Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Wednesday Words: Seasonal Books

My thoughts this week are on what I feel are best described as seasonal books. Oftentimes with Christmas or holiday leanings, these stories aren't ones that are typically bought or checked out other than during December. So I'm curious - how many people actually read these books, or are they just coffee table items we place out once a year or impulse buys that get dusty with each passing season?

I'm usually pretty indifferent. When I was little I was all over it, but as I got older I found some of them to be just this side of hokey or cheesy. I love the holiday season, which only puzzled me more about why I wasn't liking books that took place right now. To me, it's a question of balance, and it was an area that many of the books I found were lacking in. Too religious or too gimicky or too sappy or too ridiculous, plus it had to stand up to my usual standards, too. I thought I was done with seasonal reads for good.

But right now, I'm so happy to be proven wrong and that, like any other time of year, it's just a matter of finding the right book. I recently read Let it Snow, a collection of three holiday romances by YA superstars Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle (yes you can expect a video and review to be posted here very soon). In short, I loved it. It has that spark and spunk and balance I was looking for. I checked it out from my library and hadn't even finished yet before I went out and bought myself my own copy because I could already tell this would be a new favorite of mine. I can't wait to keep reading it over and over again this holiday season, especially now that Thanksgiving has passed and it's legal for me to listen to Christmas music, too.

Comments welcome, and, as always, happy reading.

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