The air is turning colder, the days are getting shorter, and only a few tenacious leaves are still clinging to the trees. You know what that means – Christmas is just around the corner! And although we may try to deny it, with the holiday season usually comes busyness, stress, and the pressures to do and buy and go and see even more. But, as beloved author Susie Larson says, what if there is a different way this year? “Prepare Him Room: A Daily Advent Devotional” from Bethany House Publishers is a beautiful little volume that challenges us to ask the question: What matters most this Christmas season? Continue reading
Christmas
A Charming Christmas Conclusion!
What could be better than a farewell visit to our favorite little English village of Ivy Hill? A visit that takes place during the Christmas season, of course! Julie Klassen has given her readers a wonderful holiday gift by sharing one last story about the characters we came to know and love in her three-book series “Tales From Ivy Hill”, plus we get to meet a few new faces as well. Continue reading
An Incredible Story of God’s Redeeming Love in Our Darkest Moments
With her new release from Thomas Nelson publishers, Tamera Alexander once again reminds her readers precisely why she is a bestselling author – her stories are masterfully written with powerful themes and unforgettable characters, often revolving around true historical events. “With This Pledge” is undoubtedly her most heart-wrenching work to date, yet also one of her most beautiful, as it contrasts the unimaginable horrors of the Civil War with the promise and hope of God’s unending and never-failing love. While it will take courage to read this incredible story, the rewards that it offers by helping us deepen our empathy, faith, and hope, are more than worth it. Continue reading
A New Christmas Novella Collection from Four Talented Authors – Guest Review by Hayley
It’s the time of year to launch into a holiday themed TBR pile. Thus, when offered a chance for a Bethany House Christmas Novella Collection from four award-winning authors, you can guess my response!
“The Christmas Heirloom” presents to us a valuable amethyst brooch that has been passed down for generations from mother to daughter for almost 200 years. Continue reading
Melody Carlson’s Christmas 2018 Novella
You know Christmas is just around the corner when Melody Carlson releases her new, annual Christmas novella from Revell Publishers! “A Christmas by the Sea” is the newest release from the pen of Ms. Carlson and is a sweet little story of new beginnings, seaside reminiscences, the possibility of romance – and of course it all takes place at Christmastime. Continue reading
A New Christmas Tradition!
We just celebrated our Canadian Thanksgiving, and snow is in the forecast… You know what that means – Christmas is right around the corner! It’s time to pull out some old favorite Christmas stories, and hopefully add a few new ones to our collections. In fact, I just finished reading the most delightful little Christmas novel, perfect for ringing in the holiday season and certain to touch the hearts of readers of all ages. Continue reading
A Must-Read Before Christmas!
For many people, Christmas can be a rather controversial topic. It’s supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year”, filled with reflection on the baby in a manger and quality time with family. While this may be the case to some degree, there’s more to the story for most families. . . In reality, this season is also a time of hectic chaos, heartache that seems to build up from a difficult year, and frustration over what we wish was true but isn’t. In a new book from Baker Publishing, “Loving My Actual Christmas: An Experiment in Relishing the Season”, Alexandra Kuykendall unpacks some great insights into being present AND finding joy in our own actual, imperfect Christmases. Continue reading
Christmas Book Title Fun
Don’t miss this delightful and humorous post from Bethany House Fiction!
Every year at the Bethany House decorating party, I prank the nativity scene. This sounds significantly more sacrilegious than it actually is. When we set up the Holy Family surrounded by angels, I simply give the figures a miniature paper book I feel like they’d think was appropriate.
This year’s results are below.
It got me thinking—what book titles would fit well for all the cast of the first Christmas story? Could I outfit everyone with a Bethany House novel for them?
You can decide for yourselves by the end of the post. (Bonus—titles are linked if you want to read the book’s actual plot, which has nothing to do with Christmas in most cases. But they do make great gifts!)
There was really nothing I could pick for the angel Gabriel but The Messenger (Siri Mitchell). Too perfect.
Besides the nonfiction title in the picture above, I’d give Mary
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A Heartwarming, Memorable Christmas Gift – Guest Review by Hayley
Fans of “The Royal Wedding Series” rejoice! We now have “A Royal Christmas Wedding” to not only help us celebrate Christmas, but to melt our hearts, make us laugh, and maybe even wipe away a happy tear or two. If you loved previous books in the “Royal Wedding Series”, if you enjoy Christian fiction, or even if you just need some extra Christmas spirit, I encourage you to read “A Royal Christmas Wedding” without a moment’s delay! I have every confidence that it will become a new favorite Christmas story, and perhaps even your favorite in the series, as it did for me. Continue reading
Have You Packed Your Shoeboxes Yet?
It’s shoebox-packing time! Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week is November 14th – 20th… Below is a picture of a couple of the shoeboxes we packed this year, and we can’t encourage you enough to get involved as well. As Samaritan’s Purse explains: Continue reading
Prairie Sky Book Reviews 