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The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

Nagaru Tanigawa

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Book

What if you woke up one morning, and everything changed? It's one week before Christmas Eve, and...

Jon Dieringer recommended The Night of the Hunter (1955) in Movies (curated)

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

1955 | Drama, Mystery

9.0

(5 Ratings)

Movie Favorite

"This is my favorite movie of all time, and the only one that I watch on an annual schedule (Thanksgiving) other than A Muppet Christmas Carol (Christmas). I first saw it on that holiday, and the experience was so meaningful that I suppose I’m always trying to recapture it. Coincidentally, on Thanksgiving my family used to travel to West Virginia, where the novel’s author, Davis Grubb, was from, and where the book is set. Grubb arguably doesn’t get enough credit for the look and feel of the film: I can’t really think of a movie that is more faithful to the tone and even letter of its source, and Grubb also essentially storyboarded the film. It’s such a rich parable of good and evil, and a boundlessly profound exploration of intangibles like innocence, loss, deceit, and the yearning to be loved. Although terror is a central theme, it’s ultimately a very comforting film."

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Kudos

Dying in a Winter Wonderland

Vicki Delany

10.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

In the town of Rudolph, New York, the Christmas season should make spirits bright, but as the year...

Frosty Relations (A Witch’s Night Out #2)

Tara Quan

8.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Attorney Jack Frost never understood why holidays did weird things to people. His secretary went on...

Paranormal Romance Novella

Debbiereadsbook (1541 KP) rated A Cold Christmas and the Darkest of Winters in Books

Dec 17, 2021

A Cold Christmas and the Darkest of Winters

Rasta Musick | 2021 | Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

not bedtime reading but very good!

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

A collection of 23 different authors come together to bring you short stories set around the winter season or Christmas.

Not a single one of these authors have I read before, and there is a varied bunch of tales here. Some are just sad but some are downright scary!

Loosely, they are "holiday" stories, but more are winter ones, rather than Christmas.

An eclectic bunch of tales that can be read at any time, but I'd recommend NOT at bedtime! You might stop on one of the scary ones, and get some weird dreams as a consequence, like I did!

I didn't read them all, I will be honest, but the ones I read were very good, or excellent. Just on the short side. but 23 stories across 360 odd pages is never going to produce novel length books.

4 stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere

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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2426 KP) rated Death of a Neighborhood Scrooge in Books

Dec 12, 2018

Bah Humbug Murder

Thanks to her neighbor Lance, freelance writer Jaine Austen is spending Christmas at a Bel Air mansion. It's not all luxury, however, when Jaine gets roped into helping her temporary neighbor polish his script. Scotty Parker is a former child actor best known for playing Tiny Tim in a movie version of A Christmas Carol, but now he'd be a shoe in to play Scrooge, complete with penny pinching ways and fights with neighbors. Someone has had enough, and Jaine finds Scotty's body on Christmas morning. With the police focusing on her, Jaine begins her own investigation. But which of the many suspects actually killed Scotty?

Those familiar with the series know exactly what to expect here, and they won't be disappointed. The murder may take place a little later in the book than in some series I read, but we are busy meeting suspects and getting motives, so when Scotty does die, we can jump right in. Jaine once again brings the case to a satisfactory conclusion. We also have a couple of fun sub-plots involving Jaine's on-line dating misadventures and a cruise her parents are taking with their neighbors. There are plenty of laughs, chuckles, and grins. The characters lean toward caricature, but it works for this series. The pages fly by all too quickly as always.

Kudos

Her Festive Doorstep Baby: Her Festive Doorstep Baby / the Holiday Gift

Kate Hardy and RaeAnne Thayne

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Book

Her Festive Doorstep Baby by Kate Hardy It should have been carol singers waking Amy Howes on...

Cumberland (1142 KP) rated A Fool's Gold Christmas (Fool's Gold, #9.5) in Books

Dec 16, 2018

Fun Christmas Read

This is a great book for anyone looking to get into the holiday spirit. The plot is much like that for your typically Hallmark movie, and I for one love it.
Evie is a dancer who finds herself in the small town of Fools Gold after she is injured. The story follows her as she reconnects with her family, and fights against her attraction for the boy next door.
This is technically part of a series, but you do not need to be familer with the other books to enjoy it. I do want to read the other books as soon as possible now. Mostly in hopes of my favorite characters making an appearance.