Looking for Holiday Favorites?

With Christmas rapidly approaching, we get lots of requests at the library for holiday movies and books. Something to remember is that if you like the story, your Christmas favorite is often available in different formats. For instance, I just love to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas- it was on television the other night and I literally clapped my hands for joy! Fans of the special should definitely check out A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition which includes the original script, talks about the making of the show, interviews some of the children who performed the Peanuts voices, and presents tons of other interesting information about the now classic holiday special.

The 1947 beloved tale of believing in Santa Claus, Miracle on 34th Street, was released simultaneously with a delightful book version by Valentine Davies. Look for In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd; it's the book and audiobook that is the basis for A Christmas Story. And of course there are many versions of the time-honored A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. From an in depth annotated book including historical background and old-time illustrations; the 1951 film featuring Alastair Sim; The Muppet Christmas Carol with Michael Caine as Scrooge and Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit; and Patrick Stewart's one man Christmas Carol on audiobook, or presented on DVD with additional cast memebers. Choose one or choose them all- just enjoy the holiday season!

Festively Funny!

My goodness, December is here! We're decorating at the library, making nifty decorations, putting up the tree, and generally getting into the holiday spirit. I put together a display featuring lots of our Christmas books (and of course there are more on the shelves!), so please take a look the next time you're here.

One of my favorite holiday books is about Christmas, yet not about Christmas. Let me explain. The book is called Hogfather and it's by humorous fantasy writer Terry Pratchett. Pratchett has created a series of books set on Discworld, and things there always seem quite familiar. On Discworld they celebrate Hogswatch, a festive time when the Hogfather flies in a sleigh pulled by four large hogs named Gouger, Tusker, Rooter, and Snouter and delivers presents to the people. When the Hogfather goes missing, who could possibly take over climbing down chimney duty but the ever helpful Death? Death puts on the red suit and does his best "HO HO HO", while his granddaughter Susan works to solve the mystery of what happened to the big guy. Along the way you will meet Violet the undertrained Tooth Fairy; Bilious, the God of Hangovers; and of course Death's favorite cohort, the Death of Rats, who says only SQUEAK. It sounds weird (and it is), but I find Hogfather, and the rest of the Discworld series, very, very funny!

KCPL also carries a highly entertaining DVD of Hogfather.

For Tomorrow We Feast!

I'm going out to dinner on Thanksgiving. My brother is coming to visit and I told him I'd be happy to take him out for a fine turkey day meal (my cooking tends toward "quick & easy"). Thinking about what I might feast upon put me in mind of a few food books I've come across recently. Not necessarily cookbooks; rather about where food comes from, buying food locally, nutritional value in today's food, and why one cookie never seems like enough:

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A. Kessler

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan

Eat This, Not That!: The Best (& Worst) Foods in America by David Zinczenko

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

All Creatures Great and Small

It's nice to read a book that feels like someone is telling you a story. Just as if you were listening to a friend chat away by the warmth of the fireplace, or sitting on a front porch on a lovely afternoon. Tales are told that are happy and sad, joyful and a little romantic.

All Creatures Great and Small takes the long and winding road to tell the tale of country veterinarian and author James Herriot (the pen name for James Alfred Wight). Set in 1940's Yorkshire, the book begins with Herriot joining the practice of Siegfried Farnen and his younger brother Tristan. His work encompasses both farm and domestic animals and he describes much of the animal care in correct medical terms (aka "a little gross"). But it's all part of life in the country, including some of the oddball characters he introduces us to- I just love Mrs. Pomfrey and her pampered little dog Tricky-Woo! This is the kind of book that the word "heartwarming" was invented for. Look for other books in the series, as well as James Herriot's Dog Stoires and James Herriot's Cat Stories.

I would also recommend watching All Creatures Great and Small the BBC TV series, filmed in the 70's, but still highly enjoyable and entertaining to watch.