Christmas Literary Fiction

It’s the first Christmas in Sweetgrass Springs, Texas for several newcomers who have found a real home for the first time—or found home again. As Jackson Gallagher works to save his hometown from withering away by relocating his business empire there, the only gift he really wants is to marry the teenage sweetheart he thought he’d lost forever—but Veronica Patton Butler has other hearts to care for, however much she loves Jackson. Bridger Calhoun is more than ready to make Penelope Gallagher his bride, but however much she adores him, Shark Girl is dragging her heels on tying the knot.

It's Christmas Eve at 221-B as Doctor Watson reads A Christmas Carol to his friend, and to us! In this all new, full-length, and unabridged One Voice Recordings production, listeners will enjoy his lusty-yet-reverent telling of Ebenezer Scrooge's moral redemption and return to the joyful possibilities within the human race

Best-selling novelist and award-winning audiobook narrator Alison Larkin changes the gender of two of Dickens' most famous characters in these critically acclaimed recordings of Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol. These are the same beloved stories; only one thing has changed. In these versions, Pip and Scrooge are women.

Eleven-year-old Jack wants one thing for Christmas: to find out where his grandfather, Bub, runs off to every Christmas Eve. The trail leads him on a journey through Glosser Bros. at its most magical, but the magic takes an unexpected turn when he discovers Bub's secret. Before the night is over, Jack must take a stand in the name of Johnstown, a stand that could cost him everything...or bring him the greatest gift he can imagine.

The wolves are coming! At midnight on Christmas Eve, while the blizzard blasts snow through every crack in the castle walls, Nici the shepherd's dog stands guard in the sheepfold. Beside him as usual are his pack and the flock they protect, but this night is not usual at all. A small boy braves the snowy night, seeking the protection of his great friend while he is banned from his parents' quarters in the castle.

"The Upas Tree" by Florence Louisa Barclay is a thrilling novel which describes the spiritual growth of a man, who realizes his selfishness. Excerpt: Ronald West had swung off his horse a few moments before; thrown the bridle to a waiting groom, and made his way round to her stirrup. Then he had laid his hand upon Silverheels' mane, and looking up into his wife's glowing, handsome face, he had said: "May I come to your room for a talk, Helen? I have something very important to tell you."

From an unexpected visitor on Christmas Eve in "The Christmas Mouse" to an unwanted change of plan in "No Holly For Miss Quinn", Miss Read recounts some of the most memorable Christmas events where often, despite best-laid plans, things do not always go as expected.For heart-warming reading there is no writer to rival Miss Read, and this charming collection of Christmas tales is packed with unforgettable characters, enchanting stories and festive cheer.

Eight-year-old Janey Sullivan has had a difficult year, between losing her mother and adjusting to life with her guardian, Brian Duncan. But with the holidays approaching, her one Christmas wish is to find the perfect gift for Brian - if she can learn to trust him first.

"What Christmas is as We Grow Older" is a short Christmas-Story by Charles Dickens: Time was, with most of us, when Christmas Day encircling all our limited world like a magic ring, left nothing out for us to miss or seek; bound together all our home enjoyments, affections, and hopes; grouped everything and every one around the Christmas fire; and made the little picture shining in our bright young eyes, complete.

Public relations pro Grace McBride has represented some challenging clients, but none more than the Soltero brothers. Their family toy business became ensnared in a legal quagmire when their new Christmas Wish Holders logo brought charges of trademark infringement by a high-tech company. An injunction would postpone delivery of the children's gift beyond the holiday selling season, erasing profits that traditionally support local charities.

Décembre 2020. Clarisse, qui a six filles, élève seule les quatre plus jeunes dans la maison de sa grand-mère, aux abords du hameau de Kingscroft, sur les hauteurs des Cantons-de-l'Est. Raymond, patriarche affectueux quoiqu'un brin malcommode, vit dans la maison d'à côté. Tandis qu'il s'évertue à transmettre à ses petites-filles les traditions de Noël, Clarisse, dans le secret de son coeur, ne cesse de penser à Rabih, son autre voisin, parti pour un long séjour dans sa Syrie natale. Le voyage a pour but de contenter sa mère, qui compte bien lui trouver une épouse.

Dicken's classic morality tale which lead the way with its themes of nostalgia and festive redemption. Read by leading celebrated British Actor, Sir Timothy Ackroyd.

Decades after her divorce, a lady returns to the village of her tumultuous marriage. A railway carriage hosts a charged schoolboy encounter. A murder raises fears of blackmail. A woman waits anxiously in a café before eloping to Paris. Another steals a friend's kitchen knife. In these bittersweet tales, the author of Lolly Willowes reveals her mastery of the short story, celebrated by the New Yorker for decades. Sylvia Townsend Warner is a tragicomic chronicler of the heart's entanglements.

For years Jeanette Winterson has loved writing a new story at Christmastime, and here she brings together 12 of her brilliantly imaginative, funny and bold tales. For the 12 Days of Christmas - a time of celebration, sharing and giving - she offers these 12 plus one: a personal story of her own Christmas memories. These tales give the listener a portal into the spirit of the season, where time slows down and magic starts to happen. Perfect for listening to by the fire with loved ones or while traveling home for the holidays.

"You" go to the party. "You" see your drunken father fall into the Christmas tree. To escape the teasing of the other kids and your own shame, "you" learn to dissociate from "I" in order to survive.

Joey Golft loved Christmas. When he was four years of age, his father Nippy showered him with gifts and sometimes a trip to Paris, where his Aunt Florie resided. Joey’s uncle, Tome Golft, was always trying to convince Joey that Christmas was a hoax and on Christmas morning in the year 1970, at the age of 17, when Joey’s father was arrested and sent to prison for funds embezzlement from his Company, Tome Golft told Joey that it was because of Christmas his father was arrested.

"The Christmas Tree and the Wedding Christmas Story" is a short Christmas-Story by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: The other day I saw a wedding... But no! I would rather tell you about a Christmas tree. The wedding was superb. I liked it immensely. But the other incident was still finer. I don't know why it is that the sight of the wedding reminded me of the Christmas tree. This is the way it happened.

The Great Smokey Mountains National Park draws more tourists than any National Park in the United States. The Sevier County government transformed the its three major cities into Christmas mega-destinations lighting up the boulevards, bridges, and businesses with festive lighting and decorations creating Winterfest. Families deeply rooted in mountain traditions struggle to hold on to their local values and business with the onslaught of large commercial interests. It'll take some Christmas Mountain Magic to save these families and their businesses.

London, New Year's Eve. Snow falls on a Georgian mansion, vibrating with the festivities of an 18th-century themed masquerade ball within. Middle-aged divorcee Anna stands alone, mourning her youth - until the clock chimes midnight and a mysterious masked figure kisses her on the mouth. Thus begins a heady dance of seduction charged by other clandestine romances swirling around them, whipping the ball into an erotic frenzy of operatic proportions - until the night climaxes, revealing unease beneath the glitter....

Warm, humorous and completely irresistible. The perfect Christmas treat!The perfect festive treat for fans of The Archers, Carole Matthews and Veronica Henry.Cat needs to get off the ‘has-been' heap and rescue her flagging TV career but the demands of her extended family are reaching fever pitch and she barely has time to breathe. Meanwhile, Pippa has got too many balls to juggle as a struggling single mum trying to hang on to her family farm.