Holiday Classics

Here is the preface to 12 magnificent stories, originally part of The John Cheever Audio Collection, in which John Cheever celebrates - with unequaled grace and tenderness - the deepest feelings we have.

A Christmas Carol has never been out of print since it was first published in 1843, and no wonder! This ghostly little book creates the feeling of Christmas that we still enjoy today. Marley was dead... and so too was Christmas to Scrooge. Haunted by three spirits on Christmas eve the old miser is taken on a journey to his past, his present and his future. With such memorable characters as Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit it will warm your heart with favorite memories, and remind you how the true Christmas spirit comes from giving with love.

In "Ghosts Want Privacy" a man seeking to pry into the affairs of guests staying in Boston’s Omni Parker House, the city’s historic, notoriously haunted, landmark hotel discovers the ghosts there not only have a sense of humor but also value their privacy and the rights of their human guests to the same and unfortunate things happen when people breach the privacy of others in their domain. The story "Ghosts Want Privacy" is a standalone excerpt from the comedy "Josh, Josh, Josh and Josh Go To Yale" a romantic comedy, coming of age, buddy story, in which all Josh ever wanted to do was go...

Experiencing a story read out loud is one of the oldest forms of entertainment there is. Fireside Reading is a way to slow down, reconnect with the timeless wisdom of great books and rediscover the simple pleasure of being read to. Join Gildart Jackson in front of a cozy fire as he reads A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to you and your family.

Unlike her relatives, who either joined the lucrative jewelry business or became thieves, rookie cop Ava Davis chose public service. Sent undercover on her first assignment to catch a notorious thief expected at the hotel in Christmas Tyme, Colorado, Ava intends to prove the police didn't make a mistake by hiring her. With her family history looming over her, she doesn't have time to reconnect with her childhood friend and first crush, Gabriel Lark. After being wrongfully accused, former cop Gabriel wants nothing to do with the police and longs for restful holidays. But when a series of ...

Join The Very Hungry Caterpillar for a celebration of everyone's special day. This wonderful audiobook from Eric Carle featuring all kinds of birthday surprises--from presents to balloons, and of course, cake--with The Very Hungry Caterpillar making an appearance alongside each one. This audiobook is the perfect birthday gift for listeners young and old.

From the award-winning author of Porkington Hamm: a scrumptiously satisfying holiday tale – Christmas Hamm. Christmas? Humbug! Porkington wants to get into the holiday spirit, but the Scrooge in him is winning out. Work is hectic, decorating is a waste of time, and shopping is just no fun. The holiday season is a great big pain. He tries to give it a go for Bonny’s sake, but he can’t get anything right. And when Porkington discovers the dark side of the season, his jolly holiday dreams come to a screeching halt. How can he be merry when other people’s lives are anything but? Will ...

Moira’s afraid her parents might get upset if they find out she invited the whole school to her birthday party . . . so she just doesn’t tell them. The big day arrives, and grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, annnnd kindergarten all come knocking down her door. Before long, the house is a total disaster and Moira’s parents are going crazy trying to figure out how to get enough pizzas and birthday cake to feed everyone. Just leave it to Moira—she’ll figure it all out, and even get the house cleaned up in the process!

It’s finally December, but instead of cooling down, things are heating up in Roseville, especially for Abby Ashworth. As a social worker, she usually spends her Christmases helping homeless individuals. But fate has another plan for her when a homeless man and his brother, Cade McDonald, step into her life. As Abby attempts to reunite Bobby McDonald with his family, she discovers she’s deeply attracted to his older sibling. Not to mention, the McDonald family is kind and warm, giving her a feeling of not being alone for the first time in many years. But can Cade ever see past the deep ...

California 1855 When Olivia Turner comes to the realization that her family simply can’t support her any longer—the harvest is too meager, and there are too many mouths to feed—she prays to God for help. Help comes in the form of Samuel Fisher, who places an advertisement for a mail-order bride. After a brief correspondence, Olivia sets out for Sonoma with no money in her pockets but a great deal of love and faith in her heart. When she gets to Sonoma, she finds that not only is Samuel wealthier than she could ever have imagined, but he’s also extremely closed off to her. Abandoned ...

Sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. A Christmas Carol has never been out of print and has been adapted to film, opera, and other media.

Narrated by Bernard Rosewood, one of the elves of the North Pole Consortium, the story begins with Santa's realization that a young girl's request to get her dad back for Christmas isn't going to happen. Dad, you see, died in a car accident on a snowy road shortly after Thanksgiving. The NPC can do a lot, but they can't do miracles. Enter Rudolph, who has been hairless, cranky, and perpetually irradiated since the unfortunate malfunction of the Nuclear Clock in 1964.

Für Rainer Maria Rilke war Weihnachten schon immer das wichtigste Fest des Jahres, das er oft in selbstgewählter Stille und mit dem Schreiben liebevoller Briefe verbrachte. Am 24. Dezember stellte sie sich ein, die "unvergleichliche Erwartung", die für ihn mit Heiligabend verbunden war. Eindringlich und nahbar beschreibt er in seinen Briefen an Familie und Freunde wie Anton Kippenberg, Lou Andreas-Salomé oder Franz Xaver Kappus, was ihm das "liebe alte Fest" bedeutet.

A Christmas Carol is undoubtedly the most famous supernatural story in English. However, it was not the only supernatural story of the season that Charles Dickens wrote. In Victorian England, Christmas was the time to explore the supernatural in stories, and Charles Dickens was one of the best at it. Included in this volume are a full-cast dramatization of A Christmas Carol, plus three more of Dickens' best stories of the season.

Tuktu and her brother, Aklak, are Eskimo children who live happily with their beloved reindeer in the Northland. When Tuktu is lost in a fog, she meets Santa Claus or the Good Spirit as she knows him. This generous little girl wants to share her reindeer with the children of the world and so works to help Santa on his annual Christmas journey.

Experience the timeless magic of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens’ beloved tale of redemption, compassion, and the true spirit of the holiday season. Follow the journey of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly and cold-hearted man, as he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Through these spectral encounters, Scrooge discovers the joy of generosity, the warmth of human connection, and the power of transformation.

Few have seen the West Virginia creature known as Mothman, but everyone agrees nothing good happens when he’s around—there always seems to be an accident or some other mishap. Is he really an unlucky charm? Even he’s unsure. When Rudolph takes an unexpected vacation one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa Claus comes to Mothman with a request: “Mothman with your eyes so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?” Whether he saves Christmas or accidentally destroys it, one thing is for certain: the holidays will never be the same.

A Christmas Carol is the best-known and best-loved of Dickens' Christmas books, and the story of the miser Scrooge's redemption has become as much part of the Christmas tradition as plum pudding and carols themselves.

Exquisite watercolors enhance this charming tale of two friends who are different in many ways yet alike in their devotion to each other. It's Toot's birthday and Puddle is having some trouble picking out a gift. Will he be able to find the perfect present?

Canción de Navidad es el primero y más famoso de los cuentos que Dickens escribió con centro en la Navidad y como evocación de la infancia. El viejo Scrooge es un brillante hombre de negocios y un avaro incorregible. La víspera de Navidad recibe la visita del fantasma de su viejo compañero de negocios y amigo Jacob Marley.