Ho ho ho! Merry New Year! This post is a tad late now that we’re in January, but I will share my seasonal reads with you all nonetheless! Seriously, how did Christmas come and go so quickly?! It’s hard to believe the holidays are over and the stores are all peddling their Valentine’s goods. I suppose time flies even when you’re not having fun…and totally dreading what’s to come after January 20th. Wow, that got dark fast.! To lighten the mood, here are my light and fluffy holiday reads:

Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop, edited by Otto Penzler

I saw this collection of short stories at Barnes and Noble and just had to pluck it off the shelf! How could I resist 12 short stories about crimes surrounding a bookshop during the Christmas season? As with most short story collections, I had to weed through some duds to get to the good stuff, but It was well worth my while. Here are my faves:

“Snowflake Time” by Laura LIppman: This story is told by a typical white male Fox News enthusiast who bemoans the “snowflakes” in his newspaper columns. I despised him right from the jump, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the karma unfold. This story had the most satisfying ending, and I loved every bit of it.

“The Gift of the Wiseguy” by Rob Hart: This is a bittersweet crime story about a former mob boss making amends with his son. He pays a visit to the Mysterious Bookshop, where his son is giving a reading. Bad things happen when a rival mob discovers their nemesis came out of hiding, and I’ll stop right there to save you from spoilers. I will say that this is a true Christmas story about love and atonement.

“The Christmas Party” by Jeffrey Deaver: This is a twisty little suspense story about a nurse who offers to put a geriatric patient out of his misery—but only after he gets to enjoy his last Christmas party at the old folks’ home. I must admit I didn’t see the plot twist coming—well done!

“A Christmas Puzzle” by Ragnar Jónasson: This is, in my humble opinion, the best story in the entire book! An 80-year-old woman makes a special trip to the Mysterious Bookshop to ask the bookseller to help her solve a puzzle. Together, they solve the literary-themed word riddles, leading to an unbelievable outcome. Wowza—I didn’t see that one coming!

It Happened One Christmas Eve by Jenn McKinlay

This little novella was just fun! If you love a good, silly Hallmark Christmas movie full of hijinks and over-the-top characters, this book is for you. We’re dealing with a reverse Cinderella situation: a woman running away from her Prince Charming (in a glittering ball gown and heels, no less) and hijacking a carriage to get out of dodge. Turns out, she’s stolen Santa’s ride, but this is no ordinary fat man in a red suit. Nope, he’s an undercover reporter with washboard abs looking for a juicy story about the runaway fiancée. Together they make a pact: he helps her get to her hideaway cottage, and she promises him an exclusive story. Hijinks ensue as they run amok in Manhattan, and the romance gets steamier with every misadventure. Love it! This was the perfect escape for all my post-election day woes. A big thanks to the author for giving me a nice little break from reality.

The Scary Book of Christmas Lore: 50 Terrifying Yuletide Tales from Around the World by Tim Rayborn

I’m giving this three stars on Goodreads for the amazing artwork alone. The illustrations are both horrifying and stunning, including the cover art! I just wish I could say the same for the content, which was quite underwhelming. Instead of fireside storytelling, which is what I was hoping for, these little chapters read more like encyclopedia articles, just dry facts about the ghoulish monsters with a few snarky remarks. This would have been better if the author had picked just a few really good, scary stories and fleshed them out more instead of cramming 50 entries into the book. Many of the factoids were repetitive, with each monster punishing naughty children with a switch….blah, blah, blah. I grew rather bored and ended up skimming most of the book. The art, however, is amazing, so I will revisit this little book every holiday season just to scare myself silly by looking at these ghoulish holiday beasts! What can I say? I love a good scare on a cold winter’s night!

Shock and Paw: Cat Cafe Mystery Book 8 by Cate Conte

Let me start off by saying I FREAKING LOVE THIS SERIES! I always look forward to visiting Maddie’s cat café on Daybreak Island. Oh, how I wish this were my life! I mean, yeah, her cute little touristy town has an unusually high murder rate, but other than that, it’s so peaceful and charming. This time around, Maddie’s juggling a lot of plates amidst the busy holiday season. In addition to dealing with her injured grandfather (he really should leave the rooftop decorating to the professionals), she must solve the mystery of the murdered newspaper owner to get her best friend off the hook! Amidst all the madness, there’s a shady cat breeder in town, and Maddie isn’t about to let these poor, helpless kitties get exploited. And this right here is why I love this book series so much. Maddie is passionate about rescuing the kitties, and she hates breeders as much as I do! This was a fun, festive read that delivered all the cozy Christmas vibes for cat rescue enthusiasts. It’s the cat’s meow! Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

How Snowball Stole Christmas by Kristen McKanagh

This fun little holiday romance is the cat’s meow! Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I have thoroughly enjoyed all three books in this series and highly recommend them to cat ladies like me who need something light and fluffy to read during the stressful holiday season. This time around, little Snowball is playing matchmaker with two of her newest friends, Lara (the local toy shop owner) and Peter (bookshop owner and Grinch). He’s salty about her securing a coveted storefront location, so he pens an anonymous online column bemoaning this new toy shop interloper’s alleged “corporate agenda.” Gee, what a charmer. I’m really rooting for this guy to win over the girl…not. Thankfully, Snowball is on the beat, and she’s maximizing all of her white, fluffy cute charms to bring these reluctant lovers together. The plot thickens when Lara’s repugnant sister-in-law guilts her into taking care of her little kid—an impossible task for someone who’s burning the candle at both ends to run a brand-new business. Let this be a lesson to all of us: we need to use the word “NO!” more often! Wouldn’t you know it, Peter’s frosty attitude melts away as he swoops in to save the day and, well, you can only guess what happens next. Despite the basic plot and predictable ending, this was the purrfect antidote for my holiday/post-election stress, and I’m a little sad this is the last book in the series. Oh well, that’s why I always have my “Chet and Bernie” mysteries to turn to when life gets too stressful!

Holiday Hideaway by Mary Kay Andrews

First, I must ask: Mary Kay Andrews, are you okay? I mean…what was this story even? A fully employed woman and her dog are left homeless after a nasty divorce, so she ends up squatting at a vacation rental handled by her real estate company/place of employment? How does this even happen? Then, the romance begins when the hunky nephew of the deceased homeowner comes to handle the affairs? What? This was strange, yet mildly entertaining, so I’m going to give it two generous stars on Goodreads. I’d add another star if this had more holiday vibes, which I think the author forgot about while penning one of the world’s most awkward holiday romance novellas. Seriously, so odd.

DNFs

Snowed In at the Cat Cafe by Rachel Rowlands

I could not DNF this book fast enough when I read that most of the cat cafe kitties come from BREEDERS!!! Maybe this is just me being an ignorant American, but do cats not need rescuing in jolly ol’ England? We have a homeless pet explosion crisis all across the nation, so the thought of a cat cafe adopting out (or selling, I guess?) breeder cats is atrocious. It was actually a relief to have a solid reason for giving up on this book early because the beginning chapters were soooooo boring. No thanks.

Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict

I tried. I really did. I came for the “Murder on the Orient Express” thrill ride, but it turned out to be a slow-moving story with a HUGE cast of characters. I couldn’t keep track of everyone amidst the rapid-fire dialogue, so I gave up the ghost very early on. If you choose to read this, I highly advise putting pen to paper and keeping a glossary of all the characters.

A Christmas Ghost Story by Kim Newman

I was hoping this would be a gothic Christmastime ghost story, but this novella didn’t cut it. The plot didn’t seem to go anywhere, and the atmosphere just felt grim and dismal. I’m sorry to say this was not my cup of Christmas tea.