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.