Christmas Songs Book Tag

I found this last year over on That Artsy Reader Girl blog, and decided it would be a fun one to join in and especially to help me out with my Blog Ahead Challenge in October!  The goal is to pick a book you’ve read this year that fits the theme of the Christmas song titles.  Personally, I may have to stretch to some books from earlier than this year, but we'll see how it goes!


1. “All I Want for Christmas Is You”: Favorite bookish couple.

 From this year's books I'll have to pick Luc and Evie from The Burning Shadow by Jennifer L Armentrout.


2. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”: Name a book where a character is away from home (school, vacation, etc.).

Happy Trail by Daisy Prescott.  Olive Perry is hiking the Appalachian Trail when she gets stuck in a snowstorm and meets Jay.


3. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”: Name your favorite “little” book (children’s book, short story, novella, etc.).

I got to read an advanced copy of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood which contained poems and songs by Fred Rogers, otherwise known as Mister Rogers.  



4. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town“: What book(s) do you hope Santa brings you this year?

I am sooooooo hoping for an ARC of Chosen by Kiersten White.  Maybe I'll have it and have to change this answer by the time this post goes up, but I'm doubting it with the way things are going so far! 



5. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”: Which book turned your nose red (made you cry)?

The Perfect First by Maya Hughes was one that made me cry at so many things that just really resonated with me.  

 

6. “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”: Your favorite book/kind of book to read during the holidays.

I don't really have any favorite type of book or exact book to read.  I just like to read, and I'm happy with whatever it is as long as I'm getting time to read.  Maybe as a kid one book I loved to read over and over was The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson.






7. “We Three Kings”: Your favorite trilogy.

Hmm.  This year I'm going to pick the Kiss Me trilogy by Emma Hart:  Kiss Me Not, Kiss Me Tonight, and Kiss Me Again.



8. “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow”: A character you would love to be snowed in with.  

I'm going to pick Rook from A Lie for a Lie by Helena Hunting, which is kind of perfect since he's a hockey player. 



9. “Last Christmas”: A book that seriously let you down.

This is so hard to pick because if I don't like a book, I don't finish it.  But I did read a book that was my planned goal of a classic I'd heard I would like.  I wasn't impressed.  It was Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut.  



10. “White Christmas”: An upcoming release you’re dreaming about.

Since I already mentioned Chosen by Kiersten White, I'll pick another, Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout.    

ARC Review - A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers

Book info:

Title:  A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood:  The Poetry of Mister Rogers
Author:  Fred Rogers, Luke Flowers (Illustrator), Josie Carey (Contributor)
Genre:  Nonfiction/Poetry
Release Date:  March 19th, 2019
Publisher:  Quirk Books
Source:  ARC received from Publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  4 stars

Synopsis:
For the first time ever, the beloved songs from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood are collected here in a charmingly-illustrated treasury, sure to be cherished by adults who grew up with Mister Rogers, and a new generation of children alike.

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood had a revolutionary impact on children's television, and on millions of children themselves. Through songs, puppets, and frank conversations, Mister Rogers instilled the values of kindness, patience, and self-esteem in his viewers, and most of all, taught children how loved they were, just by being themselves. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood reimagines the songs from the show as poetry, ranging from the iconic ("Won't You Be My Neighbor?") to the forgotten gems. The poem are funny, sweet, silly, and sincere, dealing with topics of difficult feelings, new siblings, everyday routines, imagination, and more. Perfect for bedtime, sing-along, or quiet time, this book of nostalgic and meaningful poetry is the perfect gift for every child--including the child in all of us.

My Review:
As the synopsis points out, this book really made me so nostalgic.  So many of the songs/poems that were in the book I could hear being recited or sung in Mister Rogers' voice.  I recently saw the documentary about Mister Rogers, and this book is coming out at the perfect time to tie in with those who were now thinking about their childhood, or else wanting to share those memories with children of their own.  Obviously the poetry and songs are very simple, just the way they worked on his show, and for singing to kids.  I really enjoyed this as I said, and I can't wait to share it with my 7 year old niece and one year old nephew.  A great add to any children's library, full of fun poems and songs you can sing with them!