape in ways she would never have foreseen. But London is a treacherous place for a young woman, and what initially seemed a brave decision, might just be a dangerous one.

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The twelve topsy-turvy, very messy days of Christmas by James Patterson and Tad Safran  

The twelve long, hard, topsy-turvy, very messy days of Christmas

By  James Patterson and Tad Safran

No stockings, no gifts, no tinsel, and no tree -- has Christmas been cancelled? It's mid-December and for the fifth year in a row, there is little sign of the festive season in the Sullivan family's household in Harlem. But this year, a mysterious someone is sending gifts to widower Henry Sullivan and his two children, Will and Ella. First, a small-beaked and feathered face pokes its head out from between the branches of a pear tree. Before they know it, the Sullivan's home is quickly full of boisterous animals and house guests, all demanding their attention. The next twelve days turns the Sullivan family's lives upside down in ways they never could have imagined. And even though this Christmas will be messy, it may be just the gift their family needs.

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 Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Snowed in for Christmas

By Sarah Morgan

This Christmas the Miller siblings have one goal--to avoid their well-meaning family's endless stream of prying questions. Ross, Alice and Clemmie have secrets that they don't intend to share, and they are relying on each other to deflect attention. Lucy Clarke is facing a Christmas alone and the prospect of losing her job. Unless she can win a major piece of business from Ross Miller, the season promises to be anything but festive. She'll just deliver her proposal to his family home and then leave. After all, she wouldn't want to intrude on the Miller family's perfect Christmas. When Lucy appears on the Miller family's snow-covered Highland doorstep, she's mistaken for Ross's girlfriend. By the time the confusion is cleared up, they're snowed in--she can't leave, even if she wants to! But does she want to? As secrets spill out like presents from an overstuffed stocking and the chemistry between her and Ross ignites, this is going to be either Lucy's worst Christmas ever or the best mistake of her life" 

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