Review/Giveaway: The Christmas Shoppe

A WINNING READINGS GIVEAWAY!

Title: The Christmas Shoppe
Author: Melody Carlson
Genre: Contemporary Christmas fiction
How to enter: Leave a comment on THIS post right here! If you're a subscriber or a follower, leave a second comment for a second entry.

Entry deadline: November 25, 2011

Restrictions: Open internationally!

That's right, enter right here for this giveaway.  This is my review copy, so it has been gently read.

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Publisher: Revell
Physical Description: 176-page hardcover
List Price: $15.99
ISBN: 978-0-8007-1926-5

Synopsis:

The small town of Parrish Springs is not quite ready for Matilda Honeycutt.

A strange older woman with scraggly gray hair and jewelry that jangles as she walks, Matilda is certainly not the most likely person to buy the old Barton Building on the town's quaint main street. When it becomes apparent that her new shop doesn't fit the expectations of Parrish Springs residents, a brouhaha erupts. After all, Christmas is approaching, and the last thing the town needs is a junky shop run by someone who looks and acts like a gypsy. But as townsfolk venture into the strange store, they discover that old memories can bring new life and healing.

Once again, Melody Carlson delivers a Christmas story that will touch hearts and delight the senses. Sure to be a classic, The Christmas Shoppe is filled with the special magic the best Christmas stories share—that intangible mixture of nostalgia, joy, and a little bit of magic.

About the Author:

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with sales of more than five million. She is the author of several Christmas books from Revell, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, and Christmas at Harrington's, which is being considered for a TV movie. She is also the author of many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, Double Take, The Jerk Magnet, and the Diary of a Teenage Girl series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books in 2010 and 2011. She and her husband live in central Oregon. For more information about Melody visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/.

What I Liked: 

This was a sweet Christmas story with a touch of romance, but more about goodwill toward ALL mankind.  I think that's what I appreciated most:  the prompt to not just forgive past hurts and set grudges aside, but to build and cherish relationships with those currently in my life.

The author did a great job developing imperfect characters that are easy to relate to.  Most of them have good intentions, but are missing meaning or purpose in their lives until Matilda comes along.  Others experience about-face changes as Matilda's shoppe changes them completely.  Matilda has an effect on just about everyone - the "heroes" and the "villains," the ones who are trying to make a difference for good and the ones who want to take others down as they rise. 

And you realize we all have much in common - only by opening our eyes to God's gifts (not very pretty by human standards) can we truly be happy.

I work for a non-profit that owns and operates five thrift stores, and I suspect I will never look at used items the same way again.  I'll be wondering if they have a story to tell...

What I Didn't Like: 

The story was a bit slow-moving at times, but overall there was nothing I didn't like.  A sweet Christmas read.

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Baker Publishing Group for the review copy of this book.