Skipping Christmas

Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A classic tale for modern times from a beloved storyteller, John Grisham offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that have become part of our holiday tradition. Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That’s just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they’ll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty, they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash, they aren’t even going to have a tree. They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences—and isn’t half as easy as they’d imagined. Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE EXCHANGE: AFTER THE FIRM!

Life without Easter for once. Imagine that. I entertained the thought to skip Easter this year. No crowded shopping centers, no Easter bunny, no jelly beans and marshmallow candy, no lamb shaped from butter, no kielbasa, ham, or dyed eggs. No Easter parade. No church services! No blessed basket of food before Easter eve’s start to enjoy Easter Sunday! Not even a new suit, hat, or bonnet. I’d be the Easter crank. Skip it. That’s just what I had in mind after Christmas Day. Skip Easter. Who needs the flu, the hassles, the traffic and parking lots at stores, the expectations we have of one another, and the picture-perfect card with the entire family or else! No decorations? Not even the usual rites of spring’s baseball season with the Detroit Tigers? Forget it! All of it. A trip to Easter Island to escape this holiest day of the calendar year seems so nice. However, as lessons were learned, skipping Easter comes with consequences. It isn’t accomplished as easily as I had imagined. Lessons were learned, and even came alive with fresh, vibrant ways as my idea was explored amid the craziness, chaos, and frenzy that marks this holiday tradition. Easter would not be the same indeed. For sure. Happy Easter!

Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That's just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they'll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty; they won't be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren't even going to have a tree. They won't need one, because come December 25 they're setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But, as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences-and isn't half as easy as they'd imagined. A classic tale for modern times, "Skipping Christmas" offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that have become part of our holiday tradition.

Twelve Plays for Christmas … but not a Partridge in a Pear Tree is a collection of Christian dramas written by Skip Martin that explore the true meaning of Christmas. With an average running time of between thirty and forty minutes, each of these dramas has already been performed before live audiences of more than ten thousand people. Filled with lively characters, witty dialogue, and plenty of humor, each story keeps in view the goal of helping audience members develop a better understanding of the gift of Christmas. Any of the scripts in Twelve Plays for Christmas would make an excellent addition to a church Christmas program, Singing Christmas Tree, or other church event. “Skip Martin has the rare ability to touch people’s hearts with a unique presentation of the Good News.” — The Rev. Dan Cracchiola, music minister, Grace Church, Sarasota, Florida “Skip Martin has given us a volume of Christmas plays that are delightful and entertaining … The plays have conveyed the message of Christmas to all who have seen them performed. Having warmed the hearts and drawn the souls of thousands across the years, they will be a treasure to all who experience them.” — Dr. Frank Crumpler, retired pastor, Alpharetta, Georgia “We found these scripts easy to use and added our own music to make a memorable program. Each play has a great message that the audience seems to relate to.” — Becky Lawrence, drama director, First Baptist Church, Brandon, Florida “As a professional actor who has done many Christmas drama programs, my greatest thrill is when we’ve successfully touched not just the Christians in the audience but have affected the hearts and minds of the nonbelievers as well. Skip Martin’s plays do just that. I can attest to their effectiveness, the quality of the characters in them, and the ease with which they can be presented. I strongly recommend them!” — Mark Woodland, actor, BFA Florida State University, Bradenton, Florida “These dramas crafted and created by Skip Martin are spot on. Having used them at two different Christmas productions, I can say first hand that they are witty, solid, and provide room for adding your own personal creative touch. If you are in need of dramas for your Christmas program, this should be your go-to source.” — Mike Drury, lead pastor, Pine Hills Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Whether it’s Kevin being left home alone, Ralphie getting a boot in the face from Santa for asking for a Red Ryder BB gun, or Buddy the Elf distracting New Yorkers with his costume, everyone has their favorite Christmas movie moments. We remember all the funny quotes, the fun music, and even know what’s going to happen before the next scene occurs, but do we remember the messages these Christmas films deliver? If we’re not careful, our casual obsession of watching and rewatching these holiday classics will have us miss out on a greater opportunity to renew our hope and restore our soul. Along with fun-filled facts and trivia, Restoring Your Soul Through Christmas Movies explores the messages each Christmas film delivers and how we can apply them to our everyday lives.

Skipping Christmas is easy. But it’s impossible to deny your heart… Eli Adair is the first call whenever his family and friends need a hand. But this Christmas, he has no obligations, so he’s taking a break from the stress of big family celebrations. No presents under the tree. No stockings by the fireplace. No twinkling lights. All he wants is to be home alone at Hillcrest House. Travel nurse Audrey Elliott is returning to Christmas Tree Cove hoping for a big holiday celebration like the ones on her grandparents’ farm—all she has left of happier times before her mom’s condition lost those memories. Candy canes. Gingerbread houses. Holiday carols. All Audrey wants is a place to call home for Christmas. When a high school friend assures her there’s plenty of room at Hillcrest House, it seems like all her Christmas dreams are coming true until she discovers she’ll be living with Eli, the boy she’s never forgotten. Or the first kiss they shared. Eli and Audrey are about to discover whether December is about reliving traditions—or making new ones.

It’s the rare bird that doesn’t like Christmas. Sure there are Scrooges and, here and there, cries of "Bah, humbug," but Christmas is a time for celebrating, for giving, and for trying to be just a little nicer to your fellow man. As the song goes, "If every day could be just like Christmas what a wonderful world it would be." Christmas's Most Wanted™ is a celebration of the fun side of Christmas - the songs, the movies, the television shows, the history, the people, the laughs, even the commercialism . . . all that and more. So you’ll see such top-ten lists as different versions of both "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and "A Christmas Carol". You’ll read about traditions and the standard gift givers around the world. You’ll find out about how different song genres celebrate Christmas in music. You’ll relive the great-and not-so-great-cartoons of Christmas past. You’ll discover which television celebrities "graced" the world with their very own album of holiday tunes. And you’ll learn about births, deaths, and historical events that occurred on Christmas Day. With more than forty top-ten lists on all things merry, you’ll laugh, you’ll smile, and you’ll learn a lot of interesting stuff about Christmas that you didn’t know before. So curl up before the Yule log, pour yourself some eggnog, bite into a gingerbread cookie, and enjoy the book. Merry Christmas, Buon Natale, Feliz Navidad, and Erry-may Istmas-chray. However you say it, Christmas's Most Wanted™ will certainly bring a dose of merriment to your holidays.