The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

Synopsis From Dust Jacket:

Ashley Smith, and American art student in London for her junior year, was planning on spending Christmas alon, but a last-minute invitation-only fellow student Emma Chapman brings her to Starvewood Hall, country residence of the Chapman family. The Cotswold manor, festooned with pine boughs and crammed with guests for Christmas week, is a dream come true for Ashley. She is not only mesmerized by the cozy, firelit house, the large family, and the charming village of Clevemoor, but also by Adam Chapman, Emma's aloof and handsome brother. 

But Adam is being investigated by the local police over the recent brutal slaying of a girl from the village, and there is a mysterious stranger who haunts the woodland path between Starvewood Hall and the local pub. Ashley begins to wonder what kind of story she is actually inhabiting. Is she in a grand romance? A gothic tale? Or has she wandered into something far more sinister and terrifying than she'd ever imagined? 

Over thirty years later the events of that horrific week are revisited, along with a diary from that time. What began in a small English village in 1989 reaches its ghostly conclusion in modern-day New York, many Christmas seasons later.

I had resigned myself to not completing my commitment to read five or six Christmas-themed books for the Yuletide Spirit reading challenge. I was okay with it. I read four solid Christmas romances and enjoyed them, even if I never got to the stack of mysteries I bought specifically for the season.

Then, while reorganizing one of the bookcases in my bedroom, I was struck by an epiphany sent by the Icelandic Christmas spirits.

Okay, not really—but I did find my copy of The Christmas Guest, a short novella by Peter Swanson, that I bought the year before, shelved, and promptly forgot about until I stumbled across it during my spontaneous bookcase cleaning on Sunday. This was exactly what I needed to complete the challenge. I may have even done the Snoopy dance, if only in my head. As soon as I finished my chores, I hopped onto my bed and promptly read all ninety-six pages.

I absolutely loved Eight Perfect Murders (another book I’ll now get to write a review of at some point), to the point that it was one of my favorite books of 2020. Normally, when I love a book that much, I tear through the author’s backlist and keep up with their new releases as they’re published. For whatever reason, I never really did that with Peter Swanson. I don’t know if it was because none of the synopses grabbed me, or if his books were competing with others I was more excited about at the time. Either way, I didn’t pick up another one of his books until I bought The Christmas Guest last Christmas season. After reading this, his other books may stay on the back burner a bit longer.

I’m not entirely sure why I didn’t fully connect with the story as it unfolded. It could be as simple as the length not allowing me to become fully invested in Ashley. Most of the story is told through her diary entries from her time in the house, and like most diaries (my own journals included) from the college years, those entries can be annoying, shrill, delusional, angsty, repetitive, and about a dozen other adjectives that would be just as accurate.

It could also be that the twists were a little obvious. After reading two of his stories, I can tell Swanson shares my enjoyment of unreliable narratives, though this novella puts its own spin on that trope. For me, the length worked against it here—there just wasn’t enough room to lay the groundwork in a way that allowed the twists to be more subtle and genuinely surprising. Regardless of the reason, while this was an okay read for me, it isn’t one I see myself returning to.

As I was typing this up on my tablet, I remembered that I’ve heard great things about Nine Lives, so maybe I’ll give that one a try in the coming year. Hopefully, I’ll enjoy it as much as I did Eight Perfect Murders.

Challenges: Yuletide Spirit 

Hold My Hand, It's Christmas by K.C. Wells

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Best. Pickup line. Ever.

Eli Winters wasn’t expecting romance to strike between aisles of lumber and LED reindeer. He’s just home for the Thanksgiving weekend, helping his sister with her bakery and trying not to drown in the town’s over-the-top Christmas cheer. Then, in Home Depot’s lighting section, a handsome stranger grabs his hand and says, “My ex just walked in—please, play along.”

Before Eli can protest, they’re strolling past garlands and wreaths like the world’s most domestic couple. It’s not until the stranger disappears that Eli realizes: there was no ex. Just the most ridiculous—and effective—pickup line ever.

Noah Carter didn’t plan to lie. He’s the town’s perpetually cheerful event coordinator, always smiling, always “fine.” But the truth is, the holidays have felt hollow for a long time. One impulsive moment in a hardware store changes everything.

When Eli’s sister ‘volunteers’ him to help Noah organize the Christmas Festival, sparks turn into something deeper. Amid tangled lights, late-night cocoa, and small-town gossip, Eli and Noah discover that sometimes the best love stories start with a little pretending.

Because when it’s Christmas—and your heart’s finally ready—you don’t just hold someone’s hand.

You hold on.

If Look Up, Handsome was a low-angst romance, Hold My Hand, It’s Christmas has about as much angst as a perfectly prepared picnic—one you didn’t have to plan—in the most idyllic location your imagination can come up with. You’re there with the man/woman of your dreams, and they are everything you ever hoped they’d be. There is absolutely no tension, miscommunication, or misunderstandings between Eli and Noah. They both experience a little self-doubt, but I don’t think there’s a single human being alive who doesn’t have a twinge or two of self-doubt when first meeting someone. I refuse to call that angst, especially since neither of them lets it keep the completely besotted looks off their faces when they glance at each other. This is the most angst-free romance book I’ve ever read, and because it’s a Christmas book, I’m absolutely here for it.

This was instalove on steroids, a trope that—when done wrong—can leave you with incredulous thoughts floating through your mind as you read the most ridiculous nonsense ever put on paper. But when done right, when written by an author who knows exactly what they’re doing, it feels like a perfect spring day, lying on the fluffiest blanket ever woven, stretched out beneath an old apple tree. The branches form a canopy that blocks just the right amount of sunshine as you stare up at puffy white clouds, picking out the ones that look like bunny rabbits and puppies. In other words, when instalove is written right, it leaves you with the happiest feeling in the world, and you buy into every single word and glance the two MCs exchange. Hold My Hand, It’s Christmas is a perfect example of this, a story that leaves you believing in love at first sight, soul mates, and the magic of Christmas.

Challenges: Yuletide Spirit 

Look Up, Handsome by Jack Strange

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Quinn wants to save his bookshop, the last thing he needs is to fall in love…

Hay-on-Wye’s only queer bookshop is always a hive of activity. So when it’s threatened with closure, its owner Quinn Oxford is determined to do whatever it takes to save his beloved shop.

That is until romantic novelist Noah Sage arrives in town. Gorgeous, brooding and clearly unhappy to be there, Noah is the distraction Quinn doesn’t need. Noah has a history with Hay and it’s one he’d rather not face. But when the snow leaves him stranded, he’s left with no choice.

Hay is a small town, meaning Quinn can’t help but bump into Noah wherever he goes. And as the two grow closer together, is it possible that Noah’s feelings towards Hay will thaw? Can Quinn have a real-life romance and save his beloved bookshop? Or will he need a Christmas miracle…

When I signed up for the Yuletide Spirit reading challenge, I bought a whole stack of Christmas mysteries and a ghost story anthology, and I haven’t read a single one of them. Instead, I’ve been reading Christmas romances and binging a truly impressive number of Hallmark-ish holiday movies. Apparently my brain had one plan, but my heart (or soul) needed something else entirely this holiday season.

There’s a blurb on the cover of Look Up, Handsome that calls the book a love letter to bookstores, and it’s the most accurate blurb I’ve ever read. Kings & Queens is the type of bookstore I’ve always wanted to own myself — except mine would be full of mysteries and ghost stories, with a huge queer section. It’s the kind of place where you could spend hours wandering the shelves before settling into a chair and getting lost in an author’s world. More importantly, it’s the kind of bookstore that builds community.

It’s the place a parent struggling to understand their child’s sexuality or changing gender identity can go to find answers — and people willing to listen. It’s where someone questioning their own sexuality might find guidance and insight into what they’re feeling, hopefully leading to self-acceptance. It’s a gathering place for anyone who needs to find their people, their tribe, somewhere they can feel welcomed and protected. It’s the kind of place every LGBTQ+ person needs in their life, even in this age of social media.

After writing that last paragraph, I'm not sure where to go next with this review. I can't find a smooth transition, especially after typing and retyping a few sentences that never felt worthy — or even necessary — to what I was trying to say. I’m not ashamed to admit I feel a little lost.

So let’s do this instead: I’ll simply say that I adored this book for exactly what it is.

It’s a low-angst romance between two people who, despite living in a world of words, don’t communicate particularly well at first. Quinn, who opened his bookstore in memory of his father, has been a little lost since his dad died. He loves the world he’s built for himself, but he’s also been living his life somewhat passively. Noah, on the other hand, despite his success as a gay romance author, has allowed the past to dictate the terms of his life. So consumed by what happened to his family when he was a child, he’s chosen extreme avoidance as a coping mechanism.

I’m not saying they aren’t fully realized characters — because they absolutely are — and I loved them both, even if I liked Quinn just a tiny bit more. I enjoyed them as individuals, but I absolutely adored them as a couple.

I have one more Christmas romance review left to write for the challenge, which still leaves me one book short of my five-book goal unless I manage to squeeze one more in. Either way, I still have a respectable stack of seasonal mysteries waiting for next year. Assuming, of course, I don’t get to them before then.

Challenges: Yuletide Spirit 

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

 Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, filled with all the love and laughter your hearts can handle!

Favorite Fictional Character --- Felix Bassenak

 

There are certain movies I have to watch every Christmas season, and near the top of that list is Christmas in Connecticut (1945). It stars one of the greatest actresses of all time, Barbara Stanwyck, a screen goddess with a filmography so solid I honestly can’t think of a single movie of hers I don’t love. Still, Christmas in Connecticut will always be special to me, and a big part of that is thanks to "Uncle" Felix Bassenak.

If you’ve never seen the movie, Stanwyck plays Elizabeth Lane, a lifestyle columnist who has built her entire career around writing about her family and their idyllic life on a farm in Connecticut. She even waxes poetic about the incredible, home-cooked meals they sit down to every day. There’s just one tiny problem: she lives alone in a New York apartment, has no family, and can’t cook. Enter Uncle Felix, who owns a restaurant and quietly supplies her with a menu for every article she writes. As you can imagine, this little arrangement eventually spirals into chaos, and there’s no way Elizabeth survives it without her honorary uncle.

Over the course of a few days, Felix pulls Elizabeth out of one disaster after another. He pretends to swallow a gold watch. He repeatedly—and ingeniously—gets a judge out of the house. He plays matchmaker when it matters most and clears the way for true love. And he does it all with a larger-than-life presence that’s almost impossible to describe if you’ve never had the pleasure of watching S. Z. Sakall on screen. He even manages to hold his own against Sydney Greenstreet, which is no small feat considering Greenstreet’s ability to dominate every scene he’s in.

I know this post probably doesn’t give Uncle Felix quite the credit he deserves, but that’s because he’s one of those characters you really have to see in action to fully appreciate. So I suppose I’m left with only one option: gently (or not so gently) begging you to watch Christmas in Connecticut for yourself—preferably during the holidays, with something cozy to drink. 

The Handsel Witches by Ryan J Hamshaw

 

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Four months after the defeat of the Dark Friars, Liam O'Connor is finally finding some balance in life. He's juggling college, his friends, and his role as a Keeper of the Crossing. But that balance is about to break, and his friends’ safety is on the line.

Tariq Ashar is trying to make his new relationship with Liam work while dealing with old secrets tied to Lucas Martindale, the obnoxious and unpredictable grandson of the Head of the Guild. When Lucas’ troubled past comes back to haunt him, it pulls Tariq and Liam into danger, putting everything at risk.

Meanwhile, a new enemy is rising in Sarumbourne, driven by anger and revenge. As darkness spreads through the city, the Keepers must fight to protect it - or lose what they’ve sworn to defend.

Do you have those books that, no matter the genre, become comfort reads almost immediately? The kind where, a paragraph or two in, you know you’re safe. You can set the rest of the world aside and just sink into the story as the words unfold on the page. I have far too many of those to list, but to give you an idea, they include The Last Herald Mage trilogy by Mercedes Lackey, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, and the A Matter of Time series by Mary Calmes—along with, honestly, most of her books. I’m also pretty sure the Keepers of the Crossing series by Ryan J Hamshaw has officially joined that group.

I’m not ready to say I’m a full-on YA reader yet, but I might be getting there. Or at least I’m becoming a fan of a very specific flavor of YA: a little dark, a little queer, and a whole lot of fun. I don’t know why it still surprises me how good some YA authors are at building immersive worlds and filling them with characters I don’t just enjoy reading about, but actually come to care about. That happened to me years ago with Rotters by Daniel Kraus, and again earlier this year with The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass (a review I swear I’ll write eventually). Both pulled me into worlds I never wanted to leave. The world Ryan J. Hamshaw has created in the Keepers of the Crossing series fits right in with those.

What really surprised me was how The Dark Friars pulled me in… and then The Handsel Witches went and did it all over again. I honestly think I enjoyed this second book even more than the first. The stakes are higher this time around, especially when it comes to the people Liam loves most. The action is more intense, and the vampire fight alone is worth every moment spent in this version of Sarumbourne. 

But as much as I enjoyed the story itself, that’s not the reason I know I’ll be rereading this series for years. That credit goes to Liam, Tariq, Jack, Lily, and the rest of the cast (including Lucas). These are characters the author clearly loves, and that affection comes through on the page. There’s an intentionality to how they’re written that makes this series feel like a comfort read, even when things get dark. They’re flawed, insecure, hopeful, and constantly growing into themselves—and I’m more than happy to keep spending time with them as they do.

The Night Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

 

Synopsis From Back Cover:

Nicholas “Coal” Claus used to love Christmas. Until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the holiday into a PR façade. Coal will do anything to escape the spectacle, including getting tangled in a drunken, supremely hot make- out session with a beautiful man behind a seedy bar one night.

But the heir to Christmas is soon commanded to do his duty: he will marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess and his brother’s not-so-secret crush. A situation that has disaster written all over it.

Things go from bad to worse when a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess’s hand…and Coal comes face-to-face with his mysterious behind-the-bar hottie: Hex, the Prince of Halloween.

It’s a fake competition between two holiday princes who can’t keep their hands off each other over a marriage of convenience that no one wants. And it all leads to one of the sweetest, sexiest, messiest, most delightfully unforgettable love stories of the year.

Most of my romance reading happens on my tablet. At first, that was because I was slightly embarrassed to be seen in public reading a romance novel, and hiding a cover is infinitely easier when the book is digital. The only other solution I could think of was creating false dust jackets for physical books, and honestly, I’m just not that crafty. These days, it’s mostly practical: Kindle Unlimited makes my romance reading a hell of a lot cheaper. I do still buy physical copies occasionally, but it’s usually my favorite Mary Calmes books — the ones that, for whatever reason, feel like they belong both on my shelves and on my tablet.

The Nightmare Before Kissmas is one of the very rare exceptions I’ve made to those unspoken rules. Last December, while browsing Barnes & Noble, I wandered past the romance table — something I always do, even though it’s almost entirely straight romances. Every now and then, though, there will be one or two gay romance titles mixed in, and that December, The Nightmare Before Kissmas was one of them. Without any real conscious decision-making, my hands reached out, and before I fully processed what was happening, I was at the counter paying for it. And then it sat on my shelf for a full year, patiently waiting to be read.

I knew going in that it would be cute. I mean, it’s the Crown Prince of Christmas falling for the Crown Prince of Halloween — the cuteness is baked right into the premise. What I wasn’t expecting were the political machinations underpinning the story, particularly a Santa so consumed by grief and anger that his own children become pawns in a larger power struggle. I also wasn’t expecting to be just as invested in that surrounding story as I was in the romance itself. And the romance, for lack of a better word, was absolutely adorable.

Coal and Hex aren’t exactly champions of communication, but given their roles within their respective holidays and the immense familial expectations placed on them, that feels not just believable but inevitable. They’re clearly right for each other, and it’s impossible not to root for them as they try to carve out space for themselves beyond what duty demands. Since the story is told entirely from Coal’s perspective, we only see the relationship through his eyes, but he’s refreshingly honest about his own flaws — particularly his rebellious streak, which has caused more than a little chaos in the past. Over the course of the book, Coal does a great deal of growing up, driven partly by his relationship with Hex, but mostly by his desire to repair the damage his father has inflicted on Christmas and the other winter holidays.

I absolutely adored Coal and Hex, and while I know they’ll appear again in later books, I’m already sad to leave them behind as the main protagonists — especially Coal. Not someone I’ll admit to developing a crush on, but definitely someone for whom I gained a tremendous amount of respect.

Challenges: Yuletide Spirit

Favorite Fictional Character --- Lock, Shock, and Barrel

 

"Kidnap Mr. Sandy Claws?

I wanna do it

Let's draw straws

Jack said, "we should work together"

Three of a kind

Birds of a feather

Now and forever, whee (la, la, la)

(La, la, la)

(La, la, la, la, la, la)"

I can’t count the number of times I’ve watched The Nightmare Before Christmas, watching Jack fall into Christmas Town and love it so much that he decides to take it over, becoming the new and “improved” Santa Claws. You’ve got to love a man with ambition.

In his misguided attempt to “improve” a holiday other than his own, Jack enlists the legendary mischievous trick-or-treaters known as Lock, Shock, and Barrel to kidnap Santa Claus—and that’s when the real fun begins.

Those three little imps, who relish trouble and can’t help causing mayhem everywhere they go, have to be one of the most fun trios ever put to screen. The fact that they’re voiced by Danny Elfman, Catherine O’Hara, and Paul Reubens is like having a bag full of trick-or-treat candy dumped in front of you and being able to do nothing but stare in awe at the abundance of riches.

There’s no way, despite their fumbled villainy, not to thoroughly enjoy every second they spend tooling around in their bathtub convertible as they follow the orders of Oogie Boogie. I absolutely adore these prank-loving hobgoblins who take such delight in the chaos they cause simply by being themselves.

The Geek Who Saved Christmas by Annabeth Albert

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Gideon Holiday is the perfect neighbor. Need a cup of sugar? Spare folding chair? Extra batteries? He’s always ready to help. And he’s waited years for his hot, grumpy, silver fox neighbor, Paul, to need him. For anything. But this December, Gideon would be happy if he could just get the Scrooge-like Paul on board with the neighborhood holiday lights fundraiser.

Paul Frost has no intention of decking his halls or blazing any Yule logs. Even if his spunky bowtie-clad neighbor does look perfect for unwrapping, Paul would prefer to hide away until December is done. But when his beloved younger brother announces an unexpected visit, Paul needs all the trimmings for a festive homecoming—and fast.

Luckily, Gideon is there with a color-coded plan to save Christmas. Soon Paul’s hanging lights, trimming trees, and rolling out cookies. And steaming up his new flannel sheets with Gideon. How did that happen?

It’ll take some winter magic to preserve their happiness and keep these rival neighbors together longer than one holiday season.

I love Christmas movies to the point that I start watching them on November 1st. I have my favorites — the ones I own and rewatch every year — like Christmas in Connecticut (1945), which I watch in bed as if the season depends on it, or The Ref (1994), which I watch every Christmas Eve while wrapping presents.

Since the point of this post is to write a clever review that entices you to read The Geek Who Saved Christmas by Annabeth Albert (and for the record, I kind of suck at reviewing romance novels), I won’t give you a full list of every Christmas movie and TV special I own, though I reserve the right to do that at a later date. The reason I brought up movies at all is to highlight my absolute addiction to Hallmark-ish Christmas movies of all stripes, and how badly I want to see this book adapted into a TV movie. If there was ever a Christmas romance begging to be told on the small screen, it’s this one.

We have one MC who’s the type to run around helping others — volunteering, pitching in, and coming to the rescue more often than not. He has plenty of friends, but he keeps himself busy because he never quite feels like he fits or fully belongs in their lives. The other MC is the grumpy, slightly standoffish neighbor who doesn’t interact much with anyone, mostly because he’s hiding some hurt of his own. Neither of them had stellar childhoods, and both are sitting on a deep well of insecurity. All of which makes them perfect for each other.

There’s a reason clichés and tropes work so damn well in romance. What Annabeth Albert achieves with them in The Geek Who Saved Christmas is pure rom-com gold, and I’m already craving more. Stories like this don’t usually change your life or alter the way you see the world, but that’s not what I want from most romance stories I pick up or choose to watch. I want to feel good the entire time I’m reading. I want to root for the couple, coo and sigh every time one of them does or says something sweet, get a little angsty when communication breaks down, and then cheer out loud when they finally end up on the same page again.

I got all of that here. I felt all of that while reading Gideon and Paul’s story. This is the perfect holiday romance.

Challenges: Yuletide Spirit

Wordsmithonia Radio - The Christmas Playlist

It should come as no surprise, after sharing some of my favorite Halloween songs, that I’d be back with a few of my favorite Christmas picks. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love Christmas music. To put my adoration in perspective, I’m that annoying person who listens to it in the car during the hottest days of summer, hoping it’ll trick my brain into thinking it’s colder outside than it actually is. And honestly, if thirteen years of retail management didn’t kill my love of Christmas music, I don’t think anything will.

I even have a Spotify playlist made up entirely of Christmas music that’s currently 9 hours and 44 minutes long — with only one version per song. So I figured I’d share a few of my favorites with you all. Enjoy!

Linda Eder "Do You Hear I Hear?"

Annie Lennox "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"

Seth MacFarlane "Moonlight In Vermont"

The Chipmunks "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)"

Barbara Streisand "Jimgle Bells?"

Straight No Chaser "Hey Santa!"

Loreena McKennitt "Good King Wenceslas"

Julie London "I'd Like You For Christmas"

Nancy Wilson "The Christmas Waltz"

Annelise Cepero "This is Christmas"

Favorite Fictional Character --- Aloysius T. McKeever

 

I'm not sure how long it’s been since I first stumbled upon It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947), but I was ridiculously in love from the moment tonight’s favorite fictional character waddled down 5th Ave in New York City, whistling “It’s a Wonderful, Wonderful Feeling,” all while carrying his dog Sammy as he gets ready to break into the mansion of the second-richest man in the world to hibernate the winter away.

You see, Aloysius T. McKeever is a vagrant, a vagabond—a hobo, if you will—and he has this migratory routine he follows every year. As the weather turns cold, he heads to New York City and winters away in the block-long mansion of one Michael J. O’Connor, wizard of industry, as the O’Connor family moves south for the season. In the summer, Aloysius and the O’Connors switch places… though only one side of that arrangement has any clue what’s going on. Well, at least they didn’t until this particular winter.

Aloysius, played by Victor Moore, is a sort of street philosopher whose outlook on life might be a bit skewed given his circumstances, but whose heart is always in the right place. I think it’s fair to say McKeever isn’t just confident in what he believes—especially when he’s pontificating a wee bit—but genuinely thinks he has the life experience to back it up. He’s a character I would absolutely love to spend the winter with, even if only because I know he has some phenomenal stories to tell.

The movie is available on a few streaming apps, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed you’ll let Mr. McKeever and the rest of his new companions entertain you for a few hours this holiday season. I double–pinky swear promise you won’t regret it.

Rough Pages by Lev AC Rosen

 

Synopsis From Dust Jacket:

Private Detective Evander "Andy" Mills has been drawn back to the Lavender House estate for a missing person case. Pat, the family butler, has been volunteering for a book service, one that specializes in mailing queer books to a carefully guarded list of subscribers. With bookseller Howard Salzberger gone suspiciously missing along with his address book, everyone on that list, including some of Andy's closest friends, is in danger of being exposed. 

A search of Howard's bookstore reveals that someone wanted to stop him and his co-owner, Dorothea Lamb, from sending out their next book. The evidence points to not just the feds, but to the Mafia, who would be happy to use the subscriber list for blackmail. 

Andy has to maneuver through both the government and the criminal world, all while dealing with a nosy reporter who remembers him from his days as a police detective and wants to know why he's no longer a cop. With his own secrets closing in on him, can Andy find the list before all the lives on it are at risk?

Growing up as a gay kid who moved a ridiculous number of times, including a three-year stint traveling with a carnival, I always felt isolated. I never learned how to build friendships with kids my own age because I was never around long enough. That feeling of never quite fitting in led me to understand the power of books very early. At first, they were an escape, an easy way to step out of my own life and into places and people I’d never meet in real life. As I got older, they became something even more important: proof that I wasn’t alone. Proof that I could have a happy life as a gay man. Proof that I didn’t have to listen to the news media, religious leaders, or politicians who demonized people like me. Growing up gay in the ’80s and ’90s, those books were already hard enough to find—I can’t imagine what that search must have felt like in the ’50s.

Rough Pages, more than anything, felt like a story about the power of books to create community. Yes, it’s wrapped up in the mystery of a missing bookseller, and I’m sure y’all can guess the poor guy doesn’t get a happy ending, but the way the author builds the story never lets you forget how deeply books can change a life for the better.

As always, the mystery itself is brilliantly crafted. My jaw was on the floor when Andy finally pieced it all together. Like in Lavender House and The Bell in the Fog, the solution isn’t clean or comforting. It’s messy, human, and heartbreaking—leaving me mourning the loss of life on both sides of the violence. It’s the kind of solution that will linger in my mind for years to come.

Andy, in only three books, has completely stolen my heart and cemented himself in my top five favorite detectives of all time. He’s grown so much within himself that, and while I know this sounds silly, I honestly feel proud of the man he’s becoming. I need Andy to comtinue that growths, so I need this author to continue the series for the rest of my life.

At the end of the day, Rough Pages reminded me exactly why stories have mattered so much throughout my life. They carried me through some of the hardest years, and this one felt like a reminder of the hope that can still be found in your found community. If you haven’t started this series yet, I truly hope you will. Andy, and the author, deserves more readers. 

Favorite Fictional Character --- Fred Gailey

 

Thankfully I’m no longer doing it, but after working thirteen years in retail management, Thanksgiving became just another day to me. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy eating a good meal with family and friend, even when I’m the one cooking it, it’s just that any enjoyment of the day as a whole was beaten out of me years ago. That said, there were still two traditions I hung on to.

The first was watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning, either while I’m cooking or just hanging out in my pajamas. This was the first year as an adult (I’m 49) that I didn’t do that because I canceled cable earlier this year, and Peacock+ is one of the few streaming services I don’t have. The second tradition, the one I did keep this year, is watching Miracle on 34th Street (1947) in the evening. I’m pretty sure existence would implode if I didn’t get my viewing in before Black Friday officially started.

Thankfully this is not a movie review, because I would struggle to even partially explain why I love this movie so much. It’s not my favorite Christmas movie; honestly, it’s not even in my top ten. But there’s just something about it that demands I watch it every year, and it never takes long for me to be swept up in the story of poor Santa Claus going on trial for being insane. A lot of my enjoyment is due to Edmund Gwenn’s portrayal of Kris Kringle—one of the best portrayals of the character ever filmed. Another reason, probably the biggest, is John Payne’s performance as Fred Gailey, the ever-charming lawyer who fights to prove Kris is indeed the one and only Santa Claus.

If there were ever a directory of “good guy” Christmas characters, I’m pretty sure it would be named after Fred, something like The Fred Gailey Compendium or The Gailey Encyclopedia of Christmas Characters. Hey, I never said I was good at coming up with names.

I would give you bullet points of all his good qualities, but I just used bullet points in a post a few days ago, so instead I’ll give you a massively long run-on sentence. Just joking—though I truly did think about doing it, just to see how annoying it would be to read. Anyway, Fred is, for lack of a better descriptor, a nice guy. He has a positive outlook on life. He’s comfortable with himself and confident in his abilities. He champions those who need his help, like Kris. He’s funny, affable, caring, supportive, and able to think outside the box when needed. He’s exactly who I’d want representing me if someone were trying to have me committed to an asylum against my will.

It also helps that he’s quite handsome. Not that looks should influence my opinion — but let’s be real, they do. Fred Gailey is the Christmas boyfriend archetype, and I will hear no arguments about this.

The 2025 Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge

 

Woo-hoo! I'm signing up for my first, and probably last, reading challenge of 2025. My friend Michelle at The Mystical Lantern has been hosting this challenge for what feels like forever, and now that I'm blogging again, I can finally participate once more. I’m a little late to the game since the challenge started on November 24th, but that’s okay.

I'm going for the Christmas Tree level, which is 5 or 6 books, and I’m definitely joining the Fa La La La Films side challenge as well—especially since I’ve already watched eighteen Christmas movies, eight of which have been since the 24th.

If you’d like to join in the fun, head over to the sign-up post here.

The 100 Best Comedy Movies of All Time, According to Variety

 

Variety came out with their list of the 100 best comedy movies of all time, and I'm going to state up front that while I agree with a lot of it, there are some glaring omissions. I'll even admit I haven't seen everything—maybe not even most of what's on the list—but I still think they missed the mark. Before I get to what I think is missing, or comment on what I think is a terrible pick, let me show you what they chose. I'll highlight the ones I've seen in red. 

1. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

2. Some Like it Hot (1959)

3. Annie Hall (1977)

4. The Great Dictator (1940)

5. Waiting for Guffman (1996)

6. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

7. Duck Soup (1933)

8. Fargo (1996)

9. Young Frankenstein (1974)

10. Groundhog Day (1993)

11. Sherlock Jr. (1924)

12. Tootsie (1982)

13. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

14. Sideways (2004)

15. Playtime (1967)

16. His Girl Friday (1940)

17. The Heartbreak Kid (1974)

18. This is Spinal Tap (1984)

19. It Happened One Night (1934)

20. Superbad (2007)

21. The Bank Dick (1940)

22. Caddyshack (1980)

23. Trouble in Paradise (1932)

24. Bridesmaids (2011)

25. M*A*S*H (1970)

26. Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

27. The Philadelphia Story (1940)

28. Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979)

29. When Harry Met Sally (1989)

30. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

31. Pink Flamingos (1972)

32. Sullivan's Travels (1941)

33. Lost in America (1985)

34. Withnail and I (1987)

35. School of Rock (2003)

36. Ed Wood (1994)

37. The Princess Bride (1987)

38. The Nutty Proffesor (1963)

39. Clueless (1995)

40. Zoolander (2001)

41. A Hard Day's Night (1964)

42. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

43. Team America: World Police (2004)

44. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

45. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

46. Coming to America (1988)

47. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

48. Bringing up Baby (1938)

49. Shampoo (1975)

50. The Waterboy (1998)

51. Being John Malkovich (1999)

52. The Tall Blond Man With One Black Shoe (1972)

53. Broadcast News (1987)

54. Elf (2003)

55. Safety Last! (1923)

56. The Odd Couple (1968)

57. My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

58. House Party (1990)

59. Pillow Talk (1959)

60. Big (1988)

61. The Birdcage (1996)

62. Airplane! (1980)

63. Going Places (1974)

64. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

65. Poor Things (2023)

66. Eddie Murphy Raw (1987)

67. Hellzapoppin' (1941)

68. In the Loop (2009)

69. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

70. Legally Blonde (2001)

71. Miracle at Morgan's Creek (1944)

72. The Big Lebowski (1998)

73. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

74. Private Benjamin (1980)

75. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

76. Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)

77. Blazing Saddles (1974)

78. A Night at the Opera (1935)

79. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

80. Bamboozled (2000)

81. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

82. The Awful Truth (1937)

83. Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

84. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)

85. To Be or Not to Be (1942)

86. Idiocracy (2006)

87. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

88. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy (2004)

89. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

90. Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)

91. She Done Him Wrong (1933)

92. The Jerk (1979)

93. Hairspray (1988)

94. Clerks (1994)

95. Brazil (1985)

96. I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)

97. Born Yesterday (1950)

98. Pretty Woman (1990)

99. Wayne's World (1992)

100. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

I’ve been trying to decide where I want to start my commentary on this list, and I think I’ll start with what I love about it.

My sense of humor is definitely on the darker side—so much so that I laughed out loud when the guy slid down the deck and pinged off the propeller blade in Titanic (1997). So it was great to see Fargo in the top ten. It’s one of my favorite movies of all time and a terrific example of dark comedy at its best. I do think there was room for some others, though: Nurse Betty (2000), Very Bad Things (1998), Serial Mom (1994), Dogma (1999), Go (1999), Heathers (1988), American Psycho (2000), Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995), Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (1991), Knives Out (2019), and Game Night (2018) are all strong contenders that I love. There are actually two others, but they’ll come up later.

I loved seeing horror-comedy make the list with Shaun of the Dead, since it’s my second-favorite subgenre after dark comedy. And while I’ve never seen that particular movie, I’m not sure it’s the best example of the genre at its best. I’d put forth Jennifer’s Body (2009), Ready or Not (2019), Trick ’r Treat (2007), Happy Death Day (2017), Krampus (2015), House (1985), Gremlins (1985), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020), Ghostbusters (1984), Fright Night (1985), and The ’Burbs (1989) as either substitutions or additions.

I loved seeing Cary Grant all over the list, especially with His Girl Friday, which is my absolute favorite romantic comedy of all time. The chemistry between him and Rosalind Russell is off the charts. But I was really surprised that Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) wasn’t one of his selected movies. Three of my favorites were also skipped over: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), Houseboat (1958), and My Favorite Wife (1940).

I have to admit, given I haven’t seen a lot of these movies, that this isn’t a bad list overall—I’m just 1000% sure it’s not a list I would ever put together. So here are my proposals to fix it.

The inclusion of a Christmas movie would normally be something I’d celebrate, but I really don’t like Will Ferrell, so seeing Elf—when there are far better choices—felt like a stab in the back. These are the movies I’d propose instead: Christmas in Connecticut (1945), The Ref (1994), Christmas with the Kranks (2004), or The Holiday (2006). And while I may not necessarily like the next three movies, I’m still surprised they were passed over for Elf: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), A Christmas Story (1983), and Home Alone (1990).

This may be wildly unpopular, but I’m not a fan of Jim Carrey, Vince Vaughn (as a comedic actor), Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, or the aforementioned Will Ferrell, so I’d like to see all of their movies off this list. I’d replace them with any combination of the following: Lucille Ball in The Long, Long Trailer (1953); Lily Tomlin in Big Business (1988) and 9 to 5 (1980); Michael J. Fox in The Secret of My Success (1987); Diane Keaton in Baby Boom (1987); Melanie Griffith in Working Girl (1988); Mary Gross in Feds (1988); Jeremy Renner in Tag (2018); Goldie Hawn in Overboard (1987); and Elisabeth Shue in Adventures in Babysitting (1987).

Speaking of movies I’d like to get rid of, I’m annoyed that there are so many films on this list where cisgender male characters dress as women for laughs, deception, or both. Instead, I’d like to replace two of them with The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995). And speaking of bad stereotypes played for laughs, I’d replace The Birdcage with any of the following: Edge of Seventeen (1998), In & Out (1997), But I’m a Cheerleader (1999), Jeffrey (1995), Trick (1999), or Red, White & Royal Blue (2023).

While I may not like every movie I’m about to list, I’m still flabbergasted that not a single John Hughes movie—directed or written by him—is included. The Breakfast Club (1985), Pretty in Pink (1986), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), Uncle Buck (1989), Sixteen Candles (1984), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), The Great Outdoors (1988), She’s Having a Baby (1988), Mr. Mom (1983), and Weird Science (1985) are all missing in action. It’s shocking and needs to be corrected. 

Before I list the movies whose absence feels like pieces of my soul are missing, I wanted to mention a few others I was surprised not to see, even if they aren’t favorites of mine: Beetlejuice (1988), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Friday (1995), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), and Grumpy Old Men (1993).

Now we’re down to the four movies left off this list that not only shocked me but left me judging every single person who put it together.

Auntie Mame (1958) is just about my favorite movie of all time. Rosalind Russell is so damn funny here, as is the entire cast. I first watched this in high school on A&E, when those two letters actually stood for something, and it’s been my favorite movie ever since. I would do anything to have an Auntie Mame in my life.

Speaking of Rosalind Russell, she’s comedy gold in The Women (1939), which has an all-female cast including Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer. I watch it at least once a year and will probably be doing so for decades to come.

How Death Becomes Her (1992) was passed over is beyond me. Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, and Bruce Willis act the hell out of these roles, delivering some delightful one-liners.

That leaves the biggest snub, in my opinion: Clue (1985). This movie shouldn’t just be on the list—it should be number one. I wouldn’t be surprised if flames appeared on many faces after not seeing this movie listed. The cast is full of comedy legends who know how to deliver a line. Rejecting them like this should be illegal.

What do y’all think of the list? What do you think shouldn’t be on it, and what do you think got brutally snubbed? No matter what, whether the movies are on the list or among the ones I mentioned, I hope you decide to give a few you’ve never seen a watch—and maybe even revisit an old favorite you haven’t thought of in a while. Happy watching!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving filled with love and laughter. 

Favorite Fictional Character --- Tootle

 

A long, long time ago I did a whole month of FFC posts highlighting some of my favorite Little Golden Books characters. I love so many of them that a few inevitably got left out, so tonight I’m finally starting to fix that.

Like a lot of people, some of the very first books I ever owned were Little Golden Books, and many of those characters still live in my heart. They’re the kinds of characters that help kids fall in love with reading, a gift they’ve been bestowiing for decades now. Tonight’s character debuted in 1945 in his self-titled book by Gertrude Crampton, and he has never been out of print. The sheer number of hearts and minds he’s touched, including my own, is honestly unfathomable. And as you’ve already seen from the title of this post, I’m talking about Tootle — the lovable train with a focusing problem.

Tootle, who is a youngster himself, goes to train school with dreams of becoming the Flyer between New York and Chicago. The one lesson drilled into his metallic little noggin over and over is simple: a good train stays on the tracks. One day he’s challenged to a race by a horse, and in order to win, he jumps the tracks and barrels into a meadow. What he doesn’t foresee is that he’s about to fall in love with meadow romps—chasing butterflies, enjoying the flowers, and generally living his best life. Through some clever trickery, the townspeople bring an end to his gallivanting and get him back on track (literally) toward Flyer stardom.

There’s an obvious lesson to be taken from Tootle’s story and a subtle one as well that I personally feel is a little emotionally damaging, but neither are what stayed with me over the years. What stuck with me was how Tootle made me feel—that spark of wonder and joy that hits you when a book opens up a little world just for you.

And just a quick thank-you to Michelle of True Book Addict for designing the brand-new FFC image. She made the original one as well, and even though I’m a bit sad to set that one aside, I’m genuinely in love with this new look.

The Dark Friars by Ryan J Hamshaw

 

Synopsis From Goodreads:

For Seventeen-year-old Liam O’Connor, nightmares become reality when he dreams of a fellow student's murder. Eager to uncover the truth, Liam and his friends investigate, revealing hidden secrets about his identity.

Targeted by the menacing Dark Friars, Liam is saved by the enigmatic Tariq, who introduces him to a supernatural world where good and evil battle in the shadows.

Can Liam juggle college, family, friendships, and desires while bearing the heavy responsibilities of his newfound destiny?

Against the picturesque cathedral city of Sarumbourne, the looming threat of the Dark Friars intensifies, and Liam's normal life shatters amid the chaos.

To be perfectly honest, this synopsis bores me to tears and gives the reader absolutely no clue how fantastic this book actually is. At least, it was for me. Not a single second was wasted. I was hooked from the first few sentences as we get dropped right into Liam’s nightmarishly violent dream. I was so sucked in that the second I finished, I bought a copy—even though it’s on Kindle Unlimited—and then bought the second book a few minutes later. I had zero self-control.

I don’t read a ton of YA. I think I read one or two last year, maybe the same this year. I’m only mentioning this because I don’t have a huge backlog to compare The Dark Friars to, but I can say I enjoyed it as much as my favorite YA of all time, Rotters by Daniel Kraus—just for completely different reasons. Liam, his friends Lily and Jack, Tariq, and the rest of the Keepers and Guild members pulled me straight into a world of immensee magic and the fight between those trying to protect it and those who want to twist it for their own nefarious means.

In a not-small way, The Dark Friars reminds me of my favorite TV show of all time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So much so that I’m giving in and breaking out the bullet points, though I still wish I could get away with using a giant Venn diagram.

• Like Buffy, Liam gets hit with immense power after the violent death of his predecessor. Unlike Buffy, Liam was forced to dream about that violent death for days.

• Buffy becomes the Slayer. Liam becomes the newest Keeper—one of six guardians protecting Sarumbourne from every manner of magical nightmare: shapeshifters, vampires, demons, and, of course, the Dark Friars.

• Buffy has the Watchers Council. Liam and the other Keepers have The Guild.

• Buffy has Willow and Xander. Liam has Lily and Jack—and honestly, I’d trade Xander for Jack in half a heartbeat. Jack is sooooo much better.

• Buffy has Angel. Liam has Tariq, and I’m already confident that Liam and Tariq are going to have a far healthier go of things.

That’s not to say the world the author has created feels derivative, because it absolutely doesn’t. This world stands entirely on its own and feels fully realized—a feat that can be difficult to pull off in the first book of a series. I could follow the paths of Craythorn Forest and Grovely Wood. The campus of Sarumbourne College is as real to me as my own. And I desperately want to wander the halls and rooms of The Seven Angels for myself. I think I would like it there.

All I know is that there better be a third, fourth, fifth, and twelfth book soon. Especially if they all have these gorgeous covers.

Favorite Fictional Character --- Jory Harcourt-Kage

 

Way back in 2010, I had a conversation with a few other bloggers about the sheer number of straight female authors writing m/m romance. I had no clue such a phenomenon was happening, and I was even more surprised to learn most of the readers were also straight women. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it—especially when I’d occasionally come across reviews that felt like the reviewer was fetishizing us. We have enough problems; I didn’t need a new one. Eventually, Mandi of Smexy Books talked me into reviewing one, and in September of 2011, I read and reviewed my first.

I was new to romance in general, and while that first book didn’t quite work for me for several reasons, I was willing to keep exploring the genre. It’s been a wild, occasionally chaotic ride over the last fourteen years. Since then, I’d say over 50% of my reading is m/m romance featuring every archetype imaginable: cowboys, Navy SEALs, hockey players, cops, bikers, werewolves, vampires, firemen, PIs, FBI agents, royalty, magic users, and spies. I quickly learned which authors I preferred, and while I do think the gay men writing in this genre feel more realistic, it is romance. It’s not supposed to be realistic.

One of those favorite authors is Mary Calmes. She’s one of the few writers whose new releases I will automatically buy, and a huge part of that is Jory Harcourt-Kage, the star of her A Matter of Time series. Jory is a character you will either adore or despise—there’s no in-between. He’s the kind of man who will give you the shirt off his back; if you were ever once a friend, he’ll drop everything to help you. He has a huge heart, and he doesn’t just wear it on his sleeve—it’s perched on top for the entire world to see it beating. His story is not meant to be factual; it is one of the most gloriously over-the-top romances I’ve ever read. If you don’t have a strong willingness to suspend your sense of disbelief, Mary Calmes is not the author for you.

But that same enormous heart is what gets Jory into trouble. It makes him a react-first, consequences-later person. He puts himself in danger constantly, convinced he’s protecting someone else. He’s been kidnapped, mixed up with gangsters and the mafia, nearly killed more than once, chased kidnappers, solved murders, been hunted by assassins, and was even paralyzed for a while. What amazes me most is that none of it has changed him. He’s still one of the most trusting characters I’ve read in decades. He gives almost everyone the benefit of the doubt, and he loves his family fiercely. He will do anything to protect them.

I absolutely adore Jory, his husband Sam, their kids, and their entire found family. He’s a character I revisit every year just to feel at home. And writing this has made me want to visit him again sooner rather than later.

Road of Bones by Christopher Golden

 

Synopsis From Dust Jacket:

Surrounded by barren trees in a snow-covered wilderness with a dim, dusty sky forever overhead, Siberia's Kolyma Highway is 1,200 miles of gravel-packed perma frost within driving distance of the Artic Circle. A narrow path where drivers face such challenging conditions as icy surfaces, limited visibility, and an average temperature of sixty degrees below zero, fatal car crashes are common. 

But motorists are not the only victims of the highway. Known as the Road of Bones, it is a massive graveyard for the former Soviet Union's gulag prisoners. Hundreds of thousands of people were worked to death and left where their bodies fell, consumed by the frozen elements and plowed beneath the road. 

Fascinated by the history, documentary film producer Felix "Teig" Teigland is in Russia to drive the highway, envisioning a new series capturing life and death on the Road of Bones with a ride to the town of Akhust, "the coldest place on Earth," collecting ghost stories and local legends along the way. However, when Teig and his team reach their destination, they find an abandoned town, save one catatonic nine-year-old girl—and a pack of predatory wolves, faster and smarter than any wilds animals should be. 

Pursued by the otherworldly beasts, Teig's companions confront even more uncanny and inexplicable phenomenon along the Road of Bones, as if the ghosts of Stalin's victims were haunting them. It is a harrowing journey that will push Teig to the edge of human endurance. 

Damn, that is a long synopsis. Normally, when a synopsis runs that long, I’ll try to condense it myself, but everything I cut made it unreadable. So, apologies in advance for a summary that’s longer than my review.

This has been my year of intentional rereads—mostly because I wanted the comfort of knowing I’d be spending time with books I already loved. And in a few cases (some of which I’ve already reviewed), there were books I read after I stopped blogging or writing anything longer than a two or three sentence Goodreads review that I’ve been itching to finally write a “proper” review for. Road of Bones by Christopher Golden is one of them.

There are a few living authors I love enough to be automatic buys that I can count them on one hand. Christopher Golden has been on that list since I read his Buffy the Vampire Slayer tie-ins. How quickly I get around to reading each new book he releases is a different story.

What I adore about horror—when it’s done right—is its ability to rip my heart out, leaving me on the floor, shattered beyond comprehension. That ability to break me never fails to satisfy, even when I’m mourning characters who grew to mean so much. Golden writes the way I dreamed of writing as a kid, and because of that he creates worlds populated with characters I connect to instantly—people who feel so real I’m fully immersed within a few pages.

That ability is in 3D Technicolor in Road of Bones. From the moment Teig’s truck slams into a guardrail on the Kolyma Highway as he skids across icy permafrost, to the moment Nari stomps her hooves before slipping back into the forest, I’m sold. I’m ready and willing to believe in the reality Golden has created.

This is a folk-horror, ghost-story fever dream set in a place most of us wouldn’t survive for five minutes. I felt every icy blade of wind cutting through the landscape. I saw shadows sliding across my walls as they crawled out of the dark. I felt the fleeting relief, the deep bone-cold terror, the fierce love I developed for these characters, and eventually the hollow sorrow that settled in as I followed them across Siberia. And yes, I know I’ll put myself through it again with a kind of twisted joy.

Now I just need to decide which of the other four Golden books sitting on my shelves I’m going to pick up next.