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What's New at PWPL: Bookin' Around the Christmas Tree!
If you're getting a little tired of listening to Mariah Carey or watching Macaulay Culkin torture the Wet Bandits, why not head to Peter White Public Library for some Christmas cheer of the literary kind?
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham (FIC GRISHAM) is a Scrooge tale of a different sort. When Luther and Nora Krank's daughter joins the Peace Corps, the couple decides to forgo the usual holiday crush of shopping and parties and decorations and cards, opting to take a Caribbean cruise instead. However, the Kranks soon learn that skipping Christmas isn't all that easy. This short novel is filled with hijinks and heart, reminding readers that all they want and need for Christmas is a good book.
A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg (FIC FLAGG) is full of deep-fried Southern Christmas. After receiving a grim diagnosis from his doctor, Oswald T. Campbell decides to escape winter in Chicago. He moves to the sleepy little town of Lost River, Alabama, for what he believes will be his last Christmas. As usual, Flagg gives us a cast of charming, quirky characters, including Jack, an orphan redbird, who is at the center of a true Christmas miracle that warms the heart like fresh cornbread. A Redbird Christmas will make your wish come true.
Small Things like These by Irish author Claire Keegan (FIC KEEGAN) is a book that will inspire any reader's cheeks to burn with both shame and love of humankind. Set in 1985, the story centers on Bill Furlong, a coal merchant in a small Irish town. During his busiest time of year, Bill makes a startling discovery at the local convent, forcing him to confront his own past and the cruelties of the Magdalene Laundry system run by the church. The ending of the novel celebrates hope, bravery, and compassion. Step aside Mariah. With this book, Claire Keegan may be the true Queen of Christmas.
Normal People by Sally Rooney (FIC Rooney) might not be considered true Christmas literature. Again set in Ireland, this book concerns the fraught relationship between its two main characters, Marianne and Connell. Several key scenes take place during the holiday season, as Rooney explores the complexities of romantic and sexual entanglement between her subjects. This isn't a tale of yuletide redemption. It's a tale of human redemption and the power of language, love, and truth. If you don't want a lot for Christmas, make Normal People one of the things underneath your tree this year.
Finally, if you prefer your literature a little darker, check out Krampus: The Yule Lord by Brom (FIC Brom). In this semi-Grimm fairy tale-ish book, Jesse, a struggling musician, finds himself entangled in the battle between yuletide (Krampus) and Christmastide (Santa). As Jesse struggles to save his young daughter and estranged wife from harm at the hands of a Boone Country, West Virginia, crime boss, Krampus and Santa fight for control of the holiday season. Throw in mythical wolves and a band of reluctant demons, and you have the makings of a Christmas story that will Mariah Scarey the pants off you.
So, do yourself a favor this holiday season. Stop by Peter White Public Library to check out some holiday lit. It may just get you rockin' around your Christmas tree!
By Martin Achatz
Adult Programming Coordinator