The Christmas Clock is Ticking

DEBORAH CROMBIE: My suggestion (which I don't see being adopted anytime soon) is that Americans should celebrate Thanksgiving in the middle of October, like our dear Canadian neighbors. The fourth Thursday in November is pretty arbitrary, after all, as President Lincoln originally designated a holiday of thanksgiving (hoping to calm the strife of the Civil War) on the last Thursday of November.  But there was a big stink in 1939 when there were five Thursdays in November, and in 1941 Congress decreed that Thanksgiving would fall on the fourth Thursday of the month. This was condemned as a blatant power grab by retailers to extend the Christmas shopping season (gosh, imagine that!) but there Thanksgiving has stayed. 

 

But when Thanksgiving falls late, as it did this year, it leaves us with a mere four weeks to recover from one holiday and get everything organized for the next, and I am one of those folks who is never ready! Here I am a week into the month and I have bought a total of four gifts: a bottle of the amazing garlic-removing hand scrub for my daughter, and two books and a fountain pen for my granddaughter. I don't even have a list!

Nor have I bought a tree, and my one little gesture towards decorating has been to change the sofa cushions to the Christmas version. I have a good friend, an interior designer, who has all her shopping done and wrapped at least two weeks before Thanksgiving! I gaze at her and marvel!

How are you doing, my darling Reds? Is your shopping finished or barely started? Are you do-ahead-ers, or last-minute-ers? Do you welcome the Christmas season with cries of joy, or with moans of "Already? Please can I have another week or two?"

RHYS BOWEN:  I’m almost done. Everything ordered online which means packages arriving in a steady stream. Most of my cards are mailed. On Sunday my neighbors who are dear friends come to decorate the tree. Since they are Jewish this is a lovely moment for all of us. Then it’s wrapping presents before I juggle the logistics of where to put 7 people in which bedroom and how much food will 15 people eat. 

 

JENN McKINLAY: I hosted Thanksgiving and then had three days to write 12K words to finish a book due on the first. Then I caught the crud and have mostly recovered. I have a 5K to run this Sunday and then I might start to think about decorating for Xmas. Thankfully, I’m not hosting — just bringing dessert— none of my people are gift oriented so it’s mostly cash, gift cards, a sweater, a book or two and boom we’re done! 

 

HALLIE EPHRON: Hanukah will be early this year, too, and I’ve just bought chocolate coins for the kiddoes and a fresh bunch of candles. 

But the best thing is that my kids and grands will be here for a week, celebrating Christmas. so I’m heading out soon for a mini tree and the Xmas presents from the kids are ordered. Otherwise I try to keep gifts for grownups limited to homemade candy (chocolate turtles and chocolate-coverred orange rind) and money. And of course lots of good food (potato latkes and brisket for Hanukah-after-Hanukah). 

 

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Ha ha ha ha ha.  I have holiday cards. In their boxes. I have a mailing list. Will the two ever meet? We shall see.

All of the Christmas decorations are up all over our neighborhood, so we will bask in the reflected light of our more organized neighbors.

As for gifts. Ha ha ha, see above. 

Every year I say – – let’s get a tree! And Jonathan says we’re Jewish. And I don’t see how that matters. 

And we’re not sure if anyone is coming, so hey, if they can’t decide, I don’t need to decide either. Right? It’ll all be fine. No matter what. 

 

LUCY BURDETTE: We are pretty much done because we had to be. We head to California next week to see the grands and needed to send things ahead so we can open while we’re there. (Otherwise our gifts get lost in the mayhem of the actual day…) We don’t have a live tree anymore as by the time they arrive in Key West, they are already losing needles. So we pulled out our little fake tree last night, put lights on the balcony, and decorated a small extra Norfolk pine. The pillows are in varied states of disarray as Lottie tore into them over the years–they are all out anyway except for my favorite Santa, which she still believes is hers! (PS cards are done too because we had a good photo to use! Plus Shutterfly makes it pretty darn easy.)

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: The tree arrived yesterday, courtesy of my friend Samantha, who picked it up from the Gray Fire Department sale. Only live trees in Maine - at least for now.

I've shopped for several kids in actual stores, and will probably order the majority of the rest of the gifts online. Cards? Ahahahaha! I have the same box I bought last year, untouched. Someday, I'll have my act together enough to send them out on time, but this is not that year.

The next step for me is house cleaning, which fell WAY off while I've been traveling for the new book. I can't stand decorating on top of dust or mess, so everything needs to have at least a swipe with the lemon oil and a few passes of the vacuum. 

The holiday is a bit in flux this year, since my son just got a new job and the Mrss. haven't decided how much of it will be at my house and how much at home with the new baby. Which is fine; since the pandemic years, I've been more and more relaxed about the holidays. One way or another, it will all be fun! 

DEBS: How about it, dear readers? Is Christmas sneaking up on you? 

I hope you are all so organized that you will spend the next couple of weeks sitting in front of the fire, sipping hot chocolate and reading good books!

Rambling Notes on What I'm Reading by Lucy Burdette

 LUCY BURDETTE: Probably because I finished the draft of the short story I was working on as well as the murder mystery for the library, and because I was sick of course, I had more time to read this week. I feel so lucky (and I know you guys do too) to have talented writing friends from this blog and beyond whose books I savor. But once I’d torn through the three new ones from Jenn, Rhys and Julia, what could be next?

“I’ve got nothing to read,” I said to John. He just laughed.

Since our library book sale season is coming up, I took this as a sign to sort through my stacks to cull out ones that, to be honest, I will never read or reread, and try a few others that I’d set aside for some reason. One of those was Fly Girl by Ann Hood. She was a guest speaker for our Friends of the Key West Library series last spring, along with her husband Michael Ruhlman. They were so lovely! Fly Girl tells the story of Ann’s years training and working as a stewardess with Pan Am. It may sound like an odd topic, but it was really fascinating and she’s a wonderful writer so I highly recommend. Then I picked up The Family Chao, about a family of Chinese immigrants with three sons who have settled in a small town in Wisconsin and are running a Chinese restaurant. It was beautifully written, but I had to skim through parts of it because their lives were so grim. I’ll probably think about it for a long time. For something lighter, I moved on to Jenny Colgan’s Secret Christmas Library. It’s a perfect Christmas read, with people snowed into a castle in northern Scotland with hundreds of thousands of old books as they hunt for the one that might be worth enough to save this estate. Very much fun and on point for the season.

Next I turned to my dusty iPad to open my Kindle app because you know and I know I have hundreds of books waiting there. I’ve been wanting to read The Correspondent forever. But I was thwarted because I’d let the charge die, so I had to turn back to a paper book. I dug out Lizzie and Dante by Mary Bly. I wondered if this was one of the books that Debs recommended? I often follow her lead when it comes to women’s fiction. I’ll keep you posted on that--so far I love it. 

What are you guys reading? Anything out of your usual lane?

***By the way, SUSAN is the winner of Ellen Byron's Crescent City Christmas Chaos! Please email me at raisleib at gmail dot com and we'll arrange the drop...

Book Clubs, Part 2

LUCY BURDETTE: Back in August we had a post that featured our new summer releases, The Mango Murders, Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventure, and All This Could Be Yours. 

The Reds have three more books out this fall, and we invite you to choose one or more of them for your book group’s discussion. Here now are questions for Jenn McKinlay’s WITCHES OF DUBIOUS ORIGIN, Julia Spencer-Fleming’s AT MIDNIGHT COMES THE CRY, and Rhys Bowen’s FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE. They might also suggest a snack that might best complement the stories!

Jenn McKinlay’s Readers Discussion Questions (no spoilers version): Witches of Dubious Origin

Identity and Legacy

Zoe discovers she is descended from a powerful line of witches. How does her background and family history shape her sense of identity? In what ways does she resist and in what ways does she embrace her witch heritage?

Magical Books

The mysterious family grimoire plays a central role in the story. What does the locked book symbolize for Zoe and for the BODO (Books of Dubious Origin) team? How is knowledge (especially magical knowledge) portrayed as a form of power? What did you think of Freya? Would you want a book-cat of your own?

Fear, Vows, and Promises

Zoe made a vow (to her mother) never to use magic — how does that promise affect her decisions? Do you think her fear of magic stems more from personal loss, or from the responsibility that comes with power (or both)? How do promises like that drive the conflict?

Found Family & Community

The BODO staff become a kind of found family for Zoe. What roles do Jasper, Olive, Miles, and Tariq play in her journey — not just in solving magical mysteries, but in her emotional growth? How does belonging to a community change her outlook?

Good vs. Evil & Moral Ambiguity

There are dark forces at work, including an antagonist who threatens Zoe. How does the novel define “evil”? Are the magical threats purely bad, or are there shades of gray? What moral challenges does Zoe face as she learns to harness her power, and how does she choose to use it?

 

Because our heroine Zoe survives on a diet of junk food, here is the classic recipe for Rice Krispie Treats, a bad breakfast choice for her—IYKYK.

 

Recipe: Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients:

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

4 cups mini marshmallows (or about 10 oz large marshmallows)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

(Optional) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

(Optional) A pinch of salt

Instructions:

Prepare your pan

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan (or line it with parchment paper) so treats don’t stick.

Melt butter and marshmallows

In a large pot over low to medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the marshmallows and stir constantly until they are completely melted and smooth. If using, stir in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.

Mix in cereal

Remove the pot from heat. Quickly add the Rice Krispies cereal and gently fold until all the cereal is coated with the marshmallow mixture.

Press into pan

Using a buttered spatula or lightly buttered hands, press the mixture evenly into your prepared pan. Don’t press too hard — you want them compact but still a little light so they're chewy, not rock hard.

Cool and cut

Let the treats cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes (or until set). Then cut into squares.

Serve and store

Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 2–3 days at room temperature.

Discussion Questions for Rhys Bowen’s newest Royal Spyness mystery,  From Cradle to Grave.

What do you think of Georgie’s reaction to a new nanny appearing on her doorstep?

What would your reaction have been?

Do you think she should have spoken out sooner?

How would you feel about having a nanny for your child?

Did you cheer when Georgie finally put Fig in her place?

Did you enjoy the complex puzzle of the mystery? 

Were you surprised when you  found the link between the victims or had you guessed something similar?

If you’ve been following the series from the beginning how do you think that Georgie has grown and matured?

Queenie…love her or hate her?

Has the writer played fair with the clues?

 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING:  

 

Discussion questions for AT MIDNIGHT COMES THE CRY (and book club snack suggestions!)

 

Both Russ Van Alstyne and Clare Fergusson are wrestling with changes of their identities - from police chief to unemployed, and from a couple to a family with a child. How well do they manage these transitions? Do you think they're avoiding these changes, or tackling them head-on? Have you ever faced a major life change, and if so, how did you deal with it?

 

Clare impetuously (how else?) gets involved with two women on the fringes of a white militia movement. Is her desire to change their views generous, or naïve? Do you think she succeeds in any way?

 

Kevin Flynn has always wanted to be a police officer. After the events of the book, do you think he still belongs in law enforcement? 

 

Hadley Knox juggles her job, her kids and helping her grandfather. She doesn't really want to care about Kevin and what nay have happened to him, but she just can't help herself. If you were sitting down to a cup of coffee with Hadley, what advice would you give her?

 

Nature plays a large role in the story. Can you see yourself winter hiking through the Adirondacks, or are you more likely to be at home playing Christmas music by the fireplace?

 

Do you see any symbolism in the natural world versus the man-made concrete environment we spend time in later in the book?

 

We meet two new characters who throw their hats in with our heroes. What do you imagine happening to them after the end of the story? 

 

Snack: Clare serves shortbread cookies to Russ, Hadley and Yixin Zhao when they meet at the rectory. If you don't have parishioners dropping cookies off to you, I suggest Celia Wakefield's shortbread recipe. You can make it more seasonal by adding crushed candy cane or peppermint crunch to the dough. Serve with the strong hot cocoa the group shares while decorating the tree - and if you're not sober, like Russ and Clare, a tot of bourbon in the cocoa is very nice indeed!

Reds, have you read these books yet? What are your book groups reading--and eating?