megs_s's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
gabieowleyess's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5 stars.
This book was really great! I wasn't really expecting what I got with this book, which was excellence. Yeah, not every story in this book was great, but the great ones outshined the not so great ones. I loved it so much. This could possibly turn into one that I read every year around the holidays.
Reread 12/18/15
Still love it <3 So cute!
Click Here For Full Review
This book was really great! I wasn't really expecting what I got with this book, which was excellence. Yeah, not every story in this book was great, but the great ones outshined the not so great ones. I loved it so much. This could possibly turn into one that I read every year around the holidays.
Reread 12/18/15
Still love it <3 So cute!
Click Here For Full Review
trfsc15's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
steph01924's review against another edition
4.0
Writing down my thoughts for each short story as I'm reading so I can keep them straight (and remember what's what for book club). Detailed spoilers ahead:
Midnights:
Typical Rainbow breezy style. It was cute enough as the first short story, but after reading a few of the others, definitely not my favorite so far. I didn't love Mags' doormat behavior with Noel, or his any-lips-will-do act when at least during one of those midnights he was making eyes at Mags but then got side-tracked. I also didn't buy his total 180 from best friend to boyfriend.
The Lady and The Fox:
I wanted a bit more detail from this one! I liked the vibe. I wanted to know WHY Melissa's mom was in a Phuket jail for the rest of her life, I wanted to know more about the Snow Lady and how Fenny got trapped by her. There was a bit of instalove (does it count as instalove if it takes place for like an hour at a time only once a year?) but who cares, it's a short story and I so wanted to check out a Honeywell Christmas party.
Angels in the Snow:
I liked the main character, Shy; Haley, a little less so. She seemed kind of blah. I would've rather seen something more with Shy and his family than between him and Haley. I liked the easy style, but there just didn't seem to be much substance to this one. It was over very quickly.
Polaris Is Where You'll Find Me:
This one wasn't super memorable; it was super short and a bit of a downer. I did like the idea of Santa adopting a human girl and raising her in the North Pole. This story just raised a lot of questions. Why are elves such dicks? Will Natalie grow up and lose 'the magic' and then, what, never be able to visit Santa at home again? That kind of stinks. What is she supposed to do with Lars' address? Just show up and...stay at his house? She has no money and no where to stay in whatever country he lives in.
It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown:
After the first two I decided to skip to my favorite authors' stories. Stephanie Perkins didn't disappoint. I loved Marigold and North. I, too, consider myself a bit of a packing whiz, and having just moved recently, totally felt for Marigold living in a pile of boxes. I loved cadence of their conversation and the flirting. And I loved the setting, especially since I have been to Asheville several times and it is beautiful and I feel like I could picture that Ingles where they were standing. (Also, the road to the Biltmore Mansion right after a snowstorm? It's actually the road to Narnia. True story. I have such residual jealousy for the children who got to live there during the holidays before it became open to the public.)
Your Temporary Santa:
I've never been a big David Leviathan fan, and this didn't really change my mind very much. There was a lot going on under the surface that I wasn't really getting (why was Lucy SO freaking mad? I was assuming her dad used to dress up as Santa and at some point left the family and that's why the mom was all broken up and why it was desperately important that Riley see Santa, but I fail to see how any of this could be dumped at the feet of...whatever the main character's name was. And then his sudden insecurities about not belonging in Connor's life and home and...ugh, this story was kind of a downer, even if it ended in cuddling. I will not be remembering this one after it's all said and done.
Krampuslauf:
This one was great! I liked the main character's voice and whole tone of the story. I totally understood her issues with hosting parties; it's stressful! You do all this work and by the time people arrive you're exhausted and just want to hide out in your room to take a nap. I like the Krampus legend and the way everything played out with the cheating boyfriend and that the main character got to keep her memories of the crazy night.
What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?:
Another favorite, and not really a surprise since I love Gayle Forman's books. I loved Sophie and Russell and their banter and how they both felt like great, well-rounded characters for being in a single short story. This even made me slightly tempted to try cheddar cheese on apple pie, even though I hate warm fruit pies (apple especially). The description of the flavors just sounded really good. I loved the Christmas sweater discussion and gah, everything about it was perfect.
Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus:
I kind of felt like I've read this story like five times before. There wasn't much that felt original or that really caught me. I would've liked to have seen some more fallout over the Rebel Yell being double-booked. Like, did something funny/weird happen during the performance? Did the mixed audience go along with it? I just felt like the romance was bland and the least interesting part of the story.
Welcome to Christmas, CA:
I've never read anything by Kiersten White before, so I had no thoughts going into this one. I really liked it! I liked the vibe, I love magical realism, so I loved that Ben's special talent was making food for people that they needed. I have been watching a lot of Parks & Rec recently and upon the first description of the cook, I was thinking, he sounds like he looks like Ben from P&R, then lo and behold, that is his actual name. Fate! I really wanted to try his gingerbread cookies, because just like Maria, I have rarely had a great gingerbread cookie. Actually, most of these stories are making me really hungry for holiday food. This one felt a little more 'cheesy traditional' in that Maria finally sees all the negatives in her life she thought were crappy were actually gestures cloaked in love, but I don't care. I ate it all up and even got a bit teary when Maria's mom set Maria straight about her life (especially when we find out Rick stayed up til four am every night to watch Bonanza with Maria out of solidarity because SHE was the only insomniac in the house).
Star of Bethlehem:
I enjoyed most of this story, but it was one of those ones that you had to suspend a lot disbelief in the way people were acting because it supposedly takes place over just a week. And sometimes this doesn't bother me, but I was eyebrow-raising hardcore near the end. With Ethan teaching Lydia how to drive stick shift and do this and that, getting used to the routines, I felt like she'd been there at least like 3 weeks, only to find out it's been 1 week and she's totally ready to just be adopted by Aunt Mary and stay there forever. And the drawn out exposition of the manager being her guardian because her mom was sick and not thinking straight just felt weird and out of place. I couldn't picture her standing there with everyone and the helicopter in the background and being so long-winded. I liked the beginning better and the parts when people were asking her pointed questions about the traditions she had no clue about.
The Girl Who Woke The Dreamer:
As most people have said, this is probably one of the most interesting ones and I really enjoyed it. I know some people were praising her creativity instead of doing 'just another contemporary Christmas story', but when I read an anthology like this, that's kind of what I'm expecting. This also wasn't super 'Christmassy', it just happened to take place near it, so while it was a great story I wouldn't say it was the most holiday-esque one I've seen. Either way, it was unique and interesting and I wish it was a bit longer.
Spoiler
Midnights:
Typical Rainbow breezy style. It was cute enough as the first short story, but after reading a few of the others, definitely not my favorite so far. I didn't love Mags' doormat behavior with Noel, or his any-lips-will-do act when at least during one of those midnights he was making eyes at Mags but then got side-tracked. I also didn't buy his total 180 from best friend to boyfriend.
The Lady and The Fox:
I wanted a bit more detail from this one! I liked the vibe. I wanted to know WHY Melissa's mom was in a Phuket jail for the rest of her life, I wanted to know more about the Snow Lady and how Fenny got trapped by her. There was a bit of instalove (does it count as instalove if it takes place for like an hour at a time only once a year?) but who cares, it's a short story and I so wanted to check out a Honeywell Christmas party.
Angels in the Snow:
I liked the main character, Shy; Haley, a little less so. She seemed kind of blah. I would've rather seen something more with Shy and his family than between him and Haley. I liked the easy style, but there just didn't seem to be much substance to this one. It was over very quickly.
Polaris Is Where You'll Find Me:
This one wasn't super memorable; it was super short and a bit of a downer. I did like the idea of Santa adopting a human girl and raising her in the North Pole. This story just raised a lot of questions. Why are elves such dicks? Will Natalie grow up and lose 'the magic' and then, what, never be able to visit Santa at home again? That kind of stinks. What is she supposed to do with Lars' address? Just show up and...stay at his house? She has no money and no where to stay in whatever country he lives in.
It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown:
After the first two I decided to skip to my favorite authors' stories. Stephanie Perkins didn't disappoint. I loved Marigold and North. I, too, consider myself a bit of a packing whiz, and having just moved recently, totally felt for Marigold living in a pile of boxes. I loved cadence of their conversation and the flirting. And I loved the setting, especially since I have been to Asheville several times and it is beautiful and I feel like I could picture that Ingles where they were standing. (Also, the road to the Biltmore Mansion right after a snowstorm? It's actually the road to Narnia. True story. I have such residual jealousy for the children who got to live there during the holidays before it became open to the public.)
Your Temporary Santa:
I've never been a big David Leviathan fan, and this didn't really change my mind very much. There was a lot going on under the surface that I wasn't really getting (why was Lucy SO freaking mad? I was assuming her dad used to dress up as Santa and at some point left the family and that's why the mom was all broken up and why it was desperately important that Riley see Santa, but I fail to see how any of this could be dumped at the feet of...whatever the main character's name was. And then his sudden insecurities about not belonging in Connor's life and home and...ugh, this story was kind of a downer, even if it ended in cuddling. I will not be remembering this one after it's all said and done.
Krampuslauf:
This one was great! I liked the main character's voice and whole tone of the story. I totally understood her issues with hosting parties; it's stressful! You do all this work and by the time people arrive you're exhausted and just want to hide out in your room to take a nap. I like the Krampus legend and the way everything played out with the cheating boyfriend and that the main character got to keep her memories of the crazy night.
What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?:
Another favorite, and not really a surprise since I love Gayle Forman's books. I loved Sophie and Russell and their banter and how they both felt like great, well-rounded characters for being in a single short story. This even made me slightly tempted to try cheddar cheese on apple pie, even though I hate warm fruit pies (apple especially). The description of the flavors just sounded really good. I loved the Christmas sweater discussion and gah, everything about it was perfect.
Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus:
I kind of felt like I've read this story like five times before. There wasn't much that felt original or that really caught me. I would've liked to have seen some more fallout over the Rebel Yell being double-booked. Like, did something funny/weird happen during the performance? Did the mixed audience go along with it? I just felt like the romance was bland and the least interesting part of the story.
Welcome to Christmas, CA:
I've never read anything by Kiersten White before, so I had no thoughts going into this one. I really liked it! I liked the vibe, I love magical realism, so I loved that Ben's special talent was making food for people that they needed. I have been watching a lot of Parks & Rec recently and upon the first description of the cook, I was thinking, he sounds like he looks like Ben from P&R, then lo and behold, that is his actual name. Fate! I really wanted to try his gingerbread cookies, because just like Maria, I have rarely had a great gingerbread cookie. Actually, most of these stories are making me really hungry for holiday food. This one felt a little more 'cheesy traditional' in that Maria finally sees all the negatives in her life she thought were crappy were actually gestures cloaked in love, but I don't care. I ate it all up and even got a bit teary when Maria's mom set Maria straight about her life (especially when we find out Rick stayed up til four am every night to watch Bonanza with Maria out of solidarity because SHE was the only insomniac in the house).
Star of Bethlehem:
I enjoyed most of this story, but it was one of those ones that you had to suspend a lot disbelief in the way people were acting because it supposedly takes place over just a week. And sometimes this doesn't bother me, but I was eyebrow-raising hardcore near the end. With Ethan teaching Lydia how to drive stick shift and do this and that, getting used to the routines, I felt like she'd been there at least like 3 weeks, only to find out it's been 1 week and she's totally ready to just be adopted by Aunt Mary and stay there forever. And the drawn out exposition of the manager being her guardian because her mom was sick and not thinking straight just felt weird and out of place. I couldn't picture her standing there with everyone and the helicopter in the background and being so long-winded. I liked the beginning better and the parts when people were asking her pointed questions about the traditions she had no clue about.
The Girl Who Woke The Dreamer:
As most people have said, this is probably one of the most interesting ones and I really enjoyed it. I know some people were praising her creativity instead of doing 'just another contemporary Christmas story', but when I read an anthology like this, that's kind of what I'm expecting. This also wasn't super 'Christmassy', it just happened to take place near it, so while it was a great story I wouldn't say it was the most holiday-esque one I've seen. Either way, it was unique and interesting and I wish it was a bit longer.
jenjen89's review
4.0
Delightful!
Some stories I loved - Rowell, Perkins, Han, Link. I loved all four of these stories, and they were all very different to each other. My favourites.
Some stories I liked, and were pleasant to read - Carter, de la Pena, Forman, White, Taylor.
Some fell a little flat for me - Black and McEntire I had to fight to finish. Neither had particularly strong storylines. I skipped Levithan as the last book I read by him (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist) I was left incredibly disappointed by, so I wasn't in the mood for him.
All in all a really nice collection. Obviously not every story will please all, but I think there's something for everyone.
It was really nice to read a snippet of writing by authors I'd been meaning to read, to get a feel for their writing styles, and to see some new work from authors I already loved (Rowell, Han).
Some stories I loved - Rowell, Perkins, Han, Link. I loved all four of these stories, and they were all very different to each other. My favourites.
Some stories I liked, and were pleasant to read - Carter, de la Pena, Forman, White, Taylor.
Some fell a little flat for me - Black and McEntire I had to fight to finish. Neither had particularly strong storylines. I skipped Levithan as the last book I read by him (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist) I was left incredibly disappointed by, so I wasn't in the mood for him.
All in all a really nice collection. Obviously not every story will please all, but I think there's something for everyone.
It was really nice to read a snippet of writing by authors I'd been meaning to read, to get a feel for their writing styles, and to see some new work from authors I already loved (Rowell, Han).
toystory242's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book!
I will say that you shouldn't read it all at once; even though all of the stories are very different, if read all at once, they sort-of blend together.
There were a couple stories I didn't like as much, but I loved most of them! I think my favorites were the last one ("The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer") and the third one, which I think was called "Angels in the Snow" (I'm naming these off the top of my head, so forgive me if I'm wrong.
I also loved how that there were all different holidays, races, religion, and even some fantasy elements in this book!
Anyway, this was a perfect holiday read!
Edit: July, 2017: so I just read Summer Days and Summer Nights, and I figured that I should rank these stories since I'm going to rank those too. Keep in mind, I still enjoyed all of these! (At least, I think I did. It's been a bit since I read this book)
12. Polaris is Where You'll Find me by Jenny Han
11. Krampuslauf by Holly Black
10. Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire
9. Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White
8. Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan
7. Star of Bethleham by Ally Carter
6. What the Hell Have you Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman
5. The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link
4. Midnights by Rainbow Rowell
3. It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins
2. Angels in the Snow by Matt De La Pena
1. The Girl who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
I will say that you shouldn't read it all at once; even though all of the stories are very different, if read all at once, they sort-of blend together.
There were a couple stories I didn't like as much, but I loved most of them! I think my favorites were the last one ("The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer") and the third one, which I think was called "Angels in the Snow" (I'm naming these off the top of my head, so forgive me if I'm wrong.
I also loved how that there were all different holidays, races, religion, and even some fantasy elements in this book!
Anyway, this was a perfect holiday read!
Edit: July, 2017: so I just read Summer Days and Summer Nights, and I figured that I should rank these stories since I'm going to rank those too. Keep in mind, I still enjoyed all of these! (At least, I think I did. It's been a bit since I read this book)
12. Polaris is Where You'll Find me by Jenny Han
11. Krampuslauf by Holly Black
10. Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire
9. Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White
8. Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan
7. Star of Bethleham by Ally Carter
6. What the Hell Have you Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman
5. The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link
4. Midnights by Rainbow Rowell
3. It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins
2. Angels in the Snow by Matt De La Pena
1. The Girl who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
brookepower's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
This book wasn’t what I expected. Kinda disappointed. Some of the stories were good but most were not great or just mediocre. Individual ratings below.
Midnights: 4/5 It was a great start. Cute, fun, easy to read.
The Lady and The Fox: 2/5 Pretty confusing.
Angels In The Snow: 4/5 I liked the characters, the ending felt a little rushed.
Polaris Is Where You’ll Find Me: 4/5 I liked the premise a lot, felt a little bit like Elf. Wish it had been longer.
It’s a Yuletide Miracle Charlie Brown: 5/5 My favourite! It was very unexpected but I loved the characters and the plot and I definitely want to reread it next year.
Your Temporary Santa: 3/5 It was fine. Nothing Special.
Krampuslauf: 2/5 It was mostly okay but the main “plot twist” or idea or whatever you’d call it was a little weird and not my taste.
What the Hell Have You Done Sophie Roth?: 4/5 This was nice. I liked the characters and how it all took place over one night. The diner was also fun.
Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus: 1/5 DNF’d it.
Welcome to Christmas, CA: 3/5 This was cute. The Chef and his “powers” were a little confusing.
Star of Bethlehem: 3/5 Didn’t expect to like it as much. It was cute, a little Hallmark-esque. The ending was a touch unbelievable.
The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer: 1/5 my least favourite. Skimmed it. Only finished because it was the last story. Really confusing and a little strange.
Midnights: 4/5 It was a great start. Cute, fun, easy to read.
The Lady and The Fox: 2/5 Pretty confusing.
Angels In The Snow: 4/5 I liked the characters, the ending felt a little rushed.
Polaris Is Where You’ll Find Me: 4/5 I liked the premise a lot, felt a little bit like Elf. Wish it had been longer.
It’s a Yuletide Miracle Charlie Brown: 5/5 My favourite! It was very unexpected but I loved the characters and the plot and I definitely want to reread it next year.
Your Temporary Santa: 3/5 It was fine. Nothing Special.
Krampuslauf: 2/5 It was mostly okay but the main “plot twist” or idea or whatever you’d call it was a little weird and not my taste.
What the Hell Have You Done Sophie Roth?: 4/5 This was nice. I liked the characters and how it all took place over one night. The diner was also fun.
Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus: 1/5 DNF’d it.
Welcome to Christmas, CA: 3/5 This was cute. The Chef and his “powers” were a little confusing.
Star of Bethlehem: 3/5 Didn’t expect to like it as much. It was cute, a little Hallmark-esque. The ending was a touch unbelievable.
The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer: 1/5 my least favourite. Skimmed it. Only finished because it was the last story. Really confusing and a little strange.
frannie_1's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
liatrek's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved all twelve of these holiday short stories❤️ I will probably make a point to read it again next year.