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Sugarplum Dead
Sugarplum Dead
Carolyn Hart | 2000 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Can Annie Catch a Killer at Christmas?
Annie gets a surprise this Christmas when her father, Pudge, walks into her store. He’s on the island because his ex-sister-in-law has summoned the family together. Annie winds up on hand when she makes an announcement that upsets everyone. The next night, someone dies and Pudge becomes the prime suspect. But Annie doesn’t think he’s the killer. Is she right?

This book seemed to wander a bit with the set up, and I was wondering when it was going to get to the point. But when it did, it was great with several twists that surprised me and an ending that wrapped everything up well. We didn’t see as much of many of the regulars, but Laurel has some fantastic scenes. We also get to know some of the suspects better than is often the case. The Christmas element was subdued, but the references to other mystery authors and books was toned down, which was great. This is another book that fans of cozy mysteries will love.
  
The Christmas Blessing
The Christmas Blessing
Melody Carlson | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ms. Carlson is back with another emotionally moving Christmas novella. I love her Christmas novellas and will forever read them. She brings wonderful messages from God and mixes them into a captivating story line, and blends it all with characters that steal your heart and become your family til the end. 

This Christmas story is set during one of my favorite time periods to read about: WWII, and follows Amelia and her son. I loved how Ms. Carlson transported me back in time. I loved following Amelia on her journey of pain and hope, and longing. The way I felt reading this book, seeing Amelia come to terms with her situation, seeing God work on her heart, really refreshed my own.

If you love stories filled with hope, longing and an ending that will leave you wanting more from a superbly talented author, then this 5 star book is for you. Ms. Carlson delivers her readers a novella that you won't soon forget! Well done! 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
  
Black Christmas (2019)
Black Christmas (2019)
2019 | Horror
Plot (1 more)
No scares
A present to be returned
I was surprised to see yet another Black Christmas film as we have 2 already. The trailer looked OK if a little silly. Thought it might have gone down a tongue in cheek route. Unfortunately it tries to go down some weird preachy girls vs boys mess up with a supernatural element. So many daft decisions, no real scares and just bad storyline. Should have stuck to a more traditional slasher film. Skip this one like a gift of grey socks at Christmas!
  
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
1993 | Animation, Family, Sci-Fi
Bone Daddy Nearly Ruins Christmas!
Every Halloween, Jack the Pumpkin King, would go out and scare many people with his frightening theatrics. Unfortunately, Jack has grown tired of doing the same routine every year and wanted to do something different. It was then that Jack accidentally ended up in Christmas Town and he was so awed and amazed at the Christmas visuals and the figure of Santa Claus (who he mistakenly calls "Sandy Claws"), that he decided that he should take over Christmas for the year! This then leads to Santa Claus being kidnapped by Oogie Boogie and Christmas nearly put into disaster!

Can Jack fix all of this before it's too late?

Seriously, this is probably my most favorite film made by Tim Burton (well technically, it was produced by Tim Burton and the poem was written by him, but Henry Selick directed the film). I just loved the cute yet nightmarish visuals in this movie as they gave the movie a creative vibe and I really loved seeing the different kinds of characters that pop up in Halloween Town, with my favorite creatures being the Clown with the Tearaway Face and the Vampires! I also loved the characters themselves as they were all interesting and amusing to look at. Probably my most favorite character in this entire movie was none other than Jack Skellington himself as he was a truly charming and charismatic character! I just loved the way that Jack went about trying something different for a change and it was cute seeing him lit up with enthusiasm as he tried to become the new Santa Claus. I also loved the character of Sally the Rag Doll as she truly cares about Jack and would do anything to prevent Jack from ruining Christmas! The visuals were amazing as all the characters look truly nightmarish (especially the werewolf and the witches) and yet, their personalities are so likable that you cannot help but actually care for these characters. Probably the best part of this movie were the songs themselves as they truly capture the true essence of this film, with my favorite songs being "What's This?" "This is Halloween" and "Sally's Song."

The only problem with this film is that the reason why this movie was rated PG was because of the scary imagery. So, there may be some images, like the various monsters that show up in this film, that might scare smaller children for the most part. Also, there is not enough back stories with any of these characters to really get to know their true motives and their existence, so some people might be a bit confused about where some of the motives of the characters came from, like in the case of Oogie Boogie where we don't know much about his character other than he despises Jack Skellington.

Overall, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a fantastic animated film that you can see either during Christmas or Halloween ( a two in one deal, how cool is that)? and it will forever be remembered as a classic film that Tim Burton and stop motion fans will love for many years!

Originally posted on: http://surrealmoviesandtvblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/movie-review-nightmare-before-christmas.html
  
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<i><b>I'll Be Home for Christmas is a fast-paced adventure that will keep you on your toes right until Christmas!

I am so thrilled to be part of the blog tour for Mills & Boon for I'll Be Home for Christmas. Check out the other amazing people that are participating in the blog tour as well:</b></i>

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I'll Be Home for Christmas is the first Christmas book I have read this year, before the holidays begin. It is an amazing story about a popular UK singer, Jessika Malone, who receives an offer from a famous US singer to record a duet and go on a US Tour for a while. This is a dream come true, but this offer comes right after Jessica's boyfriend proposes. Wanting to spend all the time in her world with him, she is hesitant to go, but at the same time, this is an opportunity of a lifetime.

We see our heroine Jessika travel to the US and embark her adventure. I loved the fact that we get to feel what she feels, and live through her dream. We get to see her cope with new things and learn along the way, and it is amazing being on this journey with her. She is a character that knows what she wants and is not afraid to go and get it.

<i><b>Be ready for some drama, and also be ready to choose sides.</b></i>

The author makes it hard to know what is the right choice, and all choices seem to have their pros and cons, which makes the book even more realistic. I wish I knew what was right or wrong in life straightaway - that would be too easy. Instead, I keep coming across tough choices that sound amazing, and I have to really look though everything and choose what is right. You get to see this reality in the book, and it is refreshing.

Despite it being a Christmas book, I didn't really feel the Christmassy vibes too much, but I think that is due to the fact that the focus on this book wasn't entirely Christmas. We only got a glimpse of the holiday spirit around the end of the book - but it wasn't in a Home Alone sort of style. It was simple.

Despite that, I still enjoyed this book a lot, and it was the perfect book for me to get me through my days when I felt poorly and lying in bed. I recommend it to all of you out there that love romance, Christmas, a bit of an adventure and searching for our true selves.

<i><b>Thank you to the team at Mills & Boon, for letting me be a part of this Christmas adventure!</b></i>

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Gremlins (1984)
Gremlins (1984)
1984 | Comedy, Horror
8
8.1 (56 Ratings)
Movie Rating
After Midnight
Gremlins- a classic christmas horror movie, with cute creatures and then if you dont follow the rules the creatures turn into mad creatures. So you better follow the rules cause ifnt than you might get killed or eatting or bitten by them.

Also by the way this movie was PG, yes PG, and this movie does have some gore, death, dark humor and more. IE the mircowave sence. A Family Pitcure, a classic christmas movie by the way and its PG. In response to this and to similar complaints about Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Spielberg suggested that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) alter its rating system, which it did within two months of the film's release, creating a new PG-13 rating

The Plot: A gadget salesman is looking for a special gift for his son and finds one at a store in Chinatown. The shopkeeper is reluctant to sell him the `mogwai' but sells it to him with the warning to never expose him to bright light, water, or to feed him after midnight. All of this happens and the result is a gang of gremlins that decide to tear up the town on Christmas Eve.

Steven Spielberg was the film's executive producer, written by Chris Columbus and directed by Joe Dante.

A classic christmas horror film, that all people should see and watch.