You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

Your gift this Toppler is to read a book that somehow relates to your favorite holiday song. You are responsible for deciding on the connection. After you're done, share a holiday memory with us (think of it as practice for the 2017 Challenge).

Minimum of 150 pages.

Is this thread for discussing or reporting? Not sure...

If discussing, then favorite song i selected is "Feliz Navidad." I'm looking at dog rescue and funny Christmas books.

Is there a page limit?

Hmm..how direct does the connection have to be? My song talks about a "happy feeling" could I read something that gives me a happy feeling? Or a book that finishes off a series (for example), which gives me a happy feeling? I may have an idea for my book. :)

I suspected that we'd be selecting a book based on our title so I have already downloaded the audiobook, Unholy Night. My song was "O Holy Night".

In this book, the Three Wise Men are painted as infamous thieves who stumbled across the babe in the manger. Should be an interesting retelling of the nativity.

I hope to do a bit of Christmas baking while I listen.

I have a book in mind but will wait until any page limit and connection to the song (title or lyrics?) is explained in more detail.

I'm going with a book I have on hand and is short enough that I think I can finish in time. My song is Winter Wonderland. I will be reading If on a Winter's Night a Traveler. This is my first exposure to Italo Calvino.

I've got a two-step connection between my song and my book.
The song is "White Christmas." For the connection to Christmas memories, think back to the moment in Holiday Inn when Bing Crosby is sitting at the piano and singing "White Christmas." The movie's love interest is standing next to him. When he gets to the line in the song, "to hear sleigh-bells in the snow" she rings a little bell on a miniature Christmas tree on the piano. My holiday memory is a bell. When I was a kid, we had a little bell that doubled as a Christmas tree ornament. It hung from a silky red ribbon. We always tied it on a low branch of the tree, so the cats could find it. Some years the cats found it more interesting than other years, and there were many cats over many years, but we always loved it when they rang the bell. I grew up and moved away and got my own house and my own Christmas tree, so of course I got a bell. When my kids were very little, I showed them how to hang the bell on the tree where the cats could find it. For all the cats over all the years who have played with the Christmas bell, I plan to read a cat-related cozy, Paws and Effect.

Oh, this will be hard, though I could choose a light or humorous book. I couldn't decide initially between Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer and Santa, Baby, though if pressed I'll go for the latter. Time to gopher!

What a wonderful memory, Casceil! Thanks for sharing, it made me smile!

J-Mom, be kind and put book length at 150 pages. I've got one for 160.

Debra wrote: "J-Mom, be kind and put book length at 150 pages. I've got one for 160."

Me too!

Noooooo, put it for 100! lol

Hahaha.. I thought that too, Lynn. A lot of Christmas books are quite short. Lol

150 pages minimum, I'll edit first post. Didn't even think to include the rules :)

Tejas Janet wrote: "Is this thread for discussing or reporting? Not sure..."

discussing and reporting

You are responsible for deciding on the connection.

The Grinch told me 100 pages was too short. ☺

Good choice Janice - I really enjoyed Unholy Night.

I love your story Casceil. I can see little paws batting at the bell.

I plan to read Christmas: A Very Peculiar History™. After reading the lyrics for A Christmas Song, I realized many of the lines were composed of holiday traditions (roasting chestnuts, mistletoe, caroling) or iconic holiday figures (Jack Frost, Santa). I thought a book about the history of Christmas would address why and how we developed these traditions mentioned in the song.

My toppler is starting to fill up with non-reading events. I have two events that day now. I'm still going to try to fit a book in, but it will have to be an audio for sure. I may have to find something shorter or maybe I'll just speed up the audio for the book I'm thinking about reading? Decisions, decisions... either way, it looks like my husband will have to topple with me. lol

Okay, so I really want to read a book for my geo-cache challenge. I'm still working on one for every site, although doubtful that I'll finish I want to get as close as I can. Anyway, my song choice was Santa Clause is coming to town and I was thinking of reading Long Way Round: Chasing Shadows Across the World, my connection being that Santa Clause comes to town taking the long way round the world. What do you think, too tenuous of a connection?

That sounds like a great connection.

This afternoon I realized that the Toppler is tomorrow and I hadn't looked for a book yet. So I took the easy way and did a search on Overdrive for books with "winter" in the title. I found a book that's even on my tbr - The Winter Witch. Hooray!

My song choice is Silent Night/7 O'clock News. I have so few short books to choose from, so will go with Running: Difficulty at the Beginning Book 1. The song lyrics refer to the birth of Jesus, which occurred in a stable - surely a difficult beginning. Is this connection okay?

jaxnsmom wrote: "That sounds like a great connection."

Yay, I'm all set to topple! Just have to finish my current book. This toppler kind of snuck up on me.

jaxnsmom wrote: "This afternoon I realized that the Toppler is tomorrow and I hadn't looked for a book yet. So I took the easy way and did a search on Overdrive for books with "winter" in the title. I found a book ..."

Well, so much for toppling one book off my pile, when I just added yours to it, lol, but isn't that how topplers go. I doubt that it will be the only one I add.

TrudyAn wrote: "My song choice is Silent Night/7 O'clock News. I have so few short books to choose from, so will go with Running: Difficulty at the Beginning Book 1. The song lyrics refer to the birt..."

The connection is all up to you. If you're happy with it then go with it :)

Lori Z wrote: "Well, so much for toppling one book off my pile, when I just added yours to it, lol, but isn't that how topplers go. I doubt that it will be the only one I add."

I think Topplers are actually the opposite of what they're supposed to be. If you don't add more books than you read, you're probably doing something wrong - or have super strong self control.

jaxnsmom wrote: "This afternoon I realized that the Toppler is tomorrow and I hadn't looked for a book yet. So I took the easy way and did a search on Overdrive for books with "winter" in the title. I found a book ..."

I also forgot that the toppler starts today. However, I'm not going to be able to take part after all.

I'm not going to be able to take part today either. My asthma has been playing up overnight as I think I'm coming down with my partners chesty cold and I'm feeling pretty crappy. I'm supposed to be going out for a boater's christmas lunch tomorrow too. Plus I haven't been able to find a book which fits my song that is short. Sorry. I hope everyone enjoys their read.

Sorry you're feeling crappy, Sarah. Rest up and feel better in time for tomorrow's lunch!

Thanks Debra. I might have a hot toddy later just in case it is the cold. It might stop it from taking hold ;-)

It will make you feel better, either way, Sarah! lol

I drank an awful lot of hot toddies at my sister's when I had a lingering cold. (We don't have alcohol here at home.) Don't know if they helped, but they sure were soothing and yummy!

Hope you feel better, Sarah.

Maybe the toppler should include book of choice and a hot toddy (or something similar)? :-)

Feel better, Sarah! I'm always fearful of catching a cold or flu that goes down into my chest because it complicates my asthma. The bug I had last weekend thankfully stayed up in my head.

I really should be working and foregoing the toppler, but I think I need the day off as well. I'll be listening to the audiobook version of Unholy Night and will wrap Christmas presents. If I really get ambitious, I could bake something while I listen. That's the joy of audiobooks.

Looks like there's 1-1/2 hours to go till we fire up our books. Woot.

Get well soon, Sarah!

I hope you feel better quickly, Sarah. I would suggest an audiobook, but you'd probably fall asleep, which might not be a bad thing.

I'm going with an audiobook myself. I'm listening to Saint Odd in small bursts while I'm driving around and before and after my 4 events I'm attending during the toppler. I'm not sure if I'll get through it in that manner, but I'm speeding the audio up and planning to stay up to listen once I get home tonight.

1 hour to go!! :-)

Good luck with your audiobook quest in between events, Kristie. You are much more ambitious than myself. I'd more likely come home and head off to bed.

Thanks guys.

Lisa Ann ⛄ wrote: "1 hour to go!! :-)

Good luck with your audiobook quest in between events, Kristie. You are much more ambitious than myself. I'd more likely come home and head off to bed."

Thanks, Lisa Ann. I have more books to read this month than time to read, so even if I don't finish at least I'll get a good start on one.

I have my books picked out and my ereader is charged. I'm ready!

I hope you feel better soon, Sarah.

Kristie - that's dedication.

Haha. Thanks, J'mom. I considered skipping it, but figured it's worth a try. No damage done if I don't complete it. I have all my cooking done and I'm ready to go. Now I have time to read before we leave & while traveling. Time to start!

My book is set up ready for me to start reading. First I'm helping my dad pick out flowers for a funeral.

Last minute preparations under way.

Enjoy your book(s) everyone! ☺

jaxnsmom wrote: "My book is set up ready for me to start reading. First I'm helping my dad pick out flowers for a funeral."

Oh dear! Sorry to hear that.

Off I go to meet the unholy wise men and find out what mischief they get into. Happy reading everyone.

Reading now. Learning about the origins of the yule log. Interesting!
Wishing everyone a good reading day. :-)

I gave my book an hour before giving up on it. A total dud! So, I found The Mastery of Love: A Practical Guide to the Art of Relationship --Toltec Wisdom Book on my bookshelf. Although, I've already read it, I feel it's time for a refresher! To remind me about love.

This ties to my song which was All I Want For Christmas Is You. That's love!