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The Twelve Dice of Christmas
The Twelve Dice of Christmas
Gail Oust | 2018 | Mystery, Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I adore a new book, and if it’s part of a series, that's great, as it means more books for me to read!

Welcome to Serenity Cove, a peaceful Southern community where the residents like to play dice, and when there is a dark mystery, play detective.

With Christmas fast approaching, Kate McCall and her retired friends get into the holiday spirit by agreeing to help the elderly Eula Mae Snow decorate her home, even when it means sorting through many of the older woman’s belongings. Intent on doing a good deed and uncovering a bright collection of seasonal decorations, Kate is stopped dead in her tracks when instead she discovers the skeleton of a man showing clear signs of foul play.

Many in Serenity Cove thought that Waylon Snow had run off and left town and his wife, Eula Mae, more than two decades earlier. But with the appearance of his skeleton and a whole host of clues pointing to Eula Mae as the murderer, Kate will have to put her sleuthing skills to work to figure out who could have committed the evil deed.

Kate and her retired friends, known as The Bunco Babes, are feeling festive and they are planning a cookie exchange and ugly sweater contest for their last dice game session of the season. As they plan their holidays, they decide to help their friend decorate her house for the annual charity Christmas Home Tour. The Bunco Babes get cracking, and in the process of hunting for the Christmas decorations, Kate discovers the skeleton in the root cellar. Kate now has a twenty-five-year-old mystery to contend with. Can she solve it?

This is my first novel by Gail Oust and I really enjoyed it. I love that it is an old mystery set in Christmastime. Although this is the fourth book in a mystery series, you do not need to have read the previous books in sequence to be able to follow the story properly.

I found many of the characters very funny and easy to relate to, particularly Kate herself, but also Eula Mae's granddaughter, Tammy Lynn and Bill Lewis, Kate's "significant other". Many of the other characters in the book were extremely amusing and unusual. Kate and the Town Sheriff, Sheriff Wiggins have history, Although he is not in Kate's fan club, can she use her powers of persuasion on him to allow the Bunco Babes into the house in time for it to be decorated for the Christmas Home Tour?
 
You’ll treasure this sweet Christmas mystery, as I did!

Thanks to Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for a copy of this book.
  
I picked this book up from the library. I read the back on the cover and one of the story caught my attention or interest. So I picked it up and checked it out to read. It one I read from start to finish. It was hard to put down. I love Christmas stories anytime of year but the season is one of my favorites. In this case, these four novellas tell the story of one December in Lancaster County. These four some way connect to each other but not in a series kind of way.

In A Miracle For Miriam, you learn about the deep hurt that causes Miriam to disappear into herself. Seth caused the hurt when they were both fourteen years old. Most of us remember our hurts and some of us have allowed those hurts to influence us as adults. It’s a beautiful love story in which other characters from the other three novellas are introduced.

A Choice to Forgive opens with Lydia answering a knock at her door and discovering her first love, Daniel Smucker, standing confidently on her doorstep. He promised to marry her when they were young and mysteriously disappeared on Christmas. Lydia marries his brother, Elam, who happens to comfort her during her difficult heart break. She becomes a widow when he dies of a heart attack. Those feelings of love for Daniel rise again and she struggles to forgive him for running away. He tries to explain the difficult and complicated situation that sent him away, and the secret that he and his brother kept from her causes an enormous emotional struggle.

One Child by Barbara Cameron addresses Sarah and David’s struggle over their miscarriage. Sarah prays to Derr Herr for a child. It’s the only gift she wants on Christmas. Mysterious visitors bring unexpected joy during a particularly bad blizzard. It’s a story of healing, love, and friendship.

Christmas Cradles tells the story of Anna Stolis and Asa Mast. Anna has never been married. She has become a midwife. Asa Mast also never married. A tragedy occurred during his rumschpringe years that brought him to this point. His father is very ill, refusing to go to the hospital on Christmas. Anna has three deliveries during the night. Normally, his father, Samuel, accompanies Anna’s Aunt Ruth (also a midwife), but with Aunt Ruth taking the evening off and Samuel sick, Asa joins Anna in her delivery runs. It is a love story of two insecure people who never thought they could fall in love.
  
MH
More Holmes for the Holidays
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
[a:Martin H. Greenberg|6436872|Martin H. Greenberg|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg] and company have provided a fine collection of Sherlockian holiday stories that fit in quite well with the traditional set.

"The Christmas Gift" by Anne Perry is a nice little piece about a stolen Stradivarius and a couple who want to marry against the wishes of the young lady's father. There is an excellent red herring, one of the few in this anthology.

In "The Four Wise Men" by Peter Lovesey, Watson must answer a call to duty from his former commanding officer in the Army, in order to help guard a medieval treasure in a Christmas pageant. The game is soon afoot, and Sherlock's powers of observation are as keen as ever.

Barbara Paul's "Eleemosynary, My Dear Watson" gives Holmes a jewel theft and a kidnapping to solve, which he does in his inimitable way. One clue seemed slightly too obvious to me, but it may not to other readers.

In "The Adventure of the Greatest Gift" by Loren D. Estleman, Holmes receives a wax cylinder containing a recording of a song popular in America. He takes it as a warning of a crime which could lead to war between Britain and France, and of course he leaps into action. This is Mycroft Holmes' only appearance in the volume.

There's plenty of misdirection in "The Case of the Rajah's Emerald" by Carolyn Wheat. Somehow, though, I suspected one of the great revelations in this one from the beginning, but I couldn't tell you exactly why. It didn't ruin the story for me, and there was still a surprise at the end.

On the other hand, Edward D. Hoch's "The Christmas Conspiracy" managed to take me completely unawares. I couldn't fathom why the crime would be committed or by whom, despite having a major clue dropped by one character. Very well done!

"The Music of Christmas" by L.B. Greenwood telegraphed the identity of the criminal from the start, but was well worth reading. One of the characters also tugged at the heartstrings.

Bill Crider's "The Adventure of the Christmas Bear" is largely memorable because of the appearance of Oscar Wilde as a character.

"The Adventure of the Naturalist's Stock Pin" by Jon L. Breen gives us Charles Darwin as Holmes' client. The mystery is less Sherlockian than some of the others, but I didn't mind reading it.

Daniel Stashower's "The Adventure of the Second Violet" was an interesting twist on a well-known Christmas story. I cannot say more without spoiling it, but he has a nice touch.

"The Human Mystery" by Tanith Lee is as dark as I expect from her, and was a depressing ending to the collection. It was, however, very well-written.

The anthology left me hungry for more Holmes, and wishing that I weren't between seasons of BBC's Sherlock or that I had another collection of stories on hand. That's the sign of a success, I think.
  
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Merissa (13154 KP) rated Vampire for Christmas in Books

Apr 10, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)  
Vampire for Christmas
Vampire for Christmas
Felicity Heaton | 2010 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
OK, so I know October is the wrong month to be reading about Christmas but it was next on my list ;)

This is a novella so the storyline is fast-paced and moves along swiftly. Saying that, you will still find all the information you need to be engrossed in the story of how Rafe and Shannon came to be partners and what their histories are.

This is a wonderful story that I would recommend for a rainy evening or when you are curled up in front of a fire, who knows maybe even during the build-up to the season itself! Short, sweet and sexy.
 
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *


Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
October 8, 2016
  
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TacoDave (3880 KP) rated Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) in Movies

Dec 10, 2018 (Updated Dec 10, 2018)  
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Horror, Musical
Acting (3 more)
Music
Pacing
Humor
One Song (0 more)
"Anna and the Apocalypse" is Fantasticly Strange
I didn't expect a lot when I saw "Anna and the Apocalypse" yesterday. I knew a little about it. I knew it was a Zombie/Christmas musical that was supposed to be "Shaun of the Dead Meets La La Land," and I knew it was popular at film festivals last year, but I didn't have any other real feel for what I was in for.

Luckily, I *loved* this movie. The first 30 minutes or so just follow several high schoolers as their school prepares for a Christmas performance. The way they randomly break into song, then look at each other weirdly when the song ends and continue with their day was amusing. The songwriting was great - the singing too! - and, except for one song, I wanted to own the soundtrack.

The rest of the movie follows a group of parents and students trapped in a school with zombies outside and, concurrently, a small group of high schoolers who are trying to make their way to the school to see if their loved ones are still alive. Heads explode. Bodies are mangled. People get bitten. And there is quite a bit of gore.

Yet, at the same time, the movie is light and hilarious. It walks a fine balance between horror/comedy/Christmas/musical, and succeeds almost completely.

If you like horror movies mixed with comedy and you are a fan of musicals, this one is a no-brainer. Pun intended.
  
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Horror, Musical
There's genuine festive joy in here, yes it's a little blood-stained, but still... festive joy. There are Christmas trees, an innuendo-filled song and Santa, it's probably more on the non-Christmas side of festive watchlists but I'm here for it anyway.

The songs are fantastic, they're fun and catchy with some great dance montages. It really does peak on the musical side of things. My only quibble would be Paul Kaye's song "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now", it's a little cheesy and doesn't feel quite like the tone of the rest of the film. On repeated viewings though it does grow on you, but not quite enough to jump off the bottom spot.

You do need that comedy villain to hate though and in that respect Paul Kaye certainly does really well. In fact the whole cast were great, and there isn't even a caveat. "They were great... considering it's a monster movie." Every performance fit with their character and they managed to make an apocalyptic film feel really upbeat. Everyone had the right amount of pizzazz in them to make this zombimas spectacular come to life.

Being focused on such a small group and area meant that it was really easy to engage with what was going on. It's filmed really nicely as well with your classic background zombie action for comedy effect. All in all this is an enjoyable (sort of) Christmas film and has something for everyone in the family.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/12/anna-and-apocalypse-movie-review.html
  
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AJaneClark (3975 KP) Dec 9, 2019

I enjoyed this movie for what it was, a light and festive zombie flick! 🤣 thank you for your review x

A Little Murder for Christmas
This year, Anty Boisjoly is planning to spend Christmas with his aunt Azalea, who is a bit of a recluse. He hasn’t visited her in years, in fact. When Anty arrives, Azalea informs him that she’s just discovered the body of her next-door neighbor, a man she’d begun to be friendly with. The victim is a local war hero, and everyone in the village is upset by the news. Unfortunately, the footprints in the snow make it look like Azalea is the only person who could have realistically killed the man. Oh, and there’s also the fact that he was seen by many people in the pub hours after Azalea claims she found the body. Can Anty figure out what really happened and prove his aunt innocent?

The book doesn’t hesitate, jumping into the murder in the first chapter. I found the pacing to be a little uneven, especially early on. The further I got into the book, the more impossibility we saw, and the more I was engaged. By the end, everything made sense. I also found the suspects a little shallow. I loved the first in the series, so maybe my expectations were too high here. The one thing that was definitely the same as the first book was the dry wit. I laughed so much reading this book. We get some nice Christmas cheer over the course of the book as well. Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it for anyone looking for a humorous impossible crime mystery.
  
La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust
La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust
Philip Pullman | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
8.5 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
My brother bought me this for Christmas last year, as he knows I loved his dark materials trilogy as a teenager.I have finally got round to reading it, and I have fallen in love with Phillip Pullmans writing style and character development again. I would be surprised if anyone who reads this does not connect with Malcom, what a fantastic character, you cannot help but feel sympathetic towards him.
In some ways it's similar to his old books, but this one is all about the thrill of the chase and it feels a bit more exciting.
My only criticism is that he had added some adult content,probably to appeal to an older audience, but it doesn't feel right reading it in a Pullman book.
Nevertheless I can't wait for the next two instalments.
  
Klaus (2019)
Klaus (2019)
2019 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy
New Christmas films always make me a little sceptical, a lot don't seem to take things very seriously and that means something naff that isn't always good. Seeing the trailer for Klaus made me hopeful though, I love an origin story.

Jesper has had a privileged life up until this point, when daddy is in charge of the business you can skate by with the minimum of effort. Things are about to change though, his father has had enough of his loafing around.

One year. 6,000 letters. This is what Jesper must achieve or he'll be cast out of the life of comfort he knows. That sounds doable, right? It does until you find out he's being sent to the farthest reaches where many postmen have gone before and soon fled. The town aren't the communicative type unless it involves and insult and a projectile weapon. Jesper is set on giving up until he spots a house out on the very edge of the map, this home belongs to a reclusive woodsman named Klaus.

At first glance the animation on Klaus looked too simplistic, in a world where computer animation and effects exist you sometimes forget that something doesn't have to be overcomplicated to be good. By the end I was amazed at how much this "simple" looking film managed to get across. The contrast between the bright happy world and the dark glum one in Smeerensburg is wonderful to behold, the colours (or lack thereof) get across the despair, and mixed with the characters it shows you exactly what sort of situation Jesper is dealing with.

What I particularly like about the amination is how well each scene is crafted outside of the characters. It's so atmospheric, the fog over the town, the mist in the forest, the way the light works with the weather, it's magical.

Smeerensburg's townsfolk match their surroundings perfectly and I'd really like to congratulate the person who came up with that crazed little stabby girl, she might be my favourite character of all. Seeing how the changes unfold throughout the film was lovely, each one brought with it a thrill that warmed this cold heart on a winter's day.

"A true act of goodwill always sparks another."

The story itself is a staple of Christmas films, love and friendship conquering selfishness, but it's a very charming way to look at it. I liked that the obligatory love interest storyline was actually not the main point, the friendship made for a much better focus. Klaus weaves a wonderful tale of how simple deeds can change the world... yes, I'm being overly dramatic!

I wasn't prepared for how much this was going to get to me, I've watched it twice this weekend and I'll be watching it again before Christmas is here. Thank you, Netflix. I'm adding this to my regular Christmas watching rotation.

Originally posted on: http://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/12/klaus-movie-review.html