Rutabaga's Reads 2026: Part 10

I’m back with my second annual Christmas in July compilation post. Hooray! It remains a new blog post tradition, but I hope more will pop up in the years to come. In the meantime, hope you’re having a happy Christmas in July! (^-^)

The Christmas House (Sept. 2, 2025) by Beverly Lewis.

<This is a standalone holiday novella with recurring characters from previous books.>

With Christmas fast approaching, 22-year-old Liz Lantz’s Christmas House Buggy Tours are booked up. Her younger brother, Adam, typically helps her, but he and their dad have been called away to help a relative with a house addition. Dat finds a young Amishman to work alongside her, but not knowing Matthew Yoder, she is apprehensive about this stranger coming on board. Matt proves to be charismatic, good with the customers and hard-working, taking care to groom King, the horse pulling the buggy. The buggy tours make it a point to go by the extravagantly decorated “Christmas House,” set up by the only non-Amish family (the Hyatts) in that area of Hickory Hollow. While nothing is wrong with a festive spirit, the ensuing traffic causes headaches and concerns for the area Amish. When Liz gives Ashley Hyatt a lift home, she learns more about them and the reason for their overdone Christmas display. It’s eye-opening, and she wonders how she can help their non-Amish neighbors feel welcome in their tightknit Amish community. Liz also struggles with her deepening feelings for Matt, whose faith and care for others lights up her heart like she never knew it could.

            Christmastime beckons readers to Hickory Hollow, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and a snowy winterscape. Lewis wins yet again with her homespun, Christian Amish romance. The contemporary holiday novella is unpretentious even with the loud light display and charms throughout. It highlights community, family and, of course, Christmas. Little though this book is, there is abundant holiday cheer, a strong faith base amongst the main and supporting characters and a generous assortment of homemade goodies. Tuck into this sweet tale, but don’t forget a sweet treat, too.

The Christmas Ring (Oct. 21, 2025) by Karen Kingsbury.

<This is a standalone holiday novella.>

Four years have passed since Vanessa Mayfield lost the family heirloom, a piece of costume jewelry christened the Christmas ring by her great-grandfather when he found it on D-Day. Four years since she became a widow. Vanessa meets Ben Miller (a widower) when she happens into the vintage store run by Ben and his father in Marietta, Georgia. Vanessa’s just dropped off her daughter, Sadie, at Reinhardt University and happens to need fuel while driving through Marietta. Their friendship easily turns into a whirlwind romance, but romance may not be meant to happen. Vanessa continues to wear her wedding ring. She also hasn’t told Sadie about Ben, and the annual Columbus Cares Military Dance approaches, which Sadie will be home for. Ben’s dad finds the item of a lifetime, a ring appraised at $25,000. It’ll fund the dream trip he’d always hoped to take with his wife and son to Italy, though his wife is also gone. Ben’s worked up the courage to take Vanessa on a real date and declare his love when he learns a terrible truth. It’s one he cannot ignore and finds him rushing back to Marietta the day before the annual military dance and fundraiser. “Love is the greatest diamond in the rough.” Love wins all ... hopefully.

            For those looking for a sweet and clean holiday romance, this might be the Christian fiction tale for you. The drama is never overly dramatic, the plot is uncluttered, and the novella’s whirlwind romance is whirlwind-y. It’s family-friendly and Hallmark-ready. Faith runs deep, compassion rings true, and appreciation for those serving and their military families is authentic. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really get into the story. This Christmas tale is too sweet, the whirlwind romance not convincing enough, which may be due to the lack that can happen in a shortened tale. I don’t regret reading it, but I’m glad that I checked it out from the library versus spending my own money on it.

Once Upon a Christmas Carol (Sept. 2, 2025) by Melody Carlson.

<This is a standalone holiday novella.>

She hates Christmas. With a Christmas Day birthday growing up in a dysfunctional home, Carol Langstrom’s birthdays were never days of celebration and excitement. She’d skip the holiday altogether, but as someone working in the interior design industry, the Christmas holiday is a decorating extravaganza for her rich, entitled clients. This year she’s fleeing to the Bahamas, but bad weather re-routes, and then subsequently strands, her to Michigan. She winds up connecting with an aunt she’s never met and takes shelter from the storm at her place in [fictional] Miller’s Creek, Michigan. She encounters Victor Clarkson when he picks her up from the airport. It turns out he’s the handsomest guy in the community and has a heart of gold. She expects to fly out as soon as flights start up, but there is a charm in this town that Carol’s never experienced. Her mom made out Aunt Maria O’Harney (née Banducci) to be the most selfish, but she’s quite the opposite. It’s with her aunt that she’s wrapped up in a new kind of Christmas, one with family at its core.

            I hail from and live in a winter climate, but even I would be aghast if my tropical getaway became a stranded stay-in. The Christian Christmas novella is decked out in holiday spirit, the joy of family and the comfort that comes in being loved, and it’s wrapped up in the peace of faith. That doesn’t mean the tale is without blustery winds, icy roads and small-town drama, but it strengthens the story’s charm and cheer. The pleasant, contemporary romance would fit right in as a Hallmark movie. Who knew that a wintry wonderland could transform holiday blues over a missed tropical escape into a Christmas that’s merry and bright?

Rutabaga's Reads 2026: Part 9

Welcome to this year’s first “Happy Hodgepodge” post! I started working on it in the last third of 2025. At least for now, these Hodgepodge posts will continue to feature stories for young and younger readers, which can so easily be overlooked compared to their middle-grade and YA “older sibling” counterparts. What have you been reading so far in 2026? Any recommendations?

100 Things to Know About Food (Nov. 4, 2025) by Sam Baer et al.

   Federico Mariani & Parko Polo, illustrators.

Junior nonfiction book.

This is a book filled with 100 facts about food. They are all fun and fascinating, and some may seem so out there as to be fantastical. For example, did you know that handkerchiefs and radiators are types of pasta? Yes! Handkerchiefs = fazzoletti and radiators = radiatore. Or that can openers were invented 48 years after the invention of cans? Find that hammer and chisel. Did you know that three billion cups of tea are drunk every day all over the world? Per person, Turkey leads the charge, followed by Ireland and the UK. How about that Michelin stars were invented to sell cars? Or that a fungal disease makes corn more nutritious? Hello, huitlacoche (or “corn smut,” which tastes “like a cross between mushrooms and corn”). A mud pie could be a healthy snack (if prepared properly) and milk from sleepy cows actually makes you sleepy!

            Beyond early-reader nonfiction, this is a junior nonfiction title, chock-full of 100 food facts. I knew a smattering of them, but there was a whole lot that I learned, too. The infographic-style illustrations catch the eyes with their bright, colorful palettes and varied page layouts. Some of the infographics take up the entire spread AND one might even have to turn the book the long way! The facts are fascinating and not because they’re designed to be, but because they just are. It’s an excellent book to read or peruse, and it’s definitely not only for older youth. Certainly not all of those facts made me hungry, but several of them did. Is it time for tea yet?

Earl & Worm: Snow Problem and Other Stories (Nov. 11, 2025) by Greg Pizzoli.

Early-Reader fiction chapter book.

<This is the third book in a series.>

In this collection of three stories, Earl and Worm are best friends, but it isn’t “snow” easy for Worm to wish Earl a happy birthday as evidenced in Snow Problem. Worm is excited to give Earl birthday wishes, but there’s snow to shovel and a path to salt. Earl gets what he’s always wanted in The Perfect Present. A camera! It gives him and Worm 10 pictures (like Polaroids), but none of them are turning out perfect. And then, in The Perfect Wish, Earl won’t tell Worm right away what he’s wished for in case it doesn’t come true. Worm becomes paranoid and fears that Earl wishes she’d made a different cake. Or, new fear unlocked, maybe he wishes he had a new best friend?!

            The second early-reader collection that I’ve read from Pizzoli is perfect for reading aloud and is accompanied by uncomplicated but complementing illustrations. The collection is simple but fun. Each story reminds readers of something different: how excitement may not be matched at the exact same time, that something perfect may not look exactly so and how a mind can find the worst scenario out of worry instead of waiting patiently for the answer. It is another charming story collection, and I’m glad that my local library carries it.

            Also by Greg Pizzoli: Earl & Worm: The Bad Idea and Other Stories

Fairy Tale Fixers: Cinderella (Aug. 12, 2025) by Deborah Underwood.

   Jorge Lacera, illustrator.

Junior fiction graphic novel.

<This is the first graphic novel in a series.>

Zicka Bicka Bow! Zacka Backa Bean! Zooka Booka Bim! Fairy is a rodent detective in a trench coat, and Mouse hires him to fix a fairy tale. Cinderella lives in a house with a stepmother and two stepsisters, and they are always so loud. They shout all the time! They shout when they’re mad, they shout when they’re happy. They shout when they’re elated about going to a royal ball where the prince plans to find a wife. Fairy and Mouse come to Cinderella’s “rescue” by swishing her into a ballgown, whisking her into a pumpkin carriage (“Uh–I was planning to bake a pie with that, but okay.”) and granting footman status to a cockroach. Also, she has big feet. Prince Edward, far from charming, is a “blathering banana brain.” Cinderella’s dream is NOT to marry a prince, though Phil, who doesn’t get out much (or ever), is, happily, quite the opposite of his princely cousin. The Fairy Tale Fixers will fix the story up, but it’s not the happily ever after you think you know.

            I’m always up for a fairy tale twist, though I didn’t foresee that I’d capture one in graphic novel form. This Case File #1 in The Fairy Tale Fixers is craftily imagined and wonderfully retold. Naturally, it reads quickly due to a lack of words compared to full novels, but the pacing is energetic, the colorful illustrations are playful, and the overreactions are dramatic. It’s an entertaining, high-octane adventure that buzzes with charm, wit and snark. It’s a winning series opener. Does anybody want pancakes?

This Book is About Nothing (Nov. 25, 2025) by Marco Anderson.

   Erica Salcedo, illustrator.

Children’s picture book.

Young Rio declares that this book is about absolutely nothing. It’ll be peaceful, and his quiet will be uninterrupted. So, naturally, everyone disrupts his story. From a turtle wearing a pot on its head to a dragon with an impressive beard and a unicorn with a flowing rainbow mane, it’s chaos. Rio wants it to STOP. The turtle thinks nothing is boring. Why can’t this book be about everything?

            Zip. Zero. Zilch. Rio has main character energy but in an introvert’s body. It’s a speedy story, but an entertaining one. The illustrations are wonderful accompaniments. There are “boring” pages with not much on them and busier pages infused with color and commotion. The story is simple, so it won’t overwhelm young readers, but also tastefully imaginative. I didn’t know this when I checked out the book from the library, but the author is a 14-year-old!

What Is Lunar New Year? (Dec. 2, 2025) by Vivian Jun Kirklin.

   Gregory Copeland, illustrator.

Early-Reader nonfiction chapter book.

<This is an official Who HQ book.>

Learn how many Asian communities celebrate Lunar New Year in Asia and around the world and how celebrations have evolved in major cities outside Asia like San Francisco, New York City and London. The book covers everything from the Chinese Zodiac animals to modern celebrations to the meaning of red envelopes in various cultures, the significance of honoring one’s ancestors and cleaning to sweep away bad luck. Readers learn about celebrations in other countries. For example, it isn’t called Lunar New Year in Korea, but Seollal. In Vietnam, it’s Tết Nguyên Đán (or Tết for short), and in Thailand, it’s Songkran, to name a few. It’s an important and beloved holiday, and this book looks to share its significance widely.

            Always informative in an easily understood way, this Who HQ series book celebrates a holiday that is culturally significant to over a billion people on this planet. Marketed as a book for young readers, its value isn’t only for the young, but for anyone who wants and needs to learn more, not just about holidays in other countries, but ones that may be happening in their own states. Kirklin’s writing and Copeland’s illustrations celebrate the gift of Lunar New Year and the first new moon of the year. If you’re fortunate enough to live in or near a big city that celebrates, I encourage you to join in the festivities!

Happy 250th Birthday!