The Christmas List, Challenge, and Book Club - Oh My!

 Usually I save my review of the Book Club selection until the end of the month, but seeing that this book has a Christmas theme, it is best read during this season. I want to post the review now to really encourage you to pick up this small book and read it this month. In fact, if I could, I would be buying this as a Christmas gift for all my friends and family. After reading the description on the back cover, I thought this would be a cheesy, cute Christmas novel for us to read for December. Having now read the book, I realized this is an original twist on a timeless story, and an incredibly inspiring one at that. 

James Kier is a very successful real estate mogul, who has lost his values along his way up the corporate ladder. He has no regard for the feelings of others, and has a vision for nothing else besides money and his own pleasure. A newspaper headline and following article about his untimely (and incorrect) death sends him on a journey through his past to those he has hurt. This is where the similarity to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol ends. Richard Paul Evans' story jolts us out of the comfortable familiarity of a tale we thought we knew, and propels us on with his heartening tale of what turns out to be a thought provoking tearjerker. We readers learn lessons throughout the book, even if unable to relate entirely to the main character, as Evans gives us examples of not only trying to make wrongs right, but what matters in the meantime. Part of why I read is to change who I am. Whether it be to escape into the life of the character I am learning about, travel to a place I've never been (or revisit some of my favorites), or find encouragement and inspiration to find ways to make this world, along with my own personal world, a better place. The Christmas List is a book which I didn't expect to be the latter. Reading it honestly makes me want to be a better person, and I'm not the only one. After watching the video and reading people's reviews on GoodReads, I see that hundreds of other readers feel the same way I do. If you don't believe me, read it yourself. It will only take a few hours to read this absorbing novel. 
Five Coconuts

Announcements:

 On another note, I am taking part in The Christmas Challenge at The True Book Addict. The rules from this original Challenge are as follows:

The Christmas Reading Challenge:

• will run from Thanksgiving Day, November 26 through New Year's Eve, December 31, 2009
• you can choose 1 - 3 books...I know it seems a small amount, but it's a busy time of year and the challenge is only a little over a month.
• These must be Christmas novels, books about Christmas lore or a book of Christmas short stories (sorry, no children's books, but YA novel is okay).

I am adding an extra boost to the challenge, and instead of 1-3 Christmas books, am reading as many Christmas books as I can until Christmas (seriously, what other time of year can I do this?). So, if you would like to join, you can do the regular challenge (The True Book Addict version), or the boosted challenge (my version)! Usually by the time December 26th comes around, I am sad that Christmas is over for an entire year. What other month is there so much hope, so many inspirational movies and songs, so much love in the air, and pretty decorations along the city streets? I realize this challenge is for those who celebrate Christmas whichever religion you are, as I know people who are not practicing Christians who still love Christmas. If you are bah-humbug about Christmas, Coconut Library's goal is to be all Christmased out by December 26th, and ready for a new year and you can rejoin us for all of the great books coming to kick off the new beginning! 

 Last thing: As you know, I am a big fan of GoodReads and can hardly understand why everyone isn't on it. You get no advertisements, you need not post any personal information (as well as being able to set your account to private), you can review and get hundreds of reader reviews on any book that is published, and it's free! As has been mentioned, CL moderates a book club called Heartwarmers, and you are welcome to join that one. However as of December 8, 2009, CL will moderate a Coconut Library Book Club on GoodReads! It will be open for readers of Coconut Library and will feature the Book Club selection for each month. This will be a place where, regardless of location or time availability, we will all be able to discuss the current month's book together. Please take a moment to check it out. What do you loose if you don't like it? You can cancel your account immediately. Come join us to discuss The Christmas List this month. Looking forward to seeing you there!

xo,
The Coconut Librarian

Comments

[JLH]

Borrowed the Christmas List from Norcal reader and its a good, quick book for the holidays. It would be a great book for people who aren't big readers.

[NorCal Reader]

I loved this book. I opened it at the airport and finished it before I landed back in San Francisco! It was great and was a quick read.