Two of these happen to be in translation: little slices of continental Christmas. In this Swiss novella, the Twelve Nights between Christmas and Epiphany are a time of mischief when good folk have to protect themselves from the tricks of evil spirits.
Manfred has trekked back to his home valley hoping to make things right with his brother, Sebastian. These perceived betrayals were met with a vengeful act of cruelty but why oh why did it have to be against an animal?
At only 84 small-format pages, this is more of a short story. The setting and spare writing are appealing, as is the prospect of grace extended. Secondhand — Hungerford Bookshop. What a cosy first page! That night, the angel Ariel appears to Cecilia and gets her thinking about the mysteries of life. How do these human processes work? Secondhand — Community Furniture Project, Newbury. I idly reread this while The Muppet Christmas Carol played in the background on a lazy, overfed Christmas evening.
I realized fully just how faithful the screenplay is to the book. The film enhances not just the atmosphere but also the plot through the visuals. Normally I might think it a shame to undermine the nuance, but in this case I was glad of it. It was probably a mistake to read this a third time within so short a span of time; it often takes me more like 5—10 years to appreciate a book anew.
Free at a West Berkshire Council recycling event. Previous ratings: review ; review. My rating this time:. We hosted family for Christmas for the first time, which truly made me feel like a proper grown-up. It was stressful and chaotic but lovely and over all too soon.
