Zanta Claus:There's a new Claus in Town by D.C. Little

Genre: Adult, Humor, Fantasy
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Zanta Claus is the perfect story to read to start off your Christmas Holiday. David Kringle is Santa's brother. He is a successful writer who has Santa's support one hundred percent. Unfortunately not everyone loves what he writes. His latest best seller has put some of the elves in a bad light. Martin has been named in several of his books. When it is time for his family meal with his brother and family, he learns just how upset Martin is with him. To say the ride was frightful is an understatement. But, David isn't going to let this ruin the surprise he has for his brother. He has finally figured out what he wants to do with his life and he sees it as a compliment to his brothers life. David wants to become the Zanta Claus. As Zanta Claus he will reach out to all of those children and adults who no longer believe in Santa. He gets his brother's support and takes it before the Fairy Tale council where he is granted a one year trial. He has one year to set everything up and make it work before he meets back with the council. I loved that everything was the opposite so as not to take away from Santa. David's outfit was black with red fur and his shop was setup in the South Pole. They didn't make traditional toys, they went more with what would get the attention of those who no longer believed in Santa.  Will he succeed?  You will have to read it to find out.

This was a super funny book. I kept picturing Tim Allen and Will Ferrell as I read. I could see this as a great Christmas movie. I loved that the author gave Zanta his start with what appeared to be a mismatched group of elves and reindeer. Like all "Hallmark" type Christmas story, there was even a love story to go with it. It is so fun to read that I found I was finished before I knew it.  I definitely will reread this each year because in my book it is just that good.  I am so glad I was asked to read and review this book.


Author's Bio
D.C.'s passion for life has always burned bright. His writing is directly focused on providng readers a break from the realities of life through moments of laughter and joy.
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Pieces on Earth by Cathy Bryant

Genre: Adult, Christian Fiction

Source: I purchased a copy

I am the mother of a young man who has been deployed twice. The first time he was able to come home a couple of weeks for his second son’s birth. He spent last Christmas deployed. I applaud his wife. She is a very loving wife and someone I admire very much. It takes a lot of love, patience, and trust to be married to a military person.  This is a book I will definitely recommend to my daughter-in law.

I am sure she could definitely identify with Liv, who wanted so much to spend Christmas with her husband. Life is never predictable when a family member is in the military.  Unlike Liv she has always accepted his deployments. I am sure she didn’t like them. I once asked her about how difficult it was for her and she said she entered the marriage understanding what can and does happen when married to someone in the military. She has two young boys she raises by herself and an 11 year old daughter who spends time with her when her husband is deployed.  God has always been a strong part of our life. I was happy to see how Cathy Bryant placed so much emphasis on relying on God.  This is another wonderful story by a wonderful author. It is a must read any time of the year, but especially recommended during the Christmas season.

Two Wonderful Books by E.E. Smith

Boardinghouse Stew by E.E. Smith

Genre: Adult, Memoir

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I love memoirs. For me they are a peek into the way of life during a time period in which I did not live. E.E. Smith has taken her memories and fictionalized them by changing the names of those involved. What comes out is a look at life, hers in particular, sprinkled with lots of humor. During World War II many women worked in the munitions factories. Food was rationed and life was difficult. Eileen, an eleven year old didn’t want to work in the fields so she lied about her age, saying she was thirteen,  in hopes of being hired as a cook and maid in a boarding house. This would be a daunting job for an adult, but because of Eileen’s age the book is fun to read. This is not just a book about Eileen. This book is about all of the people who live at the boarding house and how they interact with each other. For me personally, a book that can touch my memories and emotions is a great book. Having said that, I will have to admit this was a great book.  I found myself so irritated that the gardener, like so many other Japanese was placed in an internment camp. The reactions toward him were appalling to me.  I loved how caring the doctor was.  Mrs. Mumsford is a personality I could not nail down. I found her quirky habit of setting a place at the table for her deceased husband, and talking to his picture quite humorous, but at the same time it was sad. It was a reminder for me that she was having trouble moving on.  For anyone familiar with stories of that time you will recognize several things that indicate what the time period was like. There were ration books, which made feeding so many very difficult. It also meant when a recipe went really wrong, you ate it anyway. We see people creating victory gardens which helped provide food when there was such a shortage. I couldn’t imagine the blackout curtains and the air raid drills.  Eileen had to grow up so fast. Growing up on a farm in the sixties I could relate to the amount of work that was required of me compared to my cousins who lived in town. I would not trade that for anything.

This was originally written as a play. I believe I would have enjoyed it no matter how it was written. The author took things a step further by including pictures that really help with the visualization of that time period.  The title was very fitting for the book. The mixture of different people, their beliefs, jobs, habits and political ideas all mixed together the same way a cook would mix different ingredients to form a stew. Each character added their own “flavor” to the book. What came from this was a great dish worth reading.


Times Like These
Genre: Memoir
Source: I purchased a copy

Synopsis:
The year was 1943, midway through World War II, when no oe kew what would happen next.  Two years later, the times are even less predictable for the young heroine of Times Like These, on her way to a new home and an uncertain future with her volatile parents.
The war rages on in the Pacific, amid heavy casualties. Harry Truman is now president and secretly cosidering the use of a horrific new weapon to foce Japan to surrender. What would happen next?

My Thoughts:
Like her characters in Boarding House Stew, the characters don't disappoint. You can feel the pain Evelyn goes through with a father who is an alcoholic. One she loves so much she is willing to lie for him when he is drunk so often. However, as a child she can do only so much. When her father's drinking causes a train crash and her mom runs off with another man, Evelyn is sent to another state to live with another family. One thing is for sure, you realize real fast that Evelyn is a survivor. That doesn't mean she always makes the right decisions. This book will hopefully be followed by a third book very soon.  This is an author you really need to look out for