Month: December 2019

December 2019 Reads – Part 2

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In December, I read a lot of Christmas themed picturebooks. These were books about Christmas trees, Reindeer, Santa Claus and one nativity book. I also read one of the books from Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Treehouse series for the first time. Now, I am reading the whole series from beginning. The concept is that a brother and sister, Jack and Annie discover a magic treehouse in the woods. You can travel through time, in real and fantasy worlds by pointing at a picture in a book and wishing you were there. The Magic Treehouse series follows the adventures of Jack and Annie. Looking forward to reading exciting children’s books in 2020.

December 2019 Reads – Part 1

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December was a good reading month, given that I had a lot of holidays. I read fiction, non-fiction and children’s books (next post). Among non-fiction, I loved Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. This book is a creative person’s bible and reveals the pleasures and pains of a creative life. The other book, The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People by David Niven revealed 100 secrets for a happy life. Each secret was a statement followed by an example showing the application of the secret and supporting scientific literature or quotes. Among fiction books, Miracle Creek by Angie Kim and Into the Water by Paula Hawkins were murder mystery/thrillers. Into the Water is a decent thriller but not as good as the previous novel, The Girl on the Train. Miracle Creek was a bookstagram favorite but it did not live up to my expectations because I guessed the ending within 30% of the novel. A Woman is no Man by Etaf Rum and The Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia were good reads. A …

Merry Christmas!

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Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Room for a Little One tells the nativity story with animals playing the main role. An ox was in his shed. He sees a dog and invites him to come in. After the dog, comes the cat, mouse and a donkey carrying Mary. All of them are welcome in the shed. Jesus Christ is born in the shed among the presence of animals. This story teaches kindness and helping one another in time of need. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

The Night Before Christmas

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The Night Before Christmas is a poem written by Clement Clarke Moore and was first published in 1823, and is still remembered today. The poem writes about what happens the night before Christmas. The whole house was asleep but the owner was awoken by the visit of Santa Claus to his home. This poem painted Santa Claus as a jolly old man on a sleigh pulled by 8 reindeer, dressed in red and jumping down through the chimney to leave gifts. In a way Clement Moore painted the modern image of Santa Claus. The illustrations in this book were by Mary Engelbreit and are rich in detail. Enjoy the Christmas Eve!

Christmas decorations

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I visited Rochester Hills downtown yesterday. The storefronts had beautiful display of Christmas decorations. I loved the Christmas tree dress in the second picture decked with bright red lights. This time of the year is a good season for window shopping, so remember to head down to Rochester Hills downtown.

If Animals Celebrated Christmas

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Have you imagined what if animals lived as humans? If Animals Celebrated Christmas picturebook imagines exactly that. If Animals Celebrated Christmas, then a penguin would write a letter to Santa, a tortoise would make a secret holiday wish, and baby Koala and mama would make their tree a Christmas tree by decking it with berries. I loved the cute animal illustrations. This book sparks interest in little ones, they can identify all the animals and read about how animals celebrated Christmas.

Big Bright Lights

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It is time for the Big Bright Lights in Rochester Hills downtown. A million lights adorn the storefronts in downtown Rochester Hills. Walking through the street and looking at all the Christmas decorations feels like a dream. The decorations are sure to cheer you up in the cold winter. Make sure you visit if you are around Rochester Hills, MI.

The 12 Sleighs of Christmas

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What if Santa’s sleigh is under repair and there is a chance that it might not be ready on Christmas Eve? Will the elves build a new sleigh or repair the old one? In 12 Sleighs of Christmas, the elves decide to build a new modern sleigh for Santa, because his old sleigh is broken. The elves divide into 12 teams and come up with 12 modern designs. Will Santa choose one of the designs or stick with his trusty old sleigh? Find out more in this picturebook. The geekiness is set to the max in this book. The designs that the elves come up with are innovative and bring a smile on your face. This is the most techie Christmas book I read this year.

Who is Santa Claus?

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Did you believe in Santa Claus while growing up? Do you know the origin of Santa Claus? Today many know Santa Claus as a jolly old elf who brings gifts to children on Christmas Eve. Modern day Santa Claus has his roots in the 3rd and 4th century Roman Empire. Saint Nicholas was a bishop in Myra, a small town in modern Turkey. Saint Nicholas defended the church doctrine during the ‘great persecution’ by Roman Empire when Christianity was attacked. He was also known as the patron of children. In one story, he saved 3 girls from prostitution by giving money to their father so that he could marry them off. In another story he resurrected 3 boys who were murdered by an inn keeper. By 13th century Nicholas came to be known as magical bringer of gifts. Immigrants from Netherlands bought the concept of Saint Nicholas to the new colonies. The Santa Claus that we know today first appeared in 1823 in the poem, ‘The Night Before Christmas’. To this day the picture of …

Samurai Santa

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In Samurai Santa, Yukio wants an epic snowball fight. Big flakes of snow fell on Christmas Eve and are perfect for a snowball fight. But all the ninjas want to be good and practice their skills so that they don’t miss the presents from Santa. Will Samurai Santa fulfill Yukio’s wish? This culturally diverse book has illustrations which reminded me of comic books. A fun book for the family!