Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013 Finished

2013 Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge hosted by Michelle at The True Book Addict.

My goal was the Christmas Tree level: Read 5 or 6 books and the additional level of Fa La La La Films:  watch a bunch or a few Christmas movies.

I have completed this challenge as I have read 9 Christmas books. I have only seen one Christmas film and two short Christmas things.

My list of books:

1. Yule Be Mine by Charlene Teglia
2. Winter Warmers by Carole Matthews 
3. While Snowbound by Anna J. McIntyre 
4. Wish Upon A Star by Trisha Ashley  
5. Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan
6. All I Want for Christmas is You by Lisa Mondello
7. A Cowboy For Christmas by Kristen James
8. The Santa Shop by Tim Greaton
9. A little Christmas Magic by Sylvie Kurtz

My few films:

1. A Christmas Carol (Patrick Stewart)
2. Winnie the Poo: A Very Merry Poo Year
3. The Bear by Ramond Briggs

As usual I have enjoyed this challenge and I am looking forward to the next one.

A Little Christmas Magic by Sylvie Kurtz

The only way Beth Lannigen can get through the holidays is by staying too busy to cry. So she adds her new surly neighbor to her long to-do list. For Christmas, she'll make Logan Ward smile.
But Logan Ward is punishing himself. Guilt ridden over the loss of his young daughter, the ex-cop wants the cold isolation of his new dilapidated house. Hard work and sweat will see him through Christmas.
Until the brightest woman he's ever seen shows up at his door, her small son and an abandoned dog in tow.
Around mother and child, Logan discovers the hero he'd once been hailed. But Beth is wrong: life can't simply go on after losing a dear one.
Beth isn't prepared for Logan to become more than a project. She'd loved her husband with her whole heart. There's no room for another man.
Then disaster strikes, giving Beth a chance to expand her heart and Logan a few short hours to honor his daughter's memory by convincing Beth's small son that Santa hasn't forgotten him. From Goodreads.

This was a sweet and sad but happy-ending story with a lot of Christmas spirit. Just what is needed in a Christmas story. I enjoyed it and might look at more books from Sylvia Kurtz.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Quick fix Challenge(256 pages)
Meet the Protagonist Reading Challenge 2014 (mother)
2014 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (romance)
2014 Full House Reading Challenge (free)
2014 What An Animal Reading Challenge VII (dog on cover and part of story)
2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge (bought on Amazon.co.uk 9th of January 2013)
2014 Women Challenge
2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.co.uk 9th of January 2013)
CCC A-Z Authors 2014
CCC A-Z Book Titles 2014
The Challenge Factory Spell It Out - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious  (L)
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
CCC Winter Seasonal Spell Challenge 2013-2014
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge
CCC-Read your age (published 2001)
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013
Crazy Challenge Connection RaT #19

The Santa Shop by Tim Greaton

Skip Ralstat is a man so steeped in grief and despair that life seems no longer possible. After the death of his wife and child, Skip blames himself. He has given up his friends, his job, and even his home. Now, homeless, he survives on the mean streets of Albany. He knows it can't go on, that life must end. But will it?
Come join him on his most unusual road to redemption. The salvation of one life...lies along this road.
Let the healing from "The Santa Shop" begin. From Goodreads.

I enjoyed this more than I expected. Yes it is sad but it is full of the Christmas Spirit of helping each other.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
CCC Winter Spell 2013-14
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.com 8th of October 2013)
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013
CCC-Read your age
Crazy Challenge Connection RaT #19

A Cowboy For Christmas by Kristen James

When her estranged brother passes, Missy is suddenly an unwanted co-owner to Ocean View Stables by Florence, Oregon. Missy wants to start over somewhere new after her old boss burned her. She's jobless and has a wrongly ruined reputation, so this works out perfectly . . . until she meets the cowboy running the place. Brent built his dream with determination and his two hands; he's responsible for everything that happens there. Secretly, he feels responsible that his former partner died. He also doesn't hide his belief that Missy won't stick around. Women tend to take off on him so why would she be any different? They both have a past that can ruin their future. Can he trust her to stay? Can she trust him with her heart? From Goodreads.

This was an okay romance. Apart from taking part around Christmas there is no Christmas theme in it.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
CCC Winter Spell 2013-14
2013 Ebook Challenge
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 27th of December 2011)
Crazy Challenge Connection RaT #19

All I Want for Christmas is You by Lisa Mondello

Santa Claus is going to have a rough season... Lauren Alexander is raising her daughter alone. Abandoned by her family for her decision to keep her daughter Kristen, she has done a pretty good job for the last six years. Or she thought she had. That's why she is crushed when little Kristen gives up her wish for a toy or goodie and instead asks Santa for a present for her mother. But delivering Daddies isn't Santa's bag.
But this Santa has a plan...
Kyle Preston knows what it is like to be abandoned too. Luckily he found the support of loving adoptive parents and has turned himself into one of the most successful Real Estate developers in town.
Building a house is easy. Building someone's trust is a whole other story. But a little Christmas magic can make all the difference in the world. From Goodreads.




An okay read but nothing special.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
CCC Winter Spell 2013-14
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 27th of December 2011)
CCC-Read your age

Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013 Update

2013 Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge hosted by Michelle at The True Book Addict.

Friday 11/22: I finished my first Christmas book today Yule be Mine by Charlene Teglia, I might read one more this month but most of my Christmas reading will be in December.

Monday 12/23: Since my last update I have read another 4 Christmas books and watched 1 Christmas film.
Books I have read :
Winter Warmers by Carole Matthews
While Snowbound by Anna J. McIntyre
Wish Upon A Star by Trisha Ashley 
Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan

The film I watched was A Christmas Carol (Patrick Stewart) which is one of my favourite Christmas films. 

Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan

Once upon a time, Christmas was Kayla Green's favorite time of year. Now all the workaholic wants for Christmas is for it to be over—as fast as possible! So when duty calls her to snowy Vermont to close a deal with a new client, Kayla is grateful for an excuse to avoid the holidays for another year.
Jackson O'Neil left a thriving business behind to return home and salvage his family's resort—it's in his blood, and he can't let it fail. Now that he's got marketing whiz Kayla Green working with him to put Snow Crystal on the map, success is on the horizon. The fact they strike enough sparks off each other to power all the Christmas lights in Vermont is just an added bonus.
Kayla might be an expert at her job, but she's out of her depth with Jackson—he makes her crave the happy-ever-after she once dreamed of, and it's terrifying. As the snowflakes continue to swirl, will the woman who doesn't believe in the magic of Christmas finally fall under its spell? From Goodreads.

I enjoyed this book. It is a nice Christmas romance with a happy ending. I am sure I will read more by Sarah Morgan in the future.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
NBRC Stuck in a Rut
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013

Wish Upon A Star by Trisha Ashley

A wonderful warm festive treat from Sunday Times bestseller Trisha Ashley.
The perfect gift isn’t always under the tree…
Single mum Cally’s life is all about her little girl Stella. She’s resigned to the fact that the only romance she’s going to get is from the rom-coms she watches, and with her busy job and her daughter, she doesn’t have time to even think about love.
But life gets very tough when Stella gets sick. Balancing her job as a recipe writer and looking after Stella is all consuming, so when Cally meets handsome baker Jago the last thing she wants to do is fall in love, especially when she’s been badly burned by a Prince Charming from her past.
Can laid-back, charming Jago unlock Cally’s frozen heart and help her find true love and magic under the mistletoe? From Goodreads



Trisha Ashley is one of my favourite chick-lit authors. This book didn't disappoint. It felt good and cosy being back in Sticklepond where  several of her previous books take place. I like this book a lot more than Good Husband Material.
One of the things I have liked since the first Trisha Ashley book I read is the interesting side characters. This time it is Miss Honey, the 102 year old that owns the place Jago wants to buy.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013

While Snowbound by Anna J. McIntyre

Snowbound with the famous rocker might be her best friend’s fantasy, but it isn’t Ella’s. Nor is she impressed with the fact Brady Gates was voted sexiest man of the year – twice. Ella was looking forward to the isolation of her mountain cabin and the peace and quiet she needs to finish writing her book. Rescuing the careless celebrity in the midst of a blizzard and taking him to the safety of her remote cabin was not how she intended to spend her time on the mountain.
Weary of lovestruck fans climbing into his bed uninvited and the ever present paparazzi, Brady Gates had planned to take an incognito break from his hectic life and spend several weeks alone at a remote mountain cabin.
Finding himself stranded in a blizzard doesn’t bother him half as much as the fact the one woman he wants is the one woman who is the least interested in him. From Goodreads.



This was an okay romance and I like the idea of being snowbound in a cabin.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.com 4th of November 2013)
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013

Winter Warmers by Carole Matthews

Three short stories from the wonderfully warm Carole Matthews: Winter Warmers - a gift for you.
All I Want for Christmas is You
Christmas is around the corner but Maria just can't get into the spirit - will she ever find Mr Right? But when a secret admirer starts leaving her poems and notes, it looks as though her luck is about to change . . .
Cold Turkey
Tara is in love with a man she can't have. She expected to spend Christmas with him but when the big day arrives, she finds herself alone. Sad and upset, Tara just wants to ignore the festive season - and then a chance encounter changes everything.
About Gardening
I love my husband Sam but our relationship isn't what it used to be. Can I find a way to bring us back together?
Treat yourself to this heart-warming collection - it's perfect for warming up those winter nights. From Goodreads.


I like the first story All I want for Christmas is You. It just went downhill from there and I really don't get the last one. It started and it stopped, there was no story. It didn't help that I thought it was going to be 192 pages and it turned out to be a measly 48! The best thing I can say about Winter Warmers is that it was free - still can't recommend it though.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 9th of November 2012)
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013

Yule Be Mine by Charlene Teglia

Bah, humbug! Jordan Christian has had it with holiday hoopla. The usual three-ring family circus and the unwanted sympathy for her single status lead to even more unwanted would-be suitors as her relatives can't seem to stop fixing her up with Mr. Never In A Million Years. This year, the wily bachelorette will outwit her overly interested family. With the aid of a singles' ad, Jordan plans to snare a stand-in man. In return, she'll stand by her man to fend off his relatives. For once, the holiday season will be a time of peace on earth and good will towards man. Especially the man who will save her sanity! Jordan knows he's got to be out there, and he needs her help as badly as she needs his. Luke Foster is dreading another Christmas in Vermont. The annual clan gathering overflows with bothersome questions. Like, "When are you going to settle down?" When he sees Jordan's ad, he thinks it's a lifeline. She'll fend off his family, and he'll shield her from hers. It's the perfect solution. Until Jordan and Luke meet and find more than they were bargaining for.  From Goodreads.

Usually I just like romance books but this became enjoyable because of all the humour in it. I was giggling away several times in this book. A quick, fun read.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 A-Z Reading Challenge
2013 Christmas Spirit Read-a-Thon
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013

Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013

2013 Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge hosted by Michelle at The True Book Addict.

Details and sign up:

• challenge will run from Friday, November 22, 2013 through Monday, January 6, 2014 (Twelfth Night or Epiphany).
• cross over with other challenges is totally permitted AND encouraged!
• These must be Christmas novels, books about Christmas lore, a book of Christmas short stories or poems, books about Christmas crafts, and for the first time...a children's Christmas books level!
• Levels:

            --Candy Cane:  read 1 book
            --Mistletoe:  read 2-4 books
            --Christmas Tree:  read 5 or 6 books (this is the fanatic level...LOL!)
          Additional levels:
            --Fa La La La Films:  watch a bunch or a few Christmas movies...it's up to you!
            --Visions of Sugar Plums:  read books with your children this season and share what you read
          *the additional levels are optional, you still must complete one of the main reading levels above

• New this year! It's the Christmas Spirit Read-a-Thon to kick us off the weekend of Friday, November 22 through Sunday, November 24! Details and sign-up for the read-a-thon are over at my read-a-thon blog, Seasons of Reading, HERE.
• the most important rule?  Have fun!!!

This is my third time taking part in this Christmas Challenge. When I took part the first time in 2011 it was one of the first reading challenges  that I ever took part in.

As usual I will  do the Christmas Tree level: Read 5 or 6 books and the additional level of Fa La La La Films:  watch a bunch or a few Christmas movies.

I have a very long list of books of which a lot are free books and some are quite short. I will not read them all but I like to have a choice. I haven't decided on the films yet.

List of books:

1. Yule be Mine by Charlene Teglia 
2. Unexpected gifts by Elena Aitken 
3. Wish Upon A Star by Trisha Ashley 
4. Stories for Christmas by various 
5. All I Want For Christmas is You by Lisa Mondello
6. Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan 
7. While Snowbound by Anna J. McIntyre 
8. The Santa Shop by Tim Greaton 
9. Claus: Legend of the Fat Manby Tony Bertauski 
10. A Vision of Sugarplums by Jennifer Blake 
11. Fairytale of New York by Miranda Dickinson 
12. Tinseltown by Victoria Fox 
13. Coming Home for Christmas by Jenny Hale 
14. A Cowboy for Christmas by Kristen James  
15. Winter Warmers by Carole Matthews 
16. Last Christmas by Julia Williams 
17. saving christmas by Clare Revell 
18. Six Geese A- Laying by Sophie Kinsella 
19. A Little Christmas Magic by Sylvia Kurtz 
20. Let it Snow by various by Red Tash and others
21. Perfect by Autumn Jordon