"My True Love Gave to Me" Edited by Stephanie Perkins

My True Love Gave to Me (Oct. 14, 2014) Edited and with a Story by Stephanie Perkins.

In this compilation of twelve holiday stories, there is a little something for most everyone. Bear in mind that the stories are the imaginings of skillful YA authors and therefore their characters are YA characters, full of whimsy and angst and youthfulness of varying backgrounds. I will mention some of my favorites from the book.

            But before that, I want to mention that the illustrator’s name is Jim Tierney. The cover is great and actually connects all the stories. And the interior illustrations are terrific. They’re not lavish, but are inclusive of what you’re about to read even if the picture appears to make no sense compared to its title.

1.    The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer (Laini Taylor): Neve Ellaquin doesn’t expect any of the Isle’s men to proclaim his adoration for her by leaving gifts on each of the twenty-four days of Advent until someone does. She sends a plea to Wisha (“Dreamer, it meant in the old tongue.”), and he answers. Hundredfold. In amazing ways. Taylor creates a story steeped in fantasy, and it is pure excellence to read. Finesse at its finest! The author’s talented imagination is as wondrous as this tale is spectacular!

2.   Welcome to Christmas, CA (Kiersten White): Maria lives in “just some place” called Christmas. It’s not even a town, and she can’t wait until the day she can leave it and attend college. But financing that is going to take way more than she makes waitressing at the Christmas Café, which is run by her mom. And the café has just gotten a new cook; he’s tall, lean, young and “not unattractive.” His name is Ben, which isn’t short for Benjamin, Bennett or Benji. White’s story isn’t rooted in fantasy. What makes me like this story so much is the heartwarming aspect. There’s sentiment in it, and from an author whose books I’ve known to be filled with rapid-fire ranting and chuckle-aloud wit while at times dripping in sarcasm, I appreciated the sweetness all the more.

3.   Polaris is Where You’ll Find Me (Jenny Han): Natalie is the adopted Korean daughter of … Santa Claus. Yes, that’s right. She’s the only human child (teenager, actually, she’s 15) living at the North Pole surrounded by elves and Santa’s workshop. Not little elves adorned with jingle bells, but elves that “are long and lovely and lean.” Her favorite is Flynn, but she once met a human boy on a certain sleigh ride that she’s never forgotten, and I love the magic of this story. This was the shortest story in the book, and I wish it lasted a whole lot longer. It is bittersweet, full of wistfulness and wishes. Han’s morsel-of-a-story is a fantasy in that we can’t really be adopted by Santa and live at the North Pole with tall, attractive elves, but it isn’t over-bright with magic. The yearning of Natalie; however, is clear, and I suppose that’s what resonates most, for who hasn’t ever yearned for something or someone?

4.   I have other favorites as well. Like Fenwick Septimus Honeywell a.k.a. Fenny from The Lady and the Fox (Kelly Link) and North Drummond in It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown (Stephanie Perkins). And I really wish I knew the Krampus boy, for he is handsome and not entirely human. He shows us that magic is real in an otherwise normal world in Krampuslauf (Holly Black).

            Never mind that I didn’t get this book read until after the holidays; it’s a marvelous collection to read anytime of year! Read it now, read it when you feel all Christmas-in-July-ish or be super patient and read it when the holidays descend upon us again this year (you know, right after Halloween!). At any rate, read it!

            No two writing styles are the same. After all, there are 12 short stories contributed by 12 YA authors. It’s a literary treat filled with depth of characters, richness of storylines and a plethora of settings and backgrounds. I was completely absorbed by this anthology of tales, by the sophistication of the stories the authors created, most of whom I’ve never read novels by. It is the stuff of dreams, really, whether you’ve dreamt of handsome other-boys or of getting out of dodge. The stories also range from little or no expletives to stronger language (for those concerned). That aside, it is a terrifically rollicking collection of holiday magic, as satisfying as the Christmas meal I ate but without all the extra calories. No humbugs here!

"Beyond All Dreams" by Elizabeth Camden

Beyond All Dreams (Jan. 6, 2015) by Elizabeth Camden.*

Smart. Bookish. Practical. Quiet. Those attributes describe Anna O’Brien perfectly, and she is content with her life as a map librarian at the most illustrious library in the country, the Library of Congress. It’s the fall of 1897, and as a woman holding such a position in a workplace, she feels quite honored. Working in a library is her dream job, but the pitfall to working in the Library of Congress stems from the amount of requests-like-demands she must field when a politician is searching for a certain map. And no one rankles her more or attracts her so like Luke Callahan, an impetuous, arrogant and handsome congressman from Maine. Anna wants to discover the truth behind the Culpeper’s purported sinking for personal reasons, and Luke wants to dissuade the Speaker of the House’s supporters by having Anna do his research.

            Anna wants to conduct research of her own, but her research steps on the toes of the navy, and they do not downplay their ferocity at her intrusive ways. Anna turns to Luke for assistance, though amidst his own scandals and struggle with anger management, his assistance may be less than helpful. And feelings. She may be mum on voicing hers, but he believes in coup de foudre – “force of lightning” – or love at first sight.

            Secrets are involved in the answers that Anna wants, and she may discover the  truth is more painful than ignorance. Is love stronger than the answers Anna seeks? Is love stronger than Luke’s political ambitions?

            Dramatic. Inspirational. Intriguing. These words describe this story, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It also reads as historically competent, but I’m no history buff, so I will leave that exacting conclusion to those who are. This story is a tale of love, yes, but love amongst two imperfect people in a nation on the brink of war where peacemakers root for peace among hecklers, an impressionable young man stumbles when a failure occurs out of passion, and technology advances. Anna, by-the-way, loves the modernizing technology (“It’s called a flashlight”), and she has her childhood friend, Neville Bernhard, to thank for the connection to it, as he works in the US Patent Office. At the heart of the book is the relationship between Anna and Luke, which Camden has mapped out meticulously, and her characters are described in such detail that I feel like I have a sense of who each character is (even the minor ones). “Beyond All Dreams” is sharp with gentility, outbursts, wit, life lessons and inspirational wisdom.

Favorite Line: “I may look skinny and weak, but if you hurt Anna,

I will metaphorically kill you, burn your village, and

sow your fields with salt. Is that clear?” --Neville

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"The Secret of Pembrooke Park" by Julie Klassen

The Secret of Pembrooke Park (Dec. 2, 2014) by Julie Klassen.*

Compared to her beautiful sister, Louisa, Abigail Foster feels homely. Her season has come and gone without any prospects for a husband, not even from the one man she thought might marry her, and with her dowry severely lacking, she expects she’ll be a spinster. On top of that, her father is facing financial ruin, and Abigail feels responsible. Of the sisters, Abigail is the level-headed, business-minded one, and she influenced her father to post a large amount of money (bond of guarantee) to invest in her uncle’s new bank. The banks failed because her uncle’s partners made unwise loans. In the search for more affordable lodgings – much to the distress of her mother and sister – an offer too good to be true arises at the invitation to reside at Pembrooke Park for a pittance rent. (Is it so inexpensive because of its clouded history that no one will speak of?) Abigail and her father go early, though her father is away a lot and leaves Abigail to oversee the freshening and fixing of the estate. This gives her the opportunity to befriend the handsome local curate, William Chapman, and his family, including his father, Mac, former and unofficially current steward of Pembrooke Park, and Leah, his lovely but shy sister.

            William is very taken with Abigail, and she with him, though she worries that he’ll look right past her once her mother and sister arrive and he meets Louisa. Things are also going bump in the night: dust is disturbed, the creak of footsteps are heard, and there is someone suspicious in a hooded cloak. There’s also the strange coincidence of a long-lost relative arriving at Pembrooke Park. Why is he there? Is he after the supposed room of treasure hidden at the estate? She suspects he is, and her drive to find the hidden room is only fueled by the anonymous letters she receives from someone who knows Pembrooke Park all too well, including where the secret room lies …

            This historical Christian fiction novel isn’t just the story of a budding romance in London in 1817, but also a tale of mystery and a dash of danger. “The Secret of Pembrooke Park” was my first novel by Julie Klassen, and I wasn’t disappointed. She’s created characters that are easy to know in that you’d either want to know them or definitely wouldn’t. For example, I’d love for the Chapman family to be my neighbors; they’re kind, honest and caring, plus they have a great sense of humor and faith, and I’d definitely not want to know Clive Pembrooke. The story is well-written and the plot moves right along. Keeping the mystery of the novel by doling out pieces of interest here and there in an organized plot prevented the novel from being a turbulent mess of mish-mashed information. Strong story. Good read!

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”