The Last Christmas Letter

This book started out to be just a culmination of the original 30 Christmas Letters and the stories surrounding them, but in the end turned into much more encompassing story of our family and unfortunately my somewhat questionable life decisions and ongoing issues. Nothing to worry about here, as I am and always have been a law abiding, people loving, hardworking, person, but sometimes my way of doing things has left many wondering just what the heck I was thinking. As for the book, I think it is something that you will enjoy reading, as it probably more attune to your own life's stories than you'll probably want to admit. (Even when I die my picture will be somewhere in the back pages but with my luck it will probably be the one taken that night at the Lewiston Boy's Club and the headline won't be "Loving Father and Husband Passes", It will read, "Keith Embarrasses Mother" So, the next day I show up to grade school with one front tooth missing and my wrist all taped up and the teacher probably wondering what kind of torture I was being put through. But in actuality, she probably had taught all three of my older brothers and just figured I was just learning to be one of them. You just gotta love my family! Another thing I have learned is that Sharon and I don't shop the same. I shop like this. Look, like, buy, use! Sharon shops like this. Look... look... like....look... look....look.... like... look... like... look... look... look... really like... buy................... return! Well, I finally went home and the first night back Sharon fell off her crutches, dislocated one finger and broke another. (Boy you'd think that with those crutches she'd been able to hop right over that deer lying on the floor.) ((Maybe there is something to "me making things worse".))

A Study Guide for Norman Dubie's "Czar's Last Christmas Letter: A Barn in the Urals," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Poetry for Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Poetry for Students for all of your research needs.

An unforgettably romantic novel that spans four Christmases (1914-1918), Last Christmas in Paris explores the ruins of war, the strength of love, and the enduring hope of the Christmas season. New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor has joined with Heather Webb to create this unforgettably romantic novel of the Great War. August 1914. England is at war. As Evie Elliott watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes—as everyone does—that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafes of Paris. But as history tells us, it all happened so differently… Evie and Thomas experience a very different war. Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict—but how?—and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war he also faces personal battles back home where War Office regulations on press reporting cause trouble at his father’s newspaper business. Through their letters, Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears—and grow ever fonder from afar. Can love flourish amid the horror of the First World War, or will fate intervene? Christmas 1968. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris—a cherished packet of letters in hand—determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one final letter is waiting for him…

A funny, heartwarming and magical story chockfull of festive charm and imagination. With Santa, hard-working elves and a few ghosts thrown in for good measure, it’s a taradiddle tale for everyone who believes in the magic of Christmas. It’s Christmas Eve. Santa’s making the last delivery of the night when he suddenly realises he’s missing a present for young Valerie Ainsworth. After some quick thinking, he leaves a gift on her pillow – the only thing left on his sleigh – because, after all, every good child deserves a Christmas present, right? As he heads for the North Pole with his tired and trusty reindeers, he hopes Valerie will understand it’s the thought that counts. Now a miserly millionaire, Valerie sits at the helm of the Ainsworth dynasty, hell-bent on making Santa pay for forgetting her that Christmas. Her nephew Wolly and his grandpa Joe are about to embark on their biggest adventure yet as they join forces with Santa. How will they foil mean-spirited Valerie’s evil plan to steal the magic of Christmas forever? It's an action-packed festive read that everyone from age 8-88 will fall in love with.

Every December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R. Tolkien’s children. Inside would be a letter in a strange, spidery handwriting and a beautiful colored drawing or painting. The letters were from Father Christmas. They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: how the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place; how the accident-prone North Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas’s house into the dining room; how he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden; how there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lived in the caves beneath the house, and many more. No reader, young or old, can fail to be charmed by Tolkien’s inventiveness in this classic holiday treat.

Over the past five years, Jon & Wendy Coile have gained some measure of notoriety for the ever increasing absurdity of their annual Christmas Letter. From a simple two-page chronicle of the year's events, their Xmas Letter has evolved from the ubiquitous annual diary into a source of delight and surprise for those on their Christmas card list. Now available in hardcover and paperback from international publisher, iUniverse, Evolution of an Xmas Letter is the complete and unabridged compendium of their body of work-to-date. Filled with action, famous people, tragedy and comedy, we can guarantee you that it is like no other holiday letter you have ever seen. It makes a great Christmas Present, too! Here's what the critics are saying: 'Our Christmas Letter this year is a book? Are you kidding me? A book? What were you thinking?"-Wendy Coile 'Always, always, always keep holiday letters to two-pages or less. People don't want to be bored to tears reading every miniscule detail of your life."-Prof. Vicki Meade 'Drop the plum pudding! Leave your presents under the tree and read aloud your copy of Evolution of an Xmas Letter. You'll laugh! You'll cry (well, maybe not cry)! But you will love it!"-Yoda 'If nothing else, please, at least read the last page before noon on January 1st."-Drew Elioc

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A debut collection of witty, biting essays laced with a surprising warmth, from Jen Mann, the writer behind the popular blog People I Want to Punch in the Throat People I want to punch in the throat: • anyone who feels the need to bling her washer and dryer • humblebraggers • people who treat their pets like children Jen Mann doesn’t have a filter, which sometimes gets her in trouble with her neighbors, her fellow PTA moms, and that one woman who tried to sell her sex toys at a home shopping party. Known for her hilariously acerbic observations on her blog, People I Want to Punch in the Throat, Mann now brings her sharp wit to bear on suburban life, marriage, and motherhood in this laugh-out-loud collection of essays. From the politics of joining a play group, to the thrill of mothers’ night out at the gun range, to the rewards of your most meaningful relationship (the one you have with your cleaning lady), nothing is sacred or off-limits. So the next time you find yourself wearing fuzzy bunny pajamas in the school carpool line or accidentally stuck at a co-worker’s swingers party, just think, What would Jen Mann do? Or better yet, buy her book. Praise for People I Want to Punch in the Throat “People I Want to Punch in the Throat is so good that it’ll make you want to adopt all the cats in the world. I’m not sure about the correlation, but it’s that good. It should come with a warning.”—Jenny Lawson, author of Let’s Pretend This Never Happened “Jen Mann has an amazing way of telling stories that will make you cringe and burst out laughing at the same time. From swinger parties to racist toddlers, she makes the suburbs unbelievably funny.”—Karen Alpert, author of I Heart My Little A-Holes “Jen Mann says the things we’re all too afraid to say. Her honest and hilarious writing style reminds me of David Sedaris and Tina Fey.”—Robin O’Bryant, author of Ketchup Is a Vegetable: And Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves “Jen Mann’s shrewd and unrelenting assault on the absurdity of suburban life is an honest peek into the occasional nightmare that is part of living the American dream. I love Jen. I wish she was my neighbor. It’s so refreshing to know that I’m not the only one who wants to punch almost everyone in the f***ing throat.”—Nicole Knepper, author of Moms Who Drink And Swear