New Fiction
Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
It's the week before Christmas, and antiques dealer Weezie Foley is in a frenzy to garnish her shop for the Savannah historical district decorating contest, which she intends to win. But suddenly things start to go missing from her display, and there seems to be a mysterious midnight visitor to her shop.
Still, Weezie has high hopes for the holiday-maybe in the form of an engagement ring from her chef boyfriend. But Daniel, always moody at the holidays, seems more distant than usual. Throw in Weezie's decidedly odd family, a 1950s Christmas-tree pin, and even a little help from the King himself (Elvis, that is), and maybe there will be a pocketful of miracles for Weezie this Christmas Eve.
Christmas Letters by Debbie Macomber
Katherine O'Connor often spends her days at a cozy cafe on Blossom Street in Seattle -- where she writes Christmas letters for other people. She's good at making their everyday lives sound more interesting. More humorous. More dramatic.
For Dr. Wynn Jeffries, who also frequents the cafe, Christmas means lies and deception. In fact, the renowned child psychologist recommends that parents "Bury Santa Under the Sleigh." Katherine, however, feels that his parenting philosophy is one big mistake -- at least, based on her four-year-old twin nieces, who are being raised according to his "Free Child" methods.
She argues with Wynn about his theories, while he argues that her letters are nothing but lies. They disagree about practically everything -- and yet, somehow, they don't really want to stop arguing.
Saffron Skies by Lesley Lokko
In this sweeping family saga, Amber Sall has the world on a platter--everything a girl could ever want. She has a handsome, powerbroker father, an older brother she adores, scads of money, and two best friends, Becky and Madeline. But none of that satisfies her lifelong desire to win her father's love, and for success in a career on the basis of her own talents, not her family's power and money. Watching her beloved brother fail both tests only makes Amber more determined to succeed. Through the decades, she and Becky and Madeline need each other's support through the best and the worst that women can experience, but can their friendship survive?
The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter, the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry
The year is 1960, and, as it is every year, the Christmas pageant at St. John's Episcopal Church, directed by Mrs. Elkins, is a very big deal. Doug is a shepherd this year, which is better than being a Three King, because, for one thing, you get to carry a stick. But there are problems everywhere. His fellow shepherds are hacking around, which makes Mrs. Elkins yell at all of them; the girl he likes is playing Mary opposite a Joseph who is depressingly smart and athletic and cute; the family dog is doing very poorly, and they have no idea what they're going to tell Doug's little sister Becky, who's playing one of the Host of Angels and who loves the dog more than anything; and his dad's just gotten a flat tire, which means they might not even get to the pageant at all.
But Christmas is a time of miracles. And for Doug and his family, this will be the most miraculous Christmas ever.