Keeping my spirits up for the Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge!

While Thanksgiving is nearly a week away, it doesn’t hurt to make some winter holiday plans right about now and mine involve the Seasons of Reading’s Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge & Readathon , starting November 25th.

This event is being held at two of Michelle Miller’s websites, Seasons of Reading and Yuletide Spirit with the option of participating in both. I suppose that I’m doing a bit of each as my TBR is all Christmas themed books. One happens to be a brand new release while the other two are rereads yet all three of them are connected by more than just the holiday season…

One of the recent review copies sent to me by Harper Collins is a literary duet between authors Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, Christmas with the Queen begins in England of 1952 as Elizabeth II is reviving the tradition of an annual Christmas Day address to the nation.

This radio broadcast event brings together a pair of old friends: Olive, an ambitious young reporter eager to cover this story and Jack, a new cook in the royal kitchens. Both of them were separated by the past war and happy to see each other again, despite the drastic changes to their lives in this peacetime era.

Over the next five years, Olive and Jack manage to meet up at Christmas for the Queen’s address yet never quite make that ultimate connection of the heart that they are both longing to. However, in 1957, as the Queen is about to make her first televised Christmas Day appearance, something may change for more than just her Majesty this holiday season..

I do enjoy historical fiction, especially when it comes to the Brits , and this timely tale of love and facing change sounds perfect for this season. The novel is due out on November 19 and can be a nice early gift from Father Christmas indeed:

For something a little more modern day, I chose Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory.

When Vivian Forest decides to join her daughter Maddie on her work trip to England, she never expected to find a bit of romance under the mistletoe for herself.

As Maddie prepares to create the perfect bridal outfit for a member of the royal family, Vivian is unprepared for the charms of Malcolm Hudson, Queen’s private secretary. The two of them are quite well suited together as a serving of tea and crumpets yet is this the beginning of a long term relationship or simply a brief affair of the heart?

I fondly recall just how charming this book was when I received it as a Secret Santa gift and getting to revisit this lovely story is a pleasure to experience yet again as a gift to myself:

Finally, for some Jane Austen joy, my choice was Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron, the eleventh entry in her Jane Austen Mystery series.

Jane and her sister Cassandra are planning to spend a rather dull holiday with their brother James and his constantly complaining wife when an invitation to the country estate of some old family friends is a welcome surprise to be sure.

While mingling with the other house guests, Jane makes the equally welcome acquaintance of Raphael West, son of a renowned artist who possesses some of his father’s talents for drawing, not to mention a keen eye for details.

Those skills will come in handy as the sudden arrival of a military messenger swiftly leads to murder and possible espionage. In  great need of a proper partner in her investigation, Jane is happy to have Raphael’s assistance but can their mutual holiday be saved as well?

Barron’s Jane Austen Mysteries have come to an end recently (hope to read that last book soon!) but it is good to take them up again just as much as it is to engage with one of Jane’s wonderful works when the mood strikes. 

Emma is the only Austen novel that I. An think of that really has a Christmas scene but I do wonder how well Miss Woodhouse would do with such a deadly mystery on her hands there:

The Yuletide Reading Challenge and Readathon both begin on November 25 and end on December 31, giving you plenty of time for some fine holiday reading. Sign ups are available here , along with more details on each event, plus a holiday bingo card!

I have to admit that given the current state of the world these days, I was reluctant to get into the holiday spirit. However, making myself miserable is no fun for anyone and since I have the unexpected blessing of a new Christmas themed book(that doesn’t interfere with my No-Buy November pledge) and seeing a couple of other titles on my shelves that would go great with it, it just feels meant to be, so to speak.

So, thank you to Michelle Miller for keeping our spirits bright enough to read by this year! It just goes to show that no matter how awful the world can be, there’s something this time of year that sparks a little joy here and there. Also, do love an English style Christmas, especially one with a sense of good humor: