Christmas Books to Warm Your Winter

As the weather turns a crisp winter cold, the perfect opportunity awaits near a warm blanket, winter fireplace and whipped hot cocoa: Christmas books. Nestled in my winter comfort, I found myself captivated by two new books published by Revell this month: The Unfinished Gift and The Christmas Dog.

The first book I enjoyed, called The Unfinished Gift, is the first book written by Pastor Dan Walsh. The story centers on the Christmas celebration of a young boy named Patrick. Many characters and personalities are dispersed in this little man’s life, as he finds himself dropped into the home of a bitter grandfather. Likeable Patrick creates a relationship and is liked by everyone except his last living relative-Grandpa.

The setting takes place in a detailed winter scene, so well written I could imagine the snowflakes falling or the freezing cold piercing Patrick’s heart. The imagery and detail in The Unfinished Gift place you in the middle of a winter Christmas. The emotion of the story places you at the feet of Patrick and into the bitterness of his grandpa. When you read the story, you’ll see a cast of characters helping this young man with the recent loss of his loving mother. The author walks us into a journey of the past, showing how family bitterness begins and how it affects future generations. Beautifully written right to the very end, this book would make a wonderful movie! Click the book cover to find more information about The Unfinished Gift, or you can preview a chapter of the book here.

Another enjoyable Christmas book was just published by award winning author Melody Carlson. You’ll want a copy of her new book The Christmas Dog just for the cover photo alone-it’s going to capture your heart! In this Christmas book, a runaway daughter seeks the safety of her Grandma’s home, a few days before Christmas.  A relationship develops between Avery, a young woman in her mid-twenties, and Betty, the Christian grandmother living alone. The young woman is seeking shelter from a difficult mother, as she desires maturity and independence. Another relationship in The Christmas Dog occurs between Grandma and her neighbors, revealing a level of mistrust, gossip and fear.

The Christmas Dog is about a tiny lost dog finding his way into the lives of these characters. While he never speaks words in the story, the Christmas Dog shares a language of love and imprints on each of the people in the story. I wasn’t pleased with the dog’s name-Ralph-since he’s so much cuter on the cover photo and in the story. As a dog owner, I think the author could have selected a dog name rather than a human name, that’s just my opinion. Overall, the book is excellent, even my middle-school daughter enjoyed it! Preview a chapter from the book here. Click the book cover image, to read more information about The Christmas Dog.

A third Christmas book published by Revell, called Finding Christmas-Stories Startling Joy and Perfect Peace, is another great addition to this list of Christmas Books. I’m about to read this book by James Calvin Schaap, award-winning author and storyteller, as he reveals the grace, joy, and love of the season. His inspiring and contemporary collection of stories about Finding Christmas are a welcome gift, during the usual holiday stress. You can take a sneek peek inside this book when you click here. To learn more about Finding Christmas-Stories Startling Joy and Perfect Peace please click the book cover image.

If you’re looking for a Christmas Gift for someone who enjoys reading, I recommend these books, The Unfinished Gift by Pastor Dan Walsh, The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson and Finding Christmas by James Calvin Schapp. Buy all three books as a memorable and lasting gift for your family.  I’m looking forward to reading these stories each year on Christmas-with a warm blanket, hot cocoa and glowing fire. Be sure to place a copy under your tree so you can read them year after year as a Christmas Gift!

The Unfinished Gift- My Amazon Review 5/5

The Christmas Dog- My Amazon Review  5/5

Finding Christmas-My Amazon Review (coming soon)

Both books published by Revell, are available from your favorite bookstore.

Disclaimer: As a book reviewer, I receive advanced copies of books from Revell and I am not compensated for the reviews.