Seasonal Non-fiction: The First Christmas by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan

In The First Christmas Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan—top Jesus scholars and authors of The Last Week—help us see the real Christmas story buried in the familiar Bible accounts. Basing their interpretations on the two nativity narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Borg and Crossan focus on the literal story—the inner truth rather than the historical facts—to offer a clear and uplifting message of hope and peace. With The First Christmas readers get a fresh, deep, and new understanding of the nativity story, enabling us to better appreciate the powerful message of the Gospels.


File Size: 726 KB
Print Length: 274 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0281060045
Publisher: HarperOne; 1 edition (October 13, 2009)
Publication Date: October 13, 2009
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
Language: English
ASIN: B000WPXTJ2

Order here!

Mailbox Monday - October 16

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Is it possible I haven't participate in Mailbox Monday since August 28? Wow! My life must truly be crazy. Here is the abridged version: tons of closings and some new listings (made top listing agent in my office in September), continued health issues plague my father-in-law and I'm very involved in his care, it's soccer season, and I'm still trying to pretend I can make time for my writing.

In the book world, I'm doing a bit better with reading but still not a lot of time for that. I'm usually too exhausted. That hasn't stopped me from buying anything. :)

Stopped by Traveler Restaurant in Union, CT in September. You can choose three free books when you dine there and books are also available to purchase. Picked up these two:

This must have been before they decided to separate it into separate volumes to make it more manageable. 

This also has different editions now and there are four books in the series.

Being a true Laura Ingalls Wilder fan I picked up these two new books from Amazon:

And who can resist a book sale from Christianbook.com...not me. 

This arrived from an author I had read before:

This was received for a virtual book tour:

That's it from me. I pray you all have a great week filled with blessings. Hope you'll share some of your new books here.

Book Review: A Tree's Christmas by James Andrew Bowen

A Tree's Christmas by James Andrew Bowen must be one of the most beautiful, magical tales of the season ever written.

As has long been a family tradition, once the season is over the Christmas tree is taken out to the yard and placed in the garden to lay until spring. After this particular Christmas, the trees around the garden wake from their winter slumber to hear the story of the young fir and the important part he played in the family's lives.

Once in a while a seasonal story touches your heart in such a way you can't help but share it. That's certainly true of A Tree's Christmas. I smiled. I cried. It truly warmed my heart. This is a book that will be treasured for years to come. The reading of A Tree's Christmas would be the perfect tradition to start in your home. I know I'll be starting it in mine.


Hardcover: 68 pages
Publisher: Clearview Communications Publishing; 1st edition (September 2, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0979359317
ISBN-13: 978-0979359316

I received a free copy from the publisher. This review contains my honest opinion, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Family Christmas Book: A Tree's Christmas by James Andrew Bowen

What if your Christmas tree could talk? What would it say? Did Anne dream this story of the talking Christmas tree, or could it be real? You must decide for yourself. The story starts when a love-filled family's Christmas in the country is over. The Christmas tree's decorations are gently removed. Anne, her dad and their dog, Lucky, take the tree outside and lay it down in the snow-covered garden. That night, to the amazement, surprise and delight of the trees around the garden, the Christmas tree begins telling the exciting story of its wonder-filled adventures inside the family s home during the Christmas season. All night, the trees listen as the Christmas tree tells its stories, and then ... A Tree's Christmas will inspire children of all ages to appreciate anew the wonders of a family Christmas, and how the tree, at the center of it all, can play an even more meaningful role in the celebration than anyone can imagine. And, as the Christmas tree tells of its adventures, readers will come to understand the importance of leading a rich, full life that makes a difference no matter what others say. It s a story that can be told over and over every Christmas, for generations to come, and still have genuine meaning for all who read it.

PRAISE FOR A TREE'S CHRISTMAS

"This could be a new Christmas classic!” -- Chicago Daily Herald

“A Tree's Christmas: A Talking Tree's Story of its Christmas Adventures, is an inspirational children's chapter book with heartwarming appeal for all ages. The Christmas tree itself is the gentle story's star, and even though other bigger trees in the forest have ridiculed or belittled the tree, it is true to its own story and attests to the virtue of perseverance and fidelity in the face of hardship. A Tree's Christmas deals with many relevant themes; the circle of life and death, family love and support, and enduring hard times to remember joy in the end. A Tree's Christmas will be a treasured gift to share with a loved one, child or adult. Its lessons of a brief life fully lived in gratitude for the wonder of creation are to be respectfully passed on to new generations.”
--James A. Cox, Editor in Chief, Children’s Bookwatch in The Midwest Book Review

“It’s a sweet children’s Christmas story that I’m sure young children will like,” commented reviewer Dr. Judith Briles, author of more than 20 books and board member of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. “Adults will understand and love the circle of life theme. And, of course, the author reminds us there’s a lot more to a tree than its branches and leaves! The surprise ending will touch everyone’s hearts.”

For more information, visit http://www.atreeschristmas.com/

Gift Idea: Letters to Santa Claus by The Elves

For years, children and adults have stuffed their candid dreams, wishes, and promises into envelopes addressed to Santa Claus. Whether the envelopes come with stamps or without, are addressed to "The Big Red Guy at Jingle Bells Lane" or simply "To Santa," for over 100 years, millions of these letters have poured into Santa Claus, Indiana. Arriving from all corners of the globe, the letters ask for toys, family reunions, snow, and help for the needy―sometimes the needy being the writers themselves. They are candid, heartfelt, and often blunt. Many children wonder how Santa gets into their chimneyless homes. One child reminds Santa that she has not hit her brothers over 1,350 times that year, and another respectfully requests two million dollars in "cold cash." One child hopes to make his life better with a time machine, an adult woman asks for a man, and one miscreant actually threatens Santa’s reindeer! Containing more than 250 actual letters and envelopes from the naughty and nice reaching back to the 1930s, this moving book will touch readers’ hearts and bring back memories of a time in our lives when the man with a white beard and a red suit held out the hope that our wishes might come true.

Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Indiana University Press (October 5, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0253017939
ISBN-13: 978-0253017932

Purchase here!