How to Add A Photo Sticker To A Snow Globe On Your Phone or Tablet

Save a globe  picture 

Open your photo gallery on your phone 

Find the photo you want to put into the globe

Hold down on the photo 

  click save as a sticker 

Once saved go to the globe photo open it and click edit 

Add sticker

  On iPhone:  find the icon that looks like a pen 🖊️ click it and find the plus sign choose add sticker pick the sticker  and add it to the globe photo.

  On Android: after clicking the pencil to edit the image, find the icon at the bottom with a square face and a pencil.  Once you click on that you will see the option to add stickers.  I had to swipe left to see the newest stickers I had created.

See more in the facebook post found here:

https://www.facebook.com/fieldsofheathercrafts/posts/617617450823299

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The Christmas Index - Where To Find Free Christmas SVGS By Theme, Christmas Tutorials, Christmas Project Ideas, and More!

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-christmas-index.html

Believe - Free Bundle Of SVGS

 

Believe SVGS

Years back someone online was charging an outrageous amount for svgs that were simply the word "Believe" in fancy fonts.   This was long before I had my own group or page, but I quickly made these svgs, using commercial use fonts, to show members of another group how easy it was to do this themselves - and that [at that time]  buying the font was MUCH cheaper than the svg.  

This year I'm working on a massive clear out of my stored files, and I came across these old svgs.  I bundled them all together in one file that you can download at the bottom of this post.

These days, there are so many FREE commercial use fonts, you don't even have to buy a font!

You will, in most cases, need to learn how to use a character map, however, to add all of the extra swirls and extras, known as glyphs.  Here's a step by step if you want to learn that.

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2019/02/how-to-find-use-glyphs-in-fonts.html

But if you just want to download the above Believe svgs, you can do that here:

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Download all of these svgs in one zip file
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Because of the way I merged these all into one upload, when you upload them, it will be a mess.

Simply click on the ungroup button, circled in red above, and then you can drag each svg to the side.  

I used the Santa Believe on our tree skirt.  Read more about how I made that, here:

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-truckenmillers-believe-christmas.html

How To Watch The Christmas Classics In 2023

Where To Watch The Christmas Classics

In 2023, I found the Classic Christmas TV shows - including Frosty [and the other Bass & Rankin animated specials] , Garfields Christmas, Smurfs Christmas, even Charlie Brown's Christmas, all on the ReDiscover Channel.  Unfortunately, it's a very awkward app on the Firestick - but it appears to be commercial free.

Here's how I got it to work for us:

The Nail Clipper Collection Story

Why I Have A Nail Clipper Collection Hanging In My Hallway

[The Short version - I once made a mistake, and my children have spent more than a decade laughing at this mistake.]

Make Your Own Hallmark Christmas Movie Bingo

Hallmark has "official" cards you can print from their site, but while it is really pretty, their selections didn't really work for us.

Download and print the Hallmark version here:

https://ideas.hallmark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/DOWNLOAD-Hallmark-Christmas-Movie-Bingo.pdf

 

We made our own, using a free bingo card generator.  Find the generator here:

https://myfreebingocards.com/bingo-card-generator

This is quick and easy to use, and completely free! Enter your own text, and the generator will randomize it so that each bingo card is different.

 Once completed, there are two options - a virtual option, where you can send links to your friends for them to print their own cards at home, or a downloadable pdf file, which includes 30 versions of your card.

After you click "next step", choose "print all" at the top to get your pdf file

Here are the options we added:

The Dress Is Red

Christmas Not At Home

Orphan

Hot Cocoa

Decorating The Tree

It's Snowing!

I need that outfit

Holiday Inspired Name

A Christmas Market

"Career" that would never make money in real life

Holds Mug In Two Hands

Festive Sweater sighting

Making Cookies

The Misunderstanding

Oh Hey - Mistletoe

Career Comes First

A Christmas Tree Lot

Advice From The Wise Elder

Town Event In Jeopardy

Klutzy Scene

Cue The Singing

A Competition

A Quirky Grandparent

Christmas Eve Deadline

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20 Christmas Reads Recommended by Historical Fiction Readers

A List Of Christmas Themed Books,  recommended by members of the Historical Fiction Book-lovers Group on Facebook.

Mr Dickens And His Carol by Samantha Silva

I read this last year, and really enjoyed it!

“A charming, comic, and ultimately poignant story about the creation of the most famous Christmas tale ever written. It’s as foggy and haunted and redemptive as the original; it’s all heart, and I read it in a couple of ebullient, Christmassy gulps.” ―Anthony Doerr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of All The Light We Cannot See

Hiddensense - A Tale Of The Once & Future Nutcracker, by Gregory Maguire
"Gregory Maguire returns with an inventive novel inspired by a timeless holiday legend, intertwining the story of the famous Nutcracker with the life of the mysterious toy maker named Drosselmeier who carves him."

A Quilt For Christmas - Sandra Dallas
"In Sandra Dallas' novel A Quilt for Christmas, it is 1864 and Eliza Spooner's husband Will has joined the Kansas volunteers to fight the Confederates, leaving her with their two children and in charge of their home and land. Eliza is confident that he will return home, and she helps pass the months making a special quilt to keep Will warm during his winter in the army. When the unthinkable happens, she takes in a woman and child who have been left alone and made vulnerable by the war, and she finds solace and camaraderie amongst the women of her quilting group. And when she is asked to help hide an escaped slave, she must decide for herself what is right, and who can she can count on to help her."

The Autobiography Of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn
"An enchanting holiday treasure, The Autobiography of Santa Claus combines solid historical fact with legend to deliver the definitive story of Santa Claus. And who better to lead us through seventeen centuries of Christmas magic than good ol’ Saint Nick himself? Families will delight in each chapter of this new Christmas classic—one per each cold December night leading up to Christmas!"

Winter solstice by Rosamund Pilcher

Five very different people come together for Christmas in Scotland after World War II

The Immortal Nicholas - Glen Beck
"A novel full of drama, history, legend, and heart. From the snowy mountains of Western Asia, to the deserts of Egypt, to Yemen’s elusive frankincense-bearing boswellia trees, this is an epic tale that gives the legend of Santa a long overdue Christ-centered mission."


Last Christmas In Paris By Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb
"Christmas 1968. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris—a cherished packet of letters in hand—determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one final letter is waiting for him…"

Jacob T. Marley - By R. William Bennett
"Being called a new classic, Jacob T. Marley is to A Christmas Carol as the world-famous Wicked is to The Wizard of Oz. Written with a voice reminiscent of Dickens, this masterfully crafted story speaks of greed, redemption, love, and sacrifice. Jacob T. Marley has become a companion classic for Dickens fans around the world."

Christmas Once Again by Jina Bacaar
'A delightful holiday romance that has all the charm of a classic Christmas movie. Christmas Once Again is perfect for anyone who loves a holiday romance brimming with mistletoe, hope, and what ifs.' Andie Newton, author of The Girl I Left Behind

The First Christmas Of The War By Alan Simon
The first book in a trilogy about the Coleman Family of Pittsburgh, during the war.
"The Great Depression years finally behind them, the entire Coleman family of Pittsburgh has been looking forward to this Christmas for almost the entire year. For the first time in more than a decade, Gerald and Irene Coleman have tucked away enough extra money to make up for all the lean years of disappointingly modest Christmas gifts for their children. But December 7, 1941 has changed everything, and for the past two weeks the entire family has followed with despair the Japanese advances all over the Pacific as well as America finally being dragged into the two-year old European war. Though a few glimmers of hope can be found amidst the ominous war news, both parents fear not only for the country’s fate as this new war begins but also, more personally, for the fate of their sons who will likely soon be joining the fighting in one war theater or another."

The Handmaid & The Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg
This wonderful novel transports us to Nazareth in biblical times, where we meet Mary and Joseph–and understand them as never before: young, in love, and suddenly faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Aided by a great and abiding love, they endure challenges to their relationship as well as threats to their lives as they come to terms with the mysterious circumstances surrounding the birth of their child, Jesus. For Mary, the pregnancy is a divine miracle and a privilege. For Joseph, it is an ongoing test of his faith–in his wife as well as in his God. Exquisitely written and imbued with emotional truth and richness of detail, The Handmaid and the Carpenter explores lives touched profoundly by miracles large and small."

The Christmas Spirits On Tradd Street by Karen White
"Melanie Trenholm should be anticipating Christmas with nothing but joy--after all, it's the first Christmas she and her husband, Jack, will celebrate with their twin babies. But the ongoing excavation of the centuries-old cistern in the garden of her historic Tradd Street home has been a huge millstone, both financially and aesthetically. Local students are thrilled by the possibility of unearthing more Colonial-era artifacts at the cistern, but Melanie is concerned by the ghosts connected to the cistern that have suddenly invaded her life and her house--and at least one of them is definitely not filled with holiday cheer...."

One Last Christmas Carol by T.J. Cloonan
"Ebenezer Scrooge has become a frail, old man, but he remains an extremely generous businessman and good friend to all as a result of his life-altering encounter with the Christmas Spirits eighteen years earlier. Fred Walker (Scrooge's gregarious nephew and partner) is raising his lovely young family in the city of London. Tim Cratchit (Scrooge's meek, but intelligent clerk) is secretly falling in love with an enchanting, young woman named Sarah, whose past is quite mysterious. All seems to be idyllic in the Victorian lives of the three gentlemen and the young woman... but all is not as it seems. A suspicious string of horrendous crimes thrusts these heroes down unexpected paths that intertwine to create a gem of an adventure with many twists and turns. "

The Christmas Boutique - Jennifer  Chiaverini
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini returns with a delightful Christmas-themed installment in her beloved Elm Creek Quilts series—a captivating, heartwarming tale sure to become a holiday favorite.

A Christmas With The Dodger - Charleton Daines

Charlton Daines brings Dickens character The Artful Dodger (from Oliver Twist) back to life for a Christmas in 1899.

"Come share a Victorian Christmas with the Artful Dodger! Christmas 1899 is approaching and Reg Dawkins, adopted son of the infamous Artful Dodger, is facing a lifetime dilemma. The Turn of the Century is a time of new beginnings and Reg is caught between nostalgia for his misspent youth and the desire to please his adopted mother, Lily, by becoming a successful but honest man. It takes a thief to catch a thief and Reg is hurled into one situation after another where he has to choose which side he is on. A chance encounter with an old friend takes him back into the criminal society that he thought he had escaped, but it isn't as simple as making a choice of his own path, because the old friend is also his adopted mother's lost sister. With the dawn of a new century before him and dangerous villains chasing behind, Reg goes to the one person he can trust for advice. . . Jack Dawkins, The Artful Dodger himself."

Christmas Novels by Historical Fiction Author Anne Perry

Anne Perry has several Christmas novels.  Her newest is A Christmas Gathering - "A cold case adds an extra chill to the holiday season as bestselling author Anne Perry whisks readers to an elegant home in the English countryside for a Christmas of secrets, soul-searching, and forgiveness."

How Far To Bethlehem by Norah Lofts

"How Far to Bethlehem" tells a very familiar story, but from some very unfamiliar perspectives: we get the backstories and viewpoints of Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Balthazar, Melchior, Gaspar, and a little about Herod, Barabbas, a random shepherd, and the innkeeper at Bethlehem. If all this sounds like a muddled mess, believe me, it isn't. It's a lovely story, and it is enthralling from the first page.

More Christmas Read Suggestions:

Small Change - The Secret Life Of Penny Burford by J. Belinda Yadell
"People who lead secret lives can be fascinating, but when Penny Burford's secret life is revealed, it is not only fascinating but a joy and a discovery that will enrich the life of each person who reads this wonderful book." --Earl Hamner, creator of "The Waltons ""Small Change is a little book with a great big heart, the story of a woman who has something important to say to us all. I want to read it aloud to my family at Christmas. Maybe every Christmas." --Linda Ellerbee

Red Bird by Fannie Flag

This was recommended on a Historical Fiction List I am on, but I am not sure what would make this Historical Fiction - I haven't read it yet.  
"Deep in the southernmost part of Alabama, along the banks of a lazy winding river, lies the sleepy little community known as Lost River, a place that time itself seems to have forgotten. After a startling diagnosis from his doctor, Oswald T. Campbell leaves behind the cold and damp of the oncoming Chicago winter to spend what he believes will be his last Christmas in the warm and welcoming town of Lost River. There he meets the postman who delivers mail by boat, the store owner who nurses a broken heart, the ladies of the Mystic Order of the Royal Polka Dots Secret Society, who do clandestine good works. And he meets a little redbird named Jack, who is at the center of this tale of a magical Christmas when something so amazing happened that those who witnessed it have never forgotten it. Once you experience the wonder, you too will never forget A Redbird Christmas."

The Christmas Pearl by Dorthea Benton Frank

Still spry at ninety-three, Theodora has lived long enough to see her family grow into an insufferable bunch of truculent knuckleheads. Having finally gathered the whole bickering brood together for the holidays at her South Carolina home, the grand matriarch pines wistfully for those extravagant, homey Christmases of her childhood. How she misses the tables groaning with home-cooked goodies, the over-the-top decorations, those long, lovely fireside chats with Pearl, her grandmother's beloved housekeeper and closest confidante. These days, where is the love and the joy . . . and the peace?

But this is, after all, a magical time. Someone very special has heard Theodora's plea—and is about to arrive at her door with pockets full of Gullah magic and enough common sense to transform this Christmas into the miracle it's truly meant to be.

==========================

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Find more book reviews and lists here:
https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/reading.html

Resources For Black Friday Shopping

Where to see the sales flyers weeks in advance, which apps to use, and more tips, for Black Friday Shopping.

Black Friday Sale Ads

There are a variety of websites and apps that allow you to browse the Black Friday sales weeks in advance.  Most of the sites have a search feature, allowing you to search for a specific item and compare the sales all stores are running on that item.  

• https://www.dealsplus.com/blackfriday
• https://blackfriday.com/
• https://bestblackfriday.com/

Black Friday Apps

Be sure to download the apps for your favorite stores ahead of time, make sure you are logged in, and that any loyalty cards are added.  

More Apps For Shopping Coupons & Fliers:

• Ibotta - Earn Cash Back On Purchases by linking your loyalty cards and scanning receipts. Simple to use, this is the most popular shopping rewards app among my friends.
• The Coupons App - An app of coupons.  Add your favorite stores, and especially fast food restaurants, and it shows the cheapest gas prices in your area too.  This app has a great amount of information, but it's a bit of a pain to set up and customize, and it has pop up ads, unless you are willing to pay 99 cents a month to subscribe.
• Shopular is similar to the Coupons App above, but without the pop up ads, and it is easier to set up your favorite stores.  However, it lacks the gas price option, and the format the coupons are shown in is a bit more cluttered - it seems to be geared more towards online shopping, with bonuses for visiting websites and making purchases through the app.

Black Friday Tips

• Purchase discounted gift cards at places like Sams Club & use those to shop for your deals.
• Use websites like https://www.dealsplus.com/blackfriday to compare the best Black Friday Deals on items you are shopping for

Clarks Condensed has a list of 23 ways to get the most out of Black Friday.  Most are pretty common sense tips, but one you may not know is to shop on Wednesday.  Know the Friday sales, and stop in on Wednesday - many times the sales actually start early, and you can avoid the crowds completely!  https://clark.com/shopping-retail/secret-black-friday-shopping-tips-revealed/

Local Black Friday Info:

• Lycoming Valley Mall Black Friday Hours - Mall opens 6am, Dick's Sporting Goods & Old Navy open 5am
• Ficks Hardware in Watsontown does 50% off gift certificates on Black Friday!  (And Santa will be there from 2-4pm) https://www.facebook.com/FicksHardware/posts/2794015590608958

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My Favorite Christmas Reads

My Favorite Christmas Reads

Through The Decades

I've blogged sporadically over the years about my favorite books - in 2025 I hope to better organize those posts, and clean up some of the older ones.  This is my attempt to "consolidate" my Christmas Reads posts.  As with everything, it's a work in progress!

My reading taste leans towards mostly mysteries, police procedurals, some thrillers.  Character development is more important to me than I would have realized on my own - but my daughter was an English major, and she points these things out.  :-)  I also love to learn - so historical fiction, non fiction and memoirs often fill my to read piles.  Romance is probably my least favorite genre.  At Christmas time I am more likely to pick up "fluff" - usually in the form of cozy mysteries.

===================

MY ALL TIME FAVORITES

The ones I recommend to everyone

(On down below I have more lists, by themes)

Mr. Dickens & His Carol By Silva.  Historical Fiction "that reimagines the story behind Charles Dickens' Christmas classic"	Midwinter Murder  A collection of short stories by Agatha Christie	Donna Andrews - all of the Christmas versions.  Light, and fun, borderline ridiculous, always a favorite for me.
Christmas Bells by Chiaverini is well done historical fiction about the history behind Longfellow's Poem of the same name.	The Most Wonderful Crime Of The year by Ally Carter.  A Romcom mystery that I enjoyed so much more than I would have expected, in 2024	These are short reads.  SMART cozies, not silly, but oh so humorous.  The perfect audio books for our short Christmas road trips - my husband and I loved these.

The New Hercule Poirot Series By Sophie Hannah Silent Night	Benjamin Stevenson has become of of my new favorite "light" mystery authors.  I've thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series - including the Christmas read.	The Ghost Of Christmas Past by Rhys Bowen is a Historical Fiction Cozy Mystery.  We listened to this one as an audiobook on a family road trip one Christmas - we all enjoyed it
Swamp Santa  Book 16 in the Miss Fortune Series.  Laugh out loud, ridiculous but in a super fun way. I read every book in this series as fast as I can get my hands on them.

========================

Series Christmas

Many of these  are books that I first read at Christmas time, then found I liked enough to want to read the rest of the series.  Cozy Mysteries, for the most part.

These are short reads.  SMART cozies, not silly, but oh so humorous.  The perfect audio books for our short Christmas road trips - my husband and I loved these.	My daughter and I both love the Donna Andrews series.  We spot the anomalies, the errors, the ridiculousness of some of the stories..  and we keep reading because we love the characters and they are fun.	Benjamin Stevenson has become of of my new favorite "light" mystery authors.  I've thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series - including the Christmas read.
Christmas On Ladybug Farm Light & Sweet - not a mystery I loved this entire series	When Christmas Comes by Andrew Klavan	41.5 in the Spencer series. The only one I have ever read, but I REALLY liked it, and should add the series to my to read list...

The New Hercule Poirot Series By Sophie Hannah	Rest You Merry Charlotte MacLeod I can't say I remember reading this, but apparently I gave it 5 stars on goodreads at the time...  I did not yet read the rest of the series.	Rhys Bowen Royal Spyness & Molly Murphy Sereis both have Christmas books - I enjoy both series.  Light mysteries.
Swamp Santa  Book 16 in the Miss Fortune Series.  Laugh out loud, ridiculous but in a super fun way. I read every book in this series as fast as I can get my hands on them.

On My To Read List

 Lord Edgington Investigates Series by Benedict Brown

Mordecai Tremaine series by Francis Duncan

Bibliophile Mysteries by Kate Carlisle

The Christmas Boutique by Jennifer Chiaverini

Not For Me:

The Camile Devine Series by Andrea Hicks has a lot of Christmas themed books in it.  I read the first one, it wasn't terrible, but I don't feel the need to try the others.

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Christmas Classics

Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien	A kidnapped Santa Claus By L. Frank Baum Free Ebook Here	Jacob T. Marley by Bennet is probably not truly a classic - but it expands on a classic...  so well so that it almost fees like historical fiction.

On My To Read List:

Marley by Jon Clinch

Old Christmas by Washington Irving

 Charles Dickens - A Christmas Tree; What Christmas is as we Grow Older; The Poor Relation's Story; The Child's Story; The Schoolboy's Story; Nobody's Story.

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Christmas Historical Fiction That I Enjoyed

Mr. Dickens & His Carol By Silva.  Historical Fiction "that reimagines the story behind Charles Dickens' Christmas classic"		Christmas Bells by Chiaverini is well done historical fiction about the history behind Longfellow's Poem of the same name.

Note - Fannie Flagg's Redbird Christmas comes up as the most recommended Christmas read in almost all of my book circles.  I think I tried it one year and just couldn't get into it - but so much of my reading is dependent on my mood - I may try it again.

m

Here's a List Of 20 Christmas Reads

Suggested by Historical Fiction Readers

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2019/11/20-christmas-reads-recommended-by.html

On My To Read List

Christmas With The Queen by Hazel Gaynor

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (typically if a book has an Oprah's bookclub sticker on it, I will not touch it - Oprah and I have extremely divergent taste in books.  However, this one was also recommended by someone whom usually recommends good books...)

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Christmas Crime - Light Mysteries

(Fun, but not too over the top ridiculous)

Cozy Christmas/Funny Romcom.  My favorite Christmas read of 2024.	Murder After Christmas By Rupert Latimer Classic Mystery

On My To Read List:

Murder On A Winter Afternoon by Betty Rowlands

==========================

Christmas Crime - Dark Christmas

Stories that were not exactly holly & jolly, but that I still enjoyed

		This is an entire series - all winter/snow...  I read the first one and it was good.  Not great, but good.

On my to read list:

Her Last Christmas by Claire McGowan 

=======================

Christmas Crime

Cozies bordering on Ridiculous

I suppose these are my guilty pleasures.  :-)

Christmas Tree Farm Series By Jacqueline Frost Never going to make my favorites list, but good enough that I keep reading the series	Murder In The Manger by Debbie Young Book 3 in the Sophie Sayers series - the only book I've read in this series.

On My To Read List

A Year Round Christmas Mystery Series by Vicki Delaney

==========================

Christmas Spirit - 

Light and Sweet (could possibly inspire a Hallmark Movie)

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci	The Christmas Pig  by J.K. Rowling

Haven't Yet Read, But Looked Interesting:

Jennie Colgan has at least a couple of book themed cozy (no mystery) Christmas Reads

The Journey of Joseph Winter: A Christmas Fairy Tale by  John Anthony

The Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke

===================

Factual Christmas 

Non Fiction & Memoirs

The Man Who Invented Christmas by Standiford I read this a LONG time ago - and mostly I remember that it was short, and not as good as Dickens & His Carol by Silva.  But I'm pretty sure I still enjoyed this..	Bill Bryson's Secret History Of Christmas - I listened to this one, and I remember it being light, fun, and interesting.

On my to read list:

The True Story of The Christmas Truth by Anthony Richards

Village Christmas by Laurie Lee

The True Saint Nichlas by William Bennet

=========================================================

NOT FOR ME

================

Read for a book club - the twelve dates of Christmas

Not horrible, just not for me.  :-)  Typical Christmas Romance

Murder On The Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict

Twelve Drummers Drumming - Father Christmas #1

by C.C. Bennison.  My entire goodreads review, from 2011, is "Long.  Tedious."

===============

From 2017 - My Favorite Christmas Reads

==================

I keep a list of books of Christmas themed books that I want to read, and as with my full to read list, it grows faster than I can possibly read. (Often my Christmas reading list introduces me to new series, which extends my general to read list... ) Looking back over my goodreads list, I have definitely made a dent over the years, these were some of my favorites:

Christmas Classics:

The Christmas Sonata by Gary Paulson

"A young boy and his mother spend Christmas 1943 with relatives in northern Minnesota while his father is fighting in the war in Europe.  They take a long journey by train to a snowy land of vast frozen lakes, deep and sparkling cold, and the most magical Christmas tree the boy has ever seen.  He knows this will be the last Christmas he will spend with his cousin, who is dying.  The boy's uncle overhears the two cousins say there is no Santa Claus, and in a grand gesture that is nothing short of a Christmas miracle, he restores the children's faith in the spirit of the season." - Goodreads

Cozy Christmas
(Light reads, but not mysteries)


The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson
Another Patterson that I liked a lot - this one is not a mystery. 

Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah is another of my favorite authors, and while this is far from my favorite book by her, it's a good read.  Like many others, it's a typical Hallmark Christmas Movie plot.  Divorced woman, goes on a trip to avoid the holidays, makes a detour, crosses path with a child who has recently lost his mother.  " When the little boy meets Joy, these two unlikely souls form a deep and powerful bond. In helping Bobby and Daniel heal, Joy finds herself again.     But not everything is as it seems in quiet Rain Valley, and in an instant, Joy’s world is ripped apart, and her heart is broken. On a magical Christmas Eve, a night of impossible dreams and unexpected chances, Joy must find the courage to believe in a love—and a family—that can’t possibly exist, and go in search of what she wants . . . and the new life only she can find."

Lost December by Richard Paul Evans
A  retelling of the story of the Prodigal son

The Christmas Box Trilogy by Richard Paul Evans
Looking for short, sweet, and sappy? This will be a great choice.  

The Mistletoe Series by Richard Paul Evans
Three Christmas romances - each one is the plot of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Quick reads.

The Noel Series by Richard Paul Evans
Labeled "The King Of Christmas Fiction" on Amazon, this series by Evans is one I have not yet read.  The first is about a son, returning to his family home  after his mothers death.  
"Jacob’s mother had become a hoarder and he must excavate through two decades worth of clutter. As Jacob digs through the detritus, like an archaeologist, he uncovers many puzzling items including a diary left by someone named Noel, a young woman he has no recollection of, who stayed with Jacob’s family during her pregnancy. That’s not the only echo from the past. Jacob has an unexpected visitor, Rachel, a woman looking for the mother who put her up for adoption thirty years before. United by their quest to make sense of the past and rewrite their futures, Jacob and Rachel begin a search for Noel. Along the way they find more than they possibly imagined, including grace, forgiveness and a chance at love."


Cozy Christmas Mysteries

The Twelve Clues Of Christmas by Rhys Bowen

Another one of my favorite (mystery)  series, Her Royal Spyness.  This is book 6 in the series, it's stand alone, you don't need to read the first 5 to love this book.  Although once you read it, you might want to read the whole series....  

Georgie is 35th in line to the throne, expected to live as royalty, but with no income to do so.  As she moves from home to home, and visits with the queen, she stumbles into all sorts of mysteries, and of course, solves them.  

Duck The Halls by Donna Andrews
A Meg Lanslow mystery - book #6.  If you are looking for a silly mystery, with lots of laughs, try this one.

The Holiday Grind by Cleo Coyle
There are two Christmas books in this series..  this one I liked a lot, the other was just ok.  This is another series I would love to read more of..  mysteries set in a coffee house!

A Christmas To Die For by Marta Perry
I read this and loved it even before I learned that this is a local author, who I eventually met at our local library!  An Amish mystery.
More about Marta Perry

A Highland Christmas by M.C. Beaton
Another charming (but not TOO sweet) Cozy Mystery.  This was my first introduction to Hamish Macbeth. I keep meaning to read the rest of this series, but I have not yet gotten back to it...

Rest Ye Merry - a Peter Shandy Mystery by Charlotte McLeod
An extremely light, traditional, Christmas mystery
A Christmas scrooge discovers a murdered librarian in this holiday novel from an Edgar Award finalist known for her “witty, literate, and charming” mysteries (Publishers Weekly).

Christmas Detective Stories

Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
The Hercule Poirot series is one of my favorites!  
There's also The Adventure Of the Christmas Pudding

The Christmas Mystery by James Patterson
This is a bookshot - less than 100 pages I think...  it's a Detective Luc Moncrief mystery.  (There are a lot of Patterson's books that I do NOT like, this is one series I like a lot.)

Silent Night by Robert Parker
A Spenser Novel - this book was unfinished when Parker died, it was finished by his agent.

My Christmas Reads, 2024

Did not enjoy:  Mistletoe Mystery [I do not like this series - why do I keep reading them??], The Christmas Appeal [Loved the story and the characters, did not enjoy the format - story is told through whatsapp chats and emails] The Christmas Party [Audible audio - overly predictable and done too many times "thriller"]

I didn't dislike, but got a bit bored with:

 Murder Most Festive & Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon.  I would be willing to give both authors another chance, I really WANTED to love James Lovegrove's Sherlock, but this book was not spectacular.

Enjoyed:  I have really been enjoying the "Everyone" series by Benjamin Stevenson this year, this Christmas read was no exception.  Also, I've been devouring the Donna Andrews books, in order this year, and they are one of my favorite series.  We listened to Let It Crow on audio on family Christmas light viewing trips.  Same with the Andy Carpenter series - they are my go to audiobooks for road trips with my husband.  We listened to The More The Terrier, and it did not disappoint.

The Standouts : Ok, I have read Peter Swanson.  I should have known what I was in for.  But...  this caught me off guard.  It is certainly not the best thing I read this season, but it was so different, and memorable, that it is a "stand out" for me.  

The Most Wonderful Crime Of The Year was a delightful surprise - Agatha Christie style locked room in a traditional English Christmas Setting, and also a Romcom.  This is the book I recommended to everyone this Christmas season - it was fun, and well written.  

Andrew Keavan and Denzil Meyrick were both new authors for me this year - and both were added to "read more" list.  Murder at Holly House, by Meyrick, is book one, and there is a second Christmas book that will be at the top of my Christmas to read list in 2025.  When Christmas Comes by Andrew Klavan is book one in a 4 book series.  [Book 4 was released October 2024]. I look forward to reading more of the series, and I recommended it to my husband and stepfather, I think both of them will enjoy it too.  

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READ MORE

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• My Favorite Christmas Reads 2013
• Christmas Mystery Book List From The Cozy Mystery Blog
• Christmas Themed Historical Fiction
• Coffee Books & Cake 12 Books of Christmas [annually]
• 
  

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