The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

From Goodreads-

New York Times bestselling author Cecelia Ahern spins a witty, warm, and wise modern-day fable of love, regret, hope, and second chances.



extremely successful executive, Lou Suffern is always overstretched, immune to the holiday spirit that delights everyone around him. The classic workaholic who never has a moment to spare, he is always multitasking while shortchanging his devoted wife and their adorable children. And ever since he started competing for a big promotion, he has barely seen his family at all.


One frigid morning in an uncharacteristic burst of generosity, he buys a cup of coffee for Gabe, a homeless man huddled outside his office building. Inspired by his own unexpected act of kindness, Lou decides to prolong his charitable streak and contrives to get Gabe a job in his company's mailroom. But when Gabe begins to meddle in Lou's life, the helping hand appears to be a serious mistake. Gabe seems to know more about Lou than Lou does about himself, and, perhaps more disturbingly, Gabe always seems to be in two places at once.


With Lou's personal and professional fates at important crossroads and Christmas looming, Gabe resorts to some unorthodox methods to show his stubborn patron what truly matters and how precious the gift of time is. But can he help him fix what's broken before it's too late?




---


The Gift is a well-crafted sentimental tale of a man who puts work before family. It's a morally induced book with the old "time is precious" motto, but i loved it cheesy or not.


Lou is not a character you like, but I didn't not care for him either. I was surprised that instead of anger towards his character, I was actually rooting for him to change his ways. I wanted so much for him to really get it. Lou has the demanding job, and the go-go-go attitude, but his family is shunned to the back. He has no time for them, nor does he feel bad about it...in the beginning. The character of Gabe was a guardian angel type, and a little creepy. I really don't feel who he was was really explained, but I assumed he was something like Lawrence from It's a Wonderful Life only everyone could see him.

The writing was very good. There definitely a improvement in Cecelia Ahern's writing, especially with the prose. I love P.S I Love You, and it's still my favorite of Ms. Ahern's books but her writing has matured from that book.

I've heard people say that The Gift is too preachy, but I didn't feel that while reading it. I thought the whole time and family is precious storyline actually swayed away from being overly preachy. The ending wasn't what I would have liked but then again maybe the impact of what she was trying to get would have been less.

The Gift, though sad was a wonderful Christmas book. I enjoyed reading it, and look forward to more of Cecelia Ahern's book.



Rating: 4/5

The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans

The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans

From Goodreads-

Richard Paul Evans originally wrote The Christmas Box as an expression of love for his two daughters, never intending for it to be published. Many Christmas seasons (and a rich publishing contract) later, this touching tale relates the meaning of Christmas in a profound but simple way. Rick, Keri, and their 4-year-old daughter, Jenna, are hired as caretakers and are welcomed into the home of Mary, an ailing widow, just in time for the holidays. Before long, it becomes apparent that Mary cherishes their companionship, and this young family begins to understand that their relationship to Mary is more special than any one of them could have realized. These tender relationships, fraught with real-life struggles, are the backdrop for unraveling a mysterious secret that gently propels the reader through this short story. Unlike most generic Christmas stories, Evans manages to bypass triviality, imbedding these pages with humble truth and emotion. This tiny treasure will cause you to rejoice in the blessings of the season while stirring up a childlike vigor as old profundity is revealed anew. In a season often shrouded in selfishness and materialism, Evans reminds the reader that the only way that we can genuinely love one another is by accepting the greatest gift of love ever given--that of a Father who "so loved His children that He sent His son, that we might someday return to Him." --Jill Heatherly

----

The Christmas Box is about a man who learns what is truly important from a older lady Mary. He learns that family, and loved shared is what life is about. I really didn't understand the whole concept of the Christmas box, but I understood what the author was trying to convey.

The book was very short, 128 pages, but to be honest any longer I might have started to get bored. At times it was a little to Hallmark for me, but I did tear up at the end when Mary's story is revealed.

Any book that immediately gives me the urge to hug my children, and give them kisses all over their faces gets a passing grade from me.

My favorite sentence from The Christmas Box

"...a parent's pure love for a child, manifested first by a Father's love for all His children, as He sacrificed that which He loved most and sent His son to earth on that Christmas day so long ago"

Rating: 3/5

Christmas Reading Challenge Book Picks

As I mentioned before I'll be participating in a Christmas Reading Challenge, hosted by Michelle at The True Book Addict.  I'm really excited about this challenge, because I cannot remember ever reading a Christmas book before. I could have, but if I did, it obviously wasn't memorable. lol!   I had a lot of fun coming up with titles to read for this and I have some reads picked out already.







The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

From Goodreads-

Lou Suffern is practised in the art of concealment. He is, also, always overstretched, trying to do too many things at once. His overburdened schedule gives him few moments of peace, even in his sleep. And when he spends time at home with his wife and family, he is always distracted, and, mentally, somewhere else. On a cold winter morning, Lou is on his way to work when he encounters Gabe, a homeless street dweller, sitting outside an office building. Lou is intrigued by him, and contrives to get him a job in the post room. But this act of charity rebounds on him, and Gabe’s presence begins to grate on Lou -- particularly when he discovers that the latter seems capable of being in two places at the same time. Christmas is drawing near, and before the season is over, Lou’s life will be irrevocably change by the casual act of kindness he has performed.



Apart from the sheer storytelling skill of The Gift, perhaps Cecelia Ahern’s most considerable achievement is the way in which she has taken a narrative which could easily have moved into rather twee territory, and very efficiently kept sentimentality at bay. That's not to say that the novel isn't deeply affecting, without ever trying to engage our emotions in a synthetic way, Ahern succeeds in involving us completely. In fact, the title could be said to be apposite -- it's a book that deserves to be a gift given by many people to the readers in their lives. --Barry Forshaw










The Christmas List by Richard  Paul Evans

From Goodreads-

Dear Reader,
When I was in seventh grade, my English teacher, Mrs. Johnson, gave our class the intriguing (if somewhat macabre) assignment of writing our own obituaries. Oddly, I don't remember much of what I wrote about my life, but I do remember how I died: in first place on the final lap of the Daytona 500. At the time, I hadn't considered writing as an occupation, a field with a remarkably low on-the-job casualty rate.

What intrigues me most about Mrs. Johnson's assignment is the opportunity she gave us to confront our own legacy. How do we want to be remembered? That question has motivated our species since the beginning of time: from building pyramids to putting our names on skyscrapers.

As I began to write this book, I had two objectives: First, I wanted to explore what could happen if someone read their obituary before they died and saw, firsthand, what the world really thought of them. Their legacy.

Second, I wanted to write a Christmas story of true redemption. One of my family's holiday traditions is to see a local production of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. I don't know how many times I've seen it (perhaps a dozen), but it still thrills me to see the change that comes over Ebenezer Scrooge as he transforms from a dull, tight-fisted miser into a penitent, "giddy-as-aschoolboy" man with love in his heart. I always leave the show with a smile on my face and a resolve to be a better person. That's what I wanted to share with you, my dear readers, this Christmas -- a holiday tale to warm your season, your homes, and your hearts.

Merry Christmas







The Christmas Carol- Charles Dickens

From Goodreads-

One of the best-loved and oft-quoted stories of "the man who invented Christmas"--English writer Charles Dickens--A Christmas Carol debuted in 1843 and has touched millions of hearts since. Cruel miser Ebeneezer Scrooge has never met a shilling he doesn't like. . .and hardly a man he does. And he hates Christmas most of all. When Scrooge is visited by his old partner, Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come, he learns eternal lessons of charity, kindness, and goodwill.







On Strike For Christmas- Sheila Roberts

From Goodreads-

At Christmastime, it seems as though a woman’s work is never done. Trimming the tree, mailing the cards, schlepping to the mall, the endless wrapping—bah humbug! So this year, Joy and Laura and the rest of their knitting group decide to go on strike. If their husbands and families want a nice holiday—filled with parties, decorations, and presents—well, they’ll just have to do it themselves. The boycott soon takes on a life of its own when a reporter picks up the story and more women join in. But as Christmas Day approaches, Joy, Laura, and their husbands confront larger issues in their marriages and discover that a little holiday magic is exactly what they need to come together.


Sheila Roberts gives the best gift of all in this funny, heartwarming novel that touches the very core of Christmas spirit.




I know I'll be reading at least the four I've listed, but if I come up with more than the list will be longer.  I've had some suggestions from other bloggers, so i'll be looking at those and if any seem enjoyable to me, I think the more the merrier.