Holiday Fiction

Peggy, the library's new fiction selector, put together a list of Christmas mysteries and novels to enjoy. Here are some brand new holiday books the library has or will have soon.

Shrouds of Holly, a Pennyfoot Hotel mystery by Kate Kingsbury

In Kingsbury's charming third holiday-themed Pennyfoot Hotel mystery (after 2006's Slay Bells), hotel proprietor Cecily Sinclair Baxter is supervising the final details of the decorations in the ballroom while her husband and the stable master head into the woods to gather holly. All too quickly, the horse-and-carriage return driverless, bearing only the corpse of a stranger. Frantic and dissatisfied with the Badger's End constabulary, Cecily takes it upon herself to find the missing men and identify a murderer. The Edwardian England setting ... in this fast-paced cozy will provide warm holiday entertainment for Kingsbury's many fans. (Publishers Weekly)

Christmas Beginning, a novel (mystery) by Anne Perry

Best-selling mystery author Perry continues her yearly Christmas offering (e.g., A Christmas Secret), this time featuring a character from her William Monk series, Superintendent Runcorn. Investigating the murder of a young woman, Runcorn finds himself distracted by the unlikely attentions of a former love interest. (Library Journal)

The Christmas Promise by Donna Van Liere

From the author of the "New York Times" bestseller "The Christmas Shoes" comes the next inspiring novel in her Christmas Hope series: a deeply moving story about second chances and the power of love. (Book Summary) Also, The Christmas Hope.

The Gift by Richard Paul Evans

Evan's latest Christmas offering (after The Christmas Box and Finding Noel) is the story of Nathan Hurst, a man with a troubled family past. Nathan, who has Tourette's syndrome, travels across the country as a detective for a retail chain. While stranded at the airport just before Thanksgiving, he invites a stranger, Addison, and her two children to share his hotel suite until a storm passes. Nathan finds himself falling for Addison and mysteriously cured of his syndrome by her son's touch. Evans's inspirational titles are perennial best sellers. (Library Journal)

Santa Cruise, a holiday mystery at sea by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark

At the start of the lighthearted fourth yuletide mystery from the bestselling mother-daughter Clarks (after 2004's The Christmas Thief), Randolph Weed, "self-styled commodore," launches his newly refurbished boat, the Royal Mermaid, from Miami with a "Santa Cruise" to raise money for charity and reward 400 "Do-Gooders of the Year." Meanwhile, Weed's greedy nephew, Eric Manchester, has made a secret $2 million deal with escaped felons Bull's-Eye Tony Pinto and Barron Highbridge to keep them hidden aboard the Royal Mermaid until it reaches Fishbowl Island, where they can make trouble out of federal jurisdiction. Fortunately, there are plenty of Do-Gooders to foil the bad guys, notably the mystery mavens of the Oklahoma Readers and Writers group and sleuthing philanthropist Alvirah Meehan. Full of mystery-lite cheer ... (Publishers Weekly)

A Christmas Visitor, a Cape Light novel by Thomas Kinkade

[Yes, that Thomas Kinkade, the artist!] Christmas comes again to the little town of Cape Light and the spirit of the season gives its residents hope and happiness. (Book Summary)

And. finally, here's a book with has at least one story dealing with other, equally interesting traditions at this time of year:

Mystery Midrash, an anthology of Jewish mystery and detective fiction edited by Lawrence W. Raphael

"This is not `Christmas in the country', Mother," I snapped, too sharply. That "old flame" had hurt. "Russo's just an old friend now, and he asked me to do him this favor. It's a huge family wedding, his mother can't make it, and somebody's got to represent Mike's side of the family. (Excerpt from first story.)

Raphael serves up a feast of well-chosen tastes and textures in this collection of 13 original stories by well-known authors whose characters span the spectrum of American Jewish experience, from secular to orthodox. (Publishers Weekly)

Quirky Christmas Books

It's the holiday season. Time for cheer and warmth. And you know you can borrow all sorts of wonderful, cozy holiday books by just entering subjects in the catalog like Christmas, Christmas -Cookery, Christmas - Decorations, even Christmas -Fiction. Or maybe Hannakuh, Hannakuh - Fiction, or Kwanzaa, and even Kwanzaa - Fiction.

But suppose you want to curl up with a hot chocolate and read something quirky for Christmas? Here’s a few unusual holiday titles you might not have realized are also here in the library:

The physics of Christmas : from the aerodynamics of reindeer to the thermodynamics of turkey by Roger Highfield.

"Roger Highfield, science editor of London's Daily Telegraph and co-author of the highly acclaimed The Arrow of Time, has taken a long-overdue look at our most cherished holiday from the rigorous (but highly entertaining) viewpoint of a scientist." (Book summary)

An idiot girl's Christmas : true tales from the top of the naughty list by Laurie Notaro.

"Humorist Notaro takes on the standard fare of holiday horrors in this slim volume of essays, rejuvenating well-worn territory with gonzo humor and a few touches of sentiment. Notaro proffers up an ironic gift list." (Publishers Weekly)

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

"Holidays on Ice collects six of David Sedaris's most profound Christmas stories into one slender volume perfect for use as an emergency coaster or ice scraper. This drinking man's companion can be enjoyed by the warmth of a raging fire, in the glow of a brilliantly decorated tree, or even in the backseat of a van or police car. It should be read with your eyes, felt with your heart, and heard only when spoken to. It should, in short, behave much like a book. And oh, what a book it is!" (Book summary)

Christmas letters from hell : all the news we hate from the people we love by Michael Lent.

"This hilarious collection spoofs the obnoxious and ridiculous newsletters and cards that people send each Christmas telling of everything from family escapades to intimate details that should never be shared--especially during the holidays." (Book summary)

The Haunted tea-cosy : a dispirited and distasteful diversion for Christmas by Edward Gorey.

"In his Preface to "A Christmas Carol", Charles Dickens wrote that he tried "to raise the Ghost of an Idea" with readers and trusted that it would "haunt their house pleasantly". In December 1997, 154 Christmases later, the "New York Times Magazine" asked its own Edward Gorey to refurbish this enduring morality tale." (Book summary)

But you can still get back into a warm mood with a touch of both quirk and humor with this one:

Christmas at The New Yorker : stories, poems, humor, and art from the editors of The New Yorker ; foreword by John Updike.

"Vladimir Nabokov, John Cheever, E.B. White, and Alice Munro are just a sampling of the many impressive authors who have contributed holiday writing to The New Yorker over the past 75 years, and they are well represented in this collection of holiday stories, poems, and humor. Organized into eight sections covering topics like family matters, Christmas carols, and the spirit of giving, the diverse pieces range from Nabokov's "Christmas" to Garrison Keillor's "A Christmas Story" and reflect the various moods indicative of the season." (Book summary)