Christmas Short Story Collection Review: Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories by L. M. Montgomery from Dreamscape Media

 

Lovers of Anne of Green Gables will be enchanted with this delightful collection of holiday stories from Lucy Maud Montgomery. 

Based upon story excerpts from Montgomery's most famous book series and other short stories published in magazines and newspapers, Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories features 16 holiday stories that will warm your heart and remind you of Christmases from a simpler time.

Readers of the Anne of Green Gables series will blissfully relive the story of Anne receiving a dress with puffed sleeves from Matthew. They will learn how three sisters inadvertently end a family feud by arriving at the wrong uncle's house for Christmas dinner. They will witness how Lucy Rose comes to love her Aunt Cyrilla's quirky old basket while they travel out of town. They will remember the surprising results when Anne invited sour Katherine Brooke to Green Gables for Christmas. They will rejoice as Bertie's invitation to New Year's dinner turns into something much more meaningful. Every story will remind you why Montgomery's books still attract new readers.

I own a paperback copy of Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories, and thanks to Dreamscapes Media, I can enjoy these stories anytime I want while I am driving around on appointments. 

If you're looking to spend time with some of Montgomery's characters at the holidays, then Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories is the perfect choice.

Release Date: October 1, 2013

Publisher: Dreamscape Media

Unabridged Audiobook

Highlights: Christmas

I purchased a copy of this audio book from Chirp. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Christmas Countdown: 5 Days Until Christmas

 

Christmas Picture Book Review: A Little Labradoodle Christmas by April M. Cox and Kairi Fullerton

Can Kairi and her labradoodles turn Casper's grumpy behavior around for Christmas?

Grandmother Cox and granddaughter Fullerton collaborate on this rhyming story of a grumpy cat who thinks Christmas is a "Bah humbug!" Kairi and her labradoodles do their best, trying all sorts of ways to make Casper happy so he can embrace the spirit of the season.

A Little Labradoodle Christmas by April M. Cox and Kairi Fullerton is a sweet, funny, and delightful story of the season. As Kairi and her pups try to figure out a way to make Casper happy, that pesky cat is determined to dislike Christmas and everything about it. With colorful and eye-catching illustrations by Remesh Ram, A Little Labradoodle Christmas is bound to become a modern-day classic story of the season.

Rating: :) :) :) :) :)

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little Labradoodle Publishing, LLC (November 12, 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 36 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 173755707X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1737557074
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 7 years, from customers

I downloaded a digital copy from NetGalley. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Christmas Countdown: 6 Days Until Christmas

 

Christmas Short Story Collection Review: Classic Christmas Stories from Dreamscape Media

 

Do you enjoy classic Christmas stories from days gone by? Do you appreciate the works of Mark Twain, O Henry, Willa Cather, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Hans Christian Andersen, and more? Then Classic Christmas Stories by Dreamscape Media is a book to which you should listen. 

While looking for affordable and quick Christmas reads, I found Classic Christmas Stories published by Dreamscape Media, which features numerous holiday tales from well-known authors. With classical piano music playing before and after these delightful stories, various narrators read:

• "A Christmas Inspiration" by L. M. Montgomery,
• "The Gift of the Magi" by O Henry,
• "The Burglar's Christmas" by Willa Cather,
• "The Fir Tree" by Hans Christian Andersen,
• "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
• "Susie's Letter from Santa" by Mark Twain,
• "Christmas in Poganuc" by Harriet Beecher Stowe,
• "How Santa Claus Came to Simpson's Bar" by Brett Harte,
• and "Christmas at Thompson Hall" by Anthony Trollope.

The narrators did a fine job recording these stories, and many were just as charming as I remember them. Montgomery's, O Henry's, and Twain's were some of my favorites. Though I had never read/heard "Christmas at Thompson Hall" before, I had the plot figured out by the middle of the story. Mrs. Brown was especially annoying, but she is made a great character because of it. 

The reader should keep in mind the times in which these Classic Christmas Stories were written, as gender roles were specifically noted in a story or two and some words or phrases may not hold up well with our more enlightened generations. It's still nice to appreciate the storytelling abilities of these authors in their seasonal short stories. 

Authors: Anthony Trollope, Arthur Conan Doyle, Bret Harte, Hans Christian Andersen, Harriet Beecher Stowe, L. M. Montgomery, Mark Twain, O. Henry, Willa Cather

Release Date: November 20, 2012

Publisher: Dreamscape Media

Unabridged Audiobook

Highlights: Christmas

I purchased a copy of this audio book from Chirp. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Christmas Countdown: 7 Days Until Christmas

 

Christmas... in the News: Christmas Cookie Baking Frenzy, White Christmas & Christmas Luncheon for Veterans

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Christmas... in the news. This is a weekly review of some of the Christmas articles and news over the last week. 

The first thing you will notice is that this week's edition is two days late. Whoops! This time of year, a colleague and I coordinate a local Adopt A Family program, which supports three non-profit organizations dedicated to children. This year, 60 families were adopted and gifted with daily necessities and toys. Christmas... in the news being late worked out, however, because there are some neat stories from the last day or two. Let's get started.

KARE11 reported on a group of five women in Medina, Minnesota who baked close to 4,000 cookies that they donated to others. That sounds like a delicious project! Check out more details here. 

Lots of people are wondering if they will have a white Christmas this year. USA TODAY wrote this article sharing historical probabilities of a white Christmas. Are you expecting snow?

Now, for some local news from 22WWLP out of Springfield, Massachusetts. The Springfield Partners for Community Action hosted a Christmas luncheon to show their appreciation for our local veterans. They also plan to distribute coats to veterans in need. Read more here.

Starting tomorrow, the Christmas countdown is on. Have you finished your shopping yet? Come on, you can tell us.