BOOK NOOK; A German Christmas & The Christmas Witch

 

It's Christmas Eve and the magic of Yuletide is in full swing.  The stockings are hung, the drinks are poured and the candles are flickering. There is a warm glow cast over the world tonight as the festivities really begin.  This is a time of busyness, fun and frolic, but it is also a time of reflection, as we look back on Christmas past.  

Now that all the gifts are wrapped and the shopping is done, it is only right that you should take some time to yourself to curl up with a good book and these two are just right for a cold Christmas Eve night.  Both are full of magic and folklore, tradition and enchantment.

A German Christmas is a stunning new hardcover book. It is the companion book to A Scandinavian Christmas, which I read last year and really enjoyed.  In A German Christmas we get to indulge in all the traditional tales of that region. There are fairytales and a furtive Santa Claus, lost lovers meeting while doing some last minute shopping and a small boy lost in a snowy forest on Christmas Eve.  This little book has everything from festive poetry and plays to extracts from well-known winter tales.  It begins with The Elves and the Shoemaker and it includes short stories from both classic and contemporary authors.  Although I didn't enjoy it quite so much as A Scandinavian Christmas, A German Christmas is a lovely little book that will leave you longing to bake gingerbread, drink Gluhwein and walk through snowy Christmas markets! 

 The Legend of the Christmas Witch is a charming picture book for children. The illustrations are gorgeous, full of snowy winter's nights and Yuletide imagery.  It is an original tale which blends together both Christian and Pagan folklore, creating a magical tale that is a joy to read.  In this book, St Nicholas has a twin sister and she becomes the Christmas Witch, travelling the world with spells and offerings, in the company of her penguin friends and a crow familiar named Malachi, who is the narrator of the story.  It is a delightful festive fairytale, perfect for bedtime reading on Christmas Eve, no matter how old you are! 

Both these books are available in hardcover and can be downloaded on Kindle too, so you don't even have to leave your cosy little den to access them - you can just download and start reading them tonight if you want to! So for a perfectly quiet Christmas Eve, grab a cup of hot chocolate, one of these seasonal story books and have a very festive time!

Blessed Be

Marie x 

AD: These books were sent to me for the purposes of review. They are available now in hardcover and digital formats.