Welcome to Advent Reads!
This is an event I have had on my blog for several years running now. Each evening I feature a different holiday themed book. Think of it as your Book Advent Calendar! I post a variety of holiday books including romance, children's, middle-grade, mystery, paranormal, and I try to find some that are other holiday celebrations than Christmas too. I hope you will stop by each evening to see what new book I have for you!
Read for: Borrowed Books
Synopsis: "In Esther's Gift, Esther Bolick is filled with the holiday spirit as she prepares to bake the annual batch of her famous-and utterly scrumptious-orange marmalade cakes. Right after Christmas Eve service at Lord's Chapel, she and Gene will deliver a two-layer marmalade to each of seven friends and neighbors, all of them favorite Mitford characters. Then Gene calculates what it costs to bake this legendary cake, and Esther is stunned. Is it worth it to spend so much money on people who haven't always measured up to her expectations? The answer is clear. She'll cut her list back-way back.
This decision makes perfect sense until the lyrics of a Christmas carol steal into her heart, and help remind her what a gift really means."
My Review: As with the Mitford Snowmen which I read right before this one, I haven't read other book by Karon and wasn't really familiar with the characters or setting of the town of Mitford, but the story is still a great book to read. Sometimes we get so caught up in the cost of things that we forget the feeling of giving and this book is a perfect little reminder. Even all those cookies and goodies have a cost associated with them (I had actually been thinking about this with my annual chex mix which takes an hour for each batch, with the 10-12 batches to make each Christmas, that time really adds up), but the act of giving those goodies and how much it means to the recipient that you thought of them makes all the effort worth it. A great story that gets you thinking and forgetting the trouble of the season and reminds you of the joy of the season instead.
My Rating: This was really a great little story, it is short enough to fit in during the busy season but it was really a great reminder why we are so busy. I give it a rating of Three Paws and a Stump Wag!
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