Holiday Reads: Yes or No?

It’s weird because I’m not a Christmas person.  I know, I know, I know, okay?  But… it stresses me out and I wind up struggling to get through December.  I’ve been doing better the last couple years, but it still puts more pressure on me than I like.  So, is it any wonder I tend to avoid Christmas themed reads?

Last year, I read Better Not Pout by Annabeth Albert because it arrived in my Fresh Fiction Box Not to Miss right at the beginning of December.  I figured since I had it, why not, right?  But it was the only holiday themed book I read last year.

This year, however, I seem to be drawn to the darn things.

It started with an online book club doing a Halloween read.  That went so well that we decided on a Christmas read.  I wasn’t sure I’d be into this, but the book they picked was A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg.  And well, I loved Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe so much, I figured I’d like this one, too.  Only one chapter in so far and I’m loving it.  I’ve laughed so much I can’t believe it.

Because I was already in a sort-of Christmas mode for my reading, when I stumbled across a suggestion for Christmas Angel by Eli Easton, I figured it’s short – only 121 pages – and I like the author so why not?  Man, I loved this book.  There’s something about male/male romances set in Victorian times that make them so much more intense.  Probably because being gay during that time was not a good thing so they have to hide their affections and sneak around.  Not fun, I’m sure, but it makes for a great story.

Yesterday’s Cyber Monday sales on Amazon ignited my full-on Christmas read mode.  I love James Patterson and rarely are his books on sale.  And, when they are, the books tend to be several years old and I’ve already borrowed them from the library and devoured them.  When I discovered that his recently released novel, The 19th Christmas, was on sale for $3.99?  I had to buy it.  The Women’s Murder Club series of his is my favorite, so this was a double bonus for me (mainly because there’s a 28-week wait for it at the library.  And that’s with having put it on hold before it released in October.)

Looks like this is going to be quite a December for me.

*All links lead to Goodreads.