Getting Behind the Narrator: My Experience with A Christmas Carol

I have to admit, I wasn't exactly thrilled about reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. As soon as I heard that Scrooge was going to be the narrator, I knew it was going to be a tough read. I've always struggled with unlikable narrators, and I didn't think that reading this story would be any different. However, despite my reservations, I found myself able to enjoy the story, even if it wasn't my favorite book by Dickens.

In fact, A Christmas Carol is one of the few books written by Dickens that I've been able to read without too much difficulty. It's a relatively short book compared to some of his other works, and its compact size made it easy to get through. The story itself is beautiful and well-written, with a clear message about kindness, generosity, and compassion. There are many reasons why A Christmas Carol has become such an iconic and enduring tale - I think one of the main reasons is that it's just so very enjoyable.

One of the things I appreciated most about A Christmas Carol was its gentle pace and warm tone. Unlike some of Dickens' other works, which can be dense and overwhelming, this book is a delight to read. It's like a cup of hot tea on a cold winter's night - comforting and soothing. The author has a way with words that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, even when the characters are being at their grumpiest.

I also appreciated the fact that Scrooge himself is not the main character in the story. While he's certainly a central figure, it's actually the people around him - his nephew Fred, Bob Cratchit, and Tiny Tim - who drive the plot forward. This made it easier for me to connect with the characters and become invested in their stories.

If you're looking for a classic Christmas tale that's worth reading, I would definitely recommend A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It may not be the most challenging book to get through, but its beauty and warmth make it well worth the effort.

Next Up: Short Stories by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson

I recently re-read a collection of short stories called "Just Let It Snow" by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson. This book was so much fun to read - especially during the holiday season! One of the things I appreciated most about this collection was its diversity of voices and perspectives. Each author brings their own unique voice and style to the table, which made for a really interesting and varied reading experience.

I also enjoyed the fact that each story is tied together by its Christmas theme. This added an extra layer of depth and meaning to the stories themselves, which I thought was really clever. The authors have a way of capturing the magic and wonder of the holiday season in their writing - it's like being wrapped up in a cozy blanket on a cold winter's night.

One of the things that struck me most about this collection was how well each author balances humor and heart. Some of the stories are laugh-out-loud funny, while others are more sentimental and emotional. It's clear that the authors have taken care to craft each story with attention and precision, so that there's something for everyone.

If you're looking for a fun and festive holiday read, I would definitely recommend "Just Let It Snow" by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson. Even if it's not the best book you've ever read, it's sure to put you in the holiday spirit!

Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe: A Hallmark Movie in Book Form

I recently had the chance to read a Pride and Prejudice retelling called "Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe" by Rachel Hawkins. I have to say, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! As someone who's not usually a fan of Hallmark movies, I wasn't sure what to expect from this read. But I'm so glad I gave it a try.

One of the things that struck me most about "Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe" was its faithfulness to the original Pride and Prejudice story. The author has done an amazing job of capturing the spirit and tone of Jane Austen's classic novel, while also adding her own unique twist and flair. I loved watching Elizabeth Bennet navigate the complexities of relationships and social expectations - it's clear that the author has a deep understanding of Austen's characters and themes.

I also appreciated the way the author had woven in holiday-themed elements to the story. It was like reading a Hallmark movie, but with much more depth and complexity! The author has managed to balance humor and heart in a way that feels authentic and true to both Pride and Prejudice and the holiday season.

If you're looking for a fun and festive read this holiday season, I would definitely recommend "Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe" by Rachel Hawkins. It's not exactly a traditional holiday story, but it's sure to put you in the mood!

A Christmas Carol: A Re-Examination

I recently had the chance to re-read A Christmas Carol with a fresh perspective - this time, as an adult rather than a child. As I read through the pages of Dickens' classic novel, I found myself drawn into the world of Victorian London once again. This time, however, I noticed details and themes that I hadn't seen before.

One of the things that struck me most about A Christmas Carol was its exploration of class and social inequality. While Scrooge is often seen as a symbol of wealth and privilege, I think it's clear that he's also a product of his time - a victim of poverty, neglect, and isolation. The author has done an amazing job of capturing the harsh realities of life in Victorian England, while still conveying the message of compassion and kindness.

I also appreciated the way Dickens uses humor to comment on social issues. Scrooge's grumpiness and penny-pinching ways are often used to highlight the absurdities of his own behavior - it's like he's a mirror held up to society, reflecting our own flaws and foibles back at us.

If you're looking for a classic holiday read that's worth re-reading (or reading for the first time), I would definitely recommend A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Its timeless themes and message make it an essential part of any holiday reading list.

Just Let It Snow: A Collection of Holiday Stories

As mentioned earlier, I recently re-read a collection of short stories called "Just Let It Snow" by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson. This book was so much fun to read - especially during the holiday season! One of the things that struck me most about this collection was its diversity of voices and perspectives.

Each author has brought their own unique voice and style to the table, which made for a really interesting and varied reading experience. I loved watching each story unfold, with its own distinct tone and themes.

One of the things that I appreciated most about "Just Let It Snow" was its focus on friendship and relationships during the holiday season. In an age where social media often takes center stage, it's refreshing to see stories that prioritize human connection over likes and followers.

If you're looking for a fun and festive holiday read, I would definitely recommend "Just Let It Snow" by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson. Even if it's not the best book you've ever read, it's sure to put you in the holiday spirit!

Final Thoughts

Reading can be such a wonderful way to get into the holiday spirit - especially when we're surrounded by books that evoke warmth, comfort, and joy. Whether it's A Christmas Carol, Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe, or Just Let It Snow, there are so many amazing stories out there to explore.

As I wrap up this review of my favorite holiday reads, I want to leave you with a final thought: reading is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves during the holiday season. Whether it's a classic tale like A Christmas Carol or a modern story like "Just Let It Snow", taking time to read and enjoy books is an act of self-care that will warm your heart and soothe your soul.

Happy holidays, everyone!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: eneveryone at Ailey happy big mistake 8 today we are going to be talking about my Christmas book recommendations so I haven't read that many Christmas books but I have finally read enough to do a little recommendations video for you guys I only have one on me because the rest of them I put in a box somewhere to only take out at Christmas and now I have no clue where they went so I'm sorry about that but let's just get into my Christmas reading recommendations why did I do that I don't know let's continue so let's start off with the book that I do actually know where it is and that is the chaos of standing still by Jessica Brody I've talked about this a lot so far for book myths so I'm not going to get too deep into it but the point is I really enjoyed it it isn't technically Christmassy but it does fit the holiday season it is sex New Year's Eve in Denver Airport where everyone is stranded because there has been a giant snowstorm and it's more of an emotionally poignant romance story because it's about this girl who her best friend died a year ago to the day on New Year's Day and since then she has had an unread text message from that friend that she's way too scared to click on it because those are the last words that she will have ever said to her so she kind of freaks out when she ends up running into this boy and they end up accidentally switching phones and from there we have this beautiful romance and very poignant story about grieving and moving on and falling in love and it is just very very good next is the afterlife of Holly chase by Cynthia hand which is a Christmas Carol retelling following this girl Holly chase who isn't really the best person she's actually kind of a shitty human but through the course of the book of course she becomes the scrooge character and it's all about her learning the error of her ways and if she will really be able to change and become a good person this was a really interesting retelling because it was weird very very weird by an interesting concept because it's kind of like I don't want to say dystopian but like it's a techy sort of thing with the christmas carol elements to it and it's just very unexpected and kind of hard to pinpoint down to just one genre but well Holly chase was a very difficult character to get behind obviously I knew she wasn't going to be a great character because that's what Scrooge is so because of that I was still able to enjoy the story even I do usually struggle with unlikable narrators speaking of A Christmas Carol I think it is definitely worth it to read the original Christmas Carol story by Charles Dickens it was such a fun book to read I had to read it for a class one year and I hadn't been expecting to actually read it but I'm so glad that I did it's super tiny unlike any of Dickens other stuff so it's definitely an easy one to get into and it is such a beautiful story there's a reason why it's been remade so many times it's just very very enjoyable next just let it snow by John Green Lauren Myracle and Maureen Johnson it has been so long since I've read this collection of short stories that I honestly don't even remember which one was my favorite which ones I didn't like I really should reread it because Christmas is kind of the time of short stories I'm actually kind of planning on writing my own Christmas short story and then maybe it'll become like a full-fledged mini book but right now I have a Christmas like story in my head that hopefully I will write but not being said this is a collection of three short stories they're not like super short but you got all different sides of Christmas and it really is just a fun book to read around this time of year next is Pride and Prejudice and mistletoe which read exactly like a hallmark movie which I don't generally enjoy but it was still fun to read it and it is actually becoming a hallmark movie this year so I predicted that last year but I really liked the main character the Elizabeth character because this is a Pride and Prejudice retelling obviously and I like the fact that she was kind of challenging societal standards for herself and what people were expecting of her I thought that was awesome and it was just a really fun and cute romance definitely not the best book I've ever read but like it literally does read just like a hallmark movie so if that's what you like then you would definitely like this book and my final Christmas recommendation is of course my true love gave to me which is a collection of twelve holiday short stories by Stephanie Perkins edited by Stephanie Perkins that is it features all sorts of different authors in there and this is another one that I'd actually really like to reread because I don't remember how I felt about all the individual stories themselves but you know it was a really fun and festive collection that was great for the time of year that I read it in so those are all of my Christmas or holiday book recommendations for you guys I know it's not a very big list but there actually aren't that many Christmas books out there so I did my best especially based on the ones that I've read but I hope this gave you some ideas for book missed a 15 or actually day 14 because if you don't follow me on Twitter and haven't seen my little chart of all the days of book miss then you might not know that on December 14th I'm going to be doing a 24 hour read-a-thon of all the Christmas books that I have to read I have plenty to get through so it's going to be very helpful and then on the 15th day of book miss December 15th that is when the vlog for that read-a-thon will be going live so the actual read-a-thon and the reading will be happening on the 14 starting at midnight going to 11:59 whatever your timezone is if you want to join me and then the vlog will be going up immediately the next day so it's gonna be a very tiresome time but hey that's what book misses it's lots of fun it's just exhausting so please let me know if you are planning on participating in that 24 hour read-a-thon or if you have any questions about it or what you aren't planning on reading if you've read any of these books you are thoughts on them you have a lot to let me know just you can just pick one but I hope you guys enjoyed today's video if you did don't forget to click that subscribe button and then click that Bell icon so you'll be notified whenever I post I'm going to be putting out new videos every single day all the way up until Christmas you can also follow me on all of my social media of my handles and links and all that fun stuff will be down below for you guys so thank you guys so so much for watching and I will see you tomorrow for a book this day 9 where I'm going to be showing you guys some of my favorite book covers of 28t and byeeveryone at Ailey happy big mistake 8 today we are going to be talking about my Christmas book recommendations so I haven't read that many Christmas books but I have finally read enough to do a little recommendations video for you guys I only have one on me because the rest of them I put in a box somewhere to only take out at Christmas and now I have no clue where they went so I'm sorry about that but let's just get into my Christmas reading recommendations why did I do that I don't know let's continue so let's start off with the book that I do actually know where it is and that is the chaos of standing still by Jessica Brody I've talked about this a lot so far for book myths so I'm not going to get too deep into it but the point is I really enjoyed it it isn't technically Christmassy but it does fit the holiday season it is sex New Year's Eve in Denver Airport where everyone is stranded because there has been a giant snowstorm and it's more of an emotionally poignant romance story because it's about this girl who her best friend died a year ago to the day on New Year's Day and since then she has had an unread text message from that friend that she's way too scared to click on it because those are the last words that she will have ever said to her so she kind of freaks out when she ends up running into this boy and they end up accidentally switching phones and from there we have this beautiful romance and very poignant story about grieving and moving on and falling in love and it is just very very good next is the afterlife of Holly chase by Cynthia hand which is a Christmas Carol retelling following this girl Holly chase who isn't really the best person she's actually kind of a shitty human but through the course of the book of course she becomes the scrooge character and it's all about her learning the error of her ways and if she will really be able to change and become a good person this was a really interesting retelling because it was weird very very weird by an interesting concept because it's kind of like I don't want to say dystopian but like it's a techy sort of thing with the christmas carol elements to it and it's just very unexpected and kind of hard to pinpoint down to just one genre but well Holly chase was a very difficult character to get behind obviously I knew she wasn't going to be a great character because that's what Scrooge is so because of that I was still able to enjoy the story even I do usually struggle with unlikable narrators speaking of A Christmas Carol I think it is definitely worth it to read the original Christmas Carol story by Charles Dickens it was such a fun book to read I had to read it for a class one year and I hadn't been expecting to actually read it but I'm so glad that I did it's super tiny unlike any of Dickens other stuff so it's definitely an easy one to get into and it is such a beautiful story there's a reason why it's been remade so many times it's just very very enjoyable next just let it snow by John Green Lauren Myracle and Maureen Johnson it has been so long since I've read this collection of short stories that I honestly don't even remember which one was my favorite which ones I didn't like I really should reread it because Christmas is kind of the time of short stories I'm actually kind of planning on writing my own Christmas short story and then maybe it'll become like a full-fledged mini book but right now I have a Christmas like story in my head that hopefully I will write but not being said this is a collection of three short stories they're not like super short but you got all different sides of Christmas and it really is just a fun book to read around this time of year next is Pride and Prejudice and mistletoe which read exactly like a hallmark movie which I don't generally enjoy but it was still fun to read it and it is actually becoming a hallmark movie this year so I predicted that last year but I really liked the main character the Elizabeth character because this is a Pride and Prejudice retelling obviously and I like the fact that she was kind of challenging societal standards for herself and what people were expecting of her I thought that was awesome and it was just a really fun and cute romance definitely not the best book I've ever read but like it literally does read just like a hallmark movie so if that's what you like then you would definitely like this book and my final Christmas recommendation is of course my true love gave to me which is a collection of twelve holiday short stories by Stephanie Perkins edited by Stephanie Perkins that is it features all sorts of different authors in there and this is another one that I'd actually really like to reread because I don't remember how I felt about all the individual stories themselves but you know it was a really fun and festive collection that was great for the time of year that I read it in so those are all of my Christmas or holiday book recommendations for you guys I know it's not a very big list but there actually aren't that many Christmas books out there so I did my best especially based on the ones that I've read but I hope this gave you some ideas for book missed a 15 or actually day 14 because if you don't follow me on Twitter and haven't seen my little chart of all the days of book miss then you might not know that on December 14th I'm going to be doing a 24 hour read-a-thon of all the Christmas books that I have to read I have plenty to get through so it's going to be very helpful and then on the 15th day of book miss December 15th that is when the vlog for that read-a-thon will be going live so the actual read-a-thon and the reading will be happening on the 14 starting at midnight going to 11:59 whatever your timezone is if you want to join me and then the vlog will be going up immediately the next day so it's gonna be a very tiresome time but hey that's what book misses it's lots of fun it's just exhausting so please let me know if you are planning on participating in that 24 hour read-a-thon or if you have any questions about it or what you aren't planning on reading if you've read any of these books you are thoughts on them you have a lot to let me know just you can just pick one but I hope you guys enjoyed today's video if you did don't forget to click that subscribe button and then click that Bell icon so you'll be notified whenever I post I'm going to be putting out new videos every single day all the way up until Christmas you can also follow me on all of my social media of my handles and links and all that fun stuff will be down below for you guys so thank you guys so so much for watching and I will see you tomorrow for a book this day 9 where I'm going to be showing you guys some of my favorite book covers of 28t and bye\n"