#his moms are also from that old story along with two dodie’s mom and another alien guy

[arolesbianism]

Blue and not fully human gang rise up

[starburstonlayaway]

for @elizabroadwaytrash and i

Current word count :

40,813

Basic summary:

Tyler and Ethan’s family goes through a lot of changes following their marriage. They lose people, take others in, and new journeys are ventured on every day, no matter how scary or exciting.

Title? WIP? Alternate titles?

“Leave a Message.”

Yes, it is a work-in-progress.

I don’t believe we had any alternative titles, and if we did, I do not recall them.

Favorite character and how they are introduced:

Tyler. He’s introduced at the beginning of the first chapter, seen before anyone else.

Favorite ship:

Rose/Victor! I haven’t gotten to writing their relationship and build-up, but from our plans and how we’ve designed Victor’s character to be, I’m excited.

MC’s biggest mistake:

Rose is probably more of an MC than the others, despite it being a Tyler/Ethan fanfic.

Her biggest mistake was probably refusing to give up on Carter. While he was her boyfriend, his actions toward her (and later, Jazzy) were unacceptable after she came out to him. She isn’t to blame at all, but it’s definitely the thing she regrets most.

Inspiration:

A webcomic on Webtoon called “Always Human.” The comic explores the events happening to the girls Sunati and Austen throughout the course of their relationship. Beautiful art, realistic problems (despite being set in a futuristic utopian society), representation, and well-written romance. I wanted to incorporate these factors into LaM to make it similar to a story I enjoyed very much that left an influence on me.

Underrated character appreciation:

Jazzy! Rose’s best friend. Even in the separate story where she’s one of the main set of characters, she’s still very overlooked. She’s very upbeat and friendly, with lots of knowledge on wlw pop culture and history!

A few favorite dialogues:

“I’m ready, but we’re not in a rush or anything.” “Of course we’re in a rush, you slut! The sooner you guys get married, the sooner you have kids, and the sooner I’m an uncle!“ “Aren’t you occupied enough as it is? If you’re so involved in the idea of having a family, then why haven’t you and Jack had any kids of your own yet?“ “Don’t roast us like this.”

(spoken angrily) “Hey, Mister, that’s my soup!”

“That’s Amy! She’s probably Chica and Henry’s favorite out of all of us, but WE SHOULD REALLY SHARE CUSTODY OF HENRY.”

“Uh, I like to read, mostly, but watching older cartoons is also fun.” “Ooh. What cartoons do you like?” “My current favorite is Adventure Time!” “Adventure Time is considered an older cartoon now?” “Guess so.” “Damn, we’re getting old.” “We’re already old, dude.” “Thanks I feel worse.”

“What kind of cancer is it again?” “Leukemia.” “The survival chances of that aren’t terrible.” “Wow. Thanks.”

“You punched Jazzy?! You fucking punched Jazzy?! What the fuck is wrong with you?! Why would you punch someone for standing up to you when you were the one being a dick?!” “She wouldn’t get out of my face—” “I don’t wanna hear that bullshit! Carter, you can hurt me all you fucking want and I won’t care, but you’ve crossed the fucking line. Jazzy is the only person that’s been nice to me all year. She’s supported me and loved me no matter what, something you never fucking did!” “What the hell are you—” “We’re done, Carter! I never want to see your ugly transphobic douchebag ass again!”

MC moodboard:

N/A

MC’s fondest memory:

Probably when she was adopted. It was the most exciting day of her life, and lead down a journey of self-discovery.

In close second is the day she became friends with Jazzy. She was there for her when she needed her most.

Songs that remind of LaM or the characters:

“What About Us” by P!nk, probably definitely because it’s the song I used for Tyler and Ethan’s first dance.

“Leave a Message” by gnash, the song I named the book after! This one doesn’t need much of an explanation.

“Party Tattoos” by dodie. I plan to use this song in the closing chapter, sung by Rose.

Enjoy torturing the characters?

Not really, but I do it anyway. Good for character development, which there’s a lot of. But I don’t enjoy it, no. I love the characters in this book like my cat and dogs: with all my heart.

MC’s biggest fear:

Being unaccepted. This fear makes itself evident after what happens with Carter. Her mother’s reaction enforces this more.

Goals:

To finish LaM by the end of sophomore year, editing and all.

To be proud of the finished product.

To use this book as a reminder that I can do it. I can write.

Characters’ secret talents:

Ethan, despite not playing for many, many years, still excels at playing the ukulele. This becomes not so much of a secret later on in the book.

Rose is surprisingly good at tic-tac-toe. Not necessarily a talent, but definitely something she’d want you to note.

Turned into a media? Cast?

Seeing as LaM is a piece of fanwork, I don’t believe I would turn it into a media.

If it was to be a media, however, along with Tyler Scheid and Ethan Nestor to play Tyler and Ethan, as well as Mark Fischbach, Amy Nelson, and Kathryn Knutsen to play their friends, a few choices I would make would be to cast Janet Mock as adult Rose Scheid and Elliot Fletcher as adult Adrian Garcia.

MC’s basic morals and general beliefs:

Rose’s number one moral is to never make someone feel shut out. Having been rejected (as well as accepted) many times in her life, she knows that she never wants anyone to feel like that, and makes an effort to be the reason.

How MC found out the tooth fairy doesn’t exist:

She never really believed in it, to begin with.

Best name:

Jasmine “Jazzy” Hinojosa-Mills.

Least favorite OC:

Carter. Abusive transphobic asshat that left Rose with lots of insecurities and trauma for years to come.

Snippet:

Mark really had gone all out with making the altar just like Tyler had wanted it to look. The arch was made out of ebony wood that had been painted white with golden accents. Flowery vines were twirled all around the wood, the flowers colors of black, grey, purple, and blue. The chairs surrounding the aisle were all made of the same wood as the arch, the cushions blue and grey. Both Ethan and Tyler’s family alike filled those chairs, chattering away with one another. Tyler quickly scanned the side filled with Ethan’s relatives, and wasn’t surprised to see Ethan’s aunt and uncle were not present. He hoped to god that Ethan wouldn’t notice. The guests quieted down and turned their heads to look at Tyler, and he felt put on the spot. Most of the guests smiled at him, others clapped quietly. He could see that two people in particular were both smiling and clapping. Seeing Jack and Kathryn so supportive of him was majorly comforting to Tyler. He exhaled, and glanced at Mark behind him. Mark was already smiling, and nudged his head towards the arch. Tyler walked down the aisle and received praise from just about everyone sat in chairs. He high-fived Jack on his way to his place next to the officiant. The lady smiled at him, and he returned the gesture. She opened her book as Mark took his place next to Tyler, gazing over his friend’s tux and wiping off some dust quickly. Mark gave Tyler a thumbs-up, and Tyler couldn’t stop smiling. Now that he was actually out in front of the guests and standing where he was meant to be, his nerves relaxed. In fact, every thought he’d ever had in doubt of this marriage before that moment vanished, as soon as Ethan walked out.

WIP representation:

LGBT

Tyler/Ethan

Rose is trans

Jazzy is pansexual with two moms

Adrian is trans with two moms

Marcus has two dads

POC

Rose and her mother are black

Adrian and his mama are Mexican

Disabilities

Marcus has leukemia (cancer of the white blood cells)

Standalone or part of a series?

Standalone. Although I suppose you could call it a spinoff of one of our other works, the reader does not need to read that series to understand this story.

Biggest character development:

Definitely Rose. Seeing as the story follows the changes through most of her life, there’s a big difference in her character comparing the first chapter she is introduced to the closing chapter, where she takes center stage.

People who know of the WIP:

My co-writer, Caroline. Though I’ve done most of the writing, Caroline and I brought the idea for this story to life together, creating a unique cast of characters such as Jazzy, Rose, Adrian, Marcus, their families, Victor, Rose’s mother Aaliyah, and Ethan’s uncle Zane. Without her, the story would not have been written in the first place.

The lovely readers on AO3. I’ve uploaded chapters of the WIP onto there, updating at least once a month. It feels good to be putting some of my work out there for other people instead of just keeping such a joy all to myself. Of course, this is just a personal opinion.

Characters’ annoying habits:

Jazzy’s very short-tempered. Make one wrong move, anyone could get shouted at, lectured, maybe even a blow to the face.

Marcus feels a lot of self-pity and spite. He wishes his parents wouldn’t baby him so much just because he has cancer. This, later on, leads to him participating in multiple illegal activities to antagonize them.

Adrian grows to be more selfish as he gets older, even going out of his way to go into the military and disappear from Rose’s life out of the blue one day without telling her. He later regrets this.

Rose has plenty of autophobia to go around. After her mother gave her up to the orphanage at a young age and Carter’s abuse towards her in her late middle school years, followed by Adrian’s sudden leave after high school, she always fears being alone or abandoned by the people she cares about.

Tyler and Ethan both never seem to recover from the grief of their first child’s loss. This makes them closed off to people who ask about the incident, and could sometimes bring them back to their depressive state.

Very last three lines (with context):

“Unsure was she on how to approach this. She’d felt it since that first night she met him, but it’d grown more and more out of hand since. They’d also became closer as friends, even now sometimes hanging out without the needed assistance of Marcus and Jazzy by their sides to ease the tension.”

Context: Rose had just come to the conclusion she had a crush on Adrian.

Characters: Based off IRL people(through looks, personality, or habits)?

Tyler, Ethan, Amy, Kathryn, Mark, Jack, Chica, Henry, and all of the parents in the story are based off IRL influencers. The characters have only been switched and changed a bit, as well as the relationships, of course, to fit the story.

Impossible friendship:

Carter and Jazzy. Don’t really need to explain it if you’ve read the work. They hate each other’s guts more than anyone, and they could never kiss and make up. As characters, they aren’t the types to do that at all, especially with each other.

Am I proud?

Yes. Leave a Message has been my most dedicated piece of work so far, and I’d say I’m well on my way to reaching my personally-set deadline next year if I keep it at the rate I’m going. Not to mention the characters and plotlines are exciting and realistic, in my own opinion. There’s still a lot left to be written, but I’ve got everything planned out. I don’t plan on stopping until I’m finished with it.

[reddie-prompts]

Freckles and Constellations

(Reddie fic based on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70L9mzLMTEg which is a rlly good song, Dodie Clark is an amazing artist, you should go listen to her music) (another note, I headcanon that Richie plays the guitar and sings really good sadfg)

It was a cool day in Derry, was fall was transitioning into winter, and the Losers were hanging out in the barrens, where they’d started a small fire to keep warm. Along with the fire, they’d all wrapped themselves in two big blankets. “It’s just extra warmth so we won’t get sick,” was the excuse Eddie gave, but they all knew it was an excuse to cuddle with his friends. Of course, none of them objected. They sat around the fire, laughing, telling jokes and “horror stories” from their holidays spent at their family’s. Every once in awhile, the phrase “so who’s gonna feed the fire?” would come up, and would met by a few mumbles, and occasionally someone would yell out “Nose goes!”, either way, Mike always ended up being the one to get up and stir the fire, and add in a few more sticks, since he knew if he didn’t, no one else would. There was a particular time he got up to stir the fire, which Richie piped up to, saying “Ah, bless you, beautiful baby boy. Mike, my man, if it weren’t for you, we’d all freeze.” Everyone chuckled and shook their heads at this. “Maybe the world would be better if Richie Tozier did freeze.” Mike retorted, sitting back down. “Aw, c’mon Mike, you know you love me. You all do.” Richie said, reaching his arm around Bill and Stan to poke Mike’s arm. There was a sarcastic “yeahhh” shared between the Losers after Richie said that, which sent him into a giggle fit. More than 7 hours had passed since they’d started the fire, and the sky was starting to get dark. Bill stood up, and looked at his watch. “Well guys, it’s been lovely, but I gotta get home before dinner, or mom’ll have a fit.” Stan stood up and wiped his hands on his pants before grabbing Bill’s hand. “Yeah, and I’m having dinner with him, and believe it or not, I don’t want to have dinner with my boyfriend’s corpse.” Bev snickered and rested her head on Mike’s shoulder. “Okay lovebirds, get outta ‘ere then.” Bill and Stan glanced at each other for a second, then looked away blushing. Stan rubbed the back of his neck and Bill waved to all of them, beofre they began to climb the rocky cliff by the bridge a few yards away from where they’d set up “camp”. Richie whistled after them, yelling something dumb about them not kissing too much in front of Bill’s parents. It wasn’t long after that when Ben’s watch went off, signalling the time his mom had given him to be home. “Damn. Sorry guys, I gotta motor. Y’know my mom’s rule about curfew and the cops ‘n such.” He stood up, and was a bit surprised to see Mike follow him. “I’ll walk you,” he said, clarifying why he also stood up, after noticing Ben’s weird expression. “I gotta get home anyways.” Ben smiled and nodded, turning to the last three Losers. “Will you guys be okay here yourselves?” “Yeah, I’ll watch the fire since these two won’t.” Eddie said, pointing a thumb at Richie and Bev. Richie shrugged, pushing his glasses up on his nose. “He’s not wrong.” Mike rolled his eyes, smiling. “Okay, see you guys tomorrow maybe?” “Maybe.” The three responded in unison. The night began to get darker, and the fire began to die, the three remaining Losers huddles closer together, Bev and Eddie resting their heads on Richie’s shoulders. Eddie yawned, nuzzling into Richie’s neck. “Getting tired, Eds?” Eddie shook his head. “Yeah, a little bit, but I’ll be fine.” Bev sat up and stretched, blinking a few times, in attempt to keep herself awake. “Nah, I’m getting sleepy, too, we should get going.” She stood up, and grabbed the stick they’d been using to stir the fire, and poked at the embers. “Who wants to put it out? I’ve got a water bottle.” Richie instantly stood up, grinning. “I’ll do it!” “I only have one bottle, if you don’t put it out, if you fuck up,” Bev warned, turning around, and picking up the bottle from the ground, “I’ll kick your ass. I’m tired and I want to go home, so let’s not mess around, okay? Richie nodded, and grabbed it from her, unscrewing the cap. He gently dumped it in, making a show to prove to Bev he’d do it right. Once the fire was out, he gave the bottle back to Bev, and turned to Eddie, who looked like at any moment he could pass out. “Hey, Eds, Eddie Spaghetti, you there, buddy?” He asked, snapping his fingers in front of Eddie’s face. Eddie slapped his hand away with a scowl. “Don’t call me that.” Richie laughed, and held out a hand to him. “We’re heading off, space kadet. You coming?” Eddie grabbed his hand and stood up, wobbling a bit since he’d been sitting in practically the same position for the past 7 hours, and they were a bit numb. Richie snorted, grabbing his forearm to help keep him stable. “Thanks,” Eddie said, wiping his hands on his jeans. He leaned over and picked up the blanket, wrapping it around his shoulders. “Alright, Bev is it okay if we drop you off first?” Eddie asked, shivering a bit now that he didn’t have the heat of his friends and the fire warming his small body. “Yeah, that’s fine. You look cold though, you can keep my blanket, just give it back whenever.” Eddie smiled gratefully, and the began their journey to Bev’s. “So your old man’s not gonna kill ya for being out so late?” Richie asked as they neared her house. “Oh, I’m sure he’s in bed by now. If not, I’ll sneak in the back door, and pretend I’ve been home for hours.” She winked and gave them a thumbs up. As the walked up the block she lived on, they all looked at the front window, checking to see if it was on. If it was, her father was still awake, and if it wasn’t, he wasn’t. Luckily for her, it was off, and she sighed with relief. She kissed both of them on the cheeks and left them with a “Oh thank god. See you guys tomorrow!” before jogging off to her house. As soon as Bev entered her house, Richie dipped his hand under the blanket to grab Eddie’s hand. The two had been dating for a few weeks now, and hadn’t told the Losers yet, just because both of them were nervous about the entire thing. They knew their friends would accept them, but the relationship was so new, the anxiety was just too high for them to say anything yet. Eddie smiled up at Richie, and leaned on his side. “Rich, I’m not ready to go home yet.” He whined softly, squeezing his hand. Richie smiled, and squeezed his hand back. “We can stop by my place for a bit and hang out. I doubt anyone’s home, we can chill in my room, so then incase anyone does come home, I can sneak you out the window.” Eddie smiled and nodded. He hated being sneaky, but he loved how much Richie cared for him, especially going to the length of shoving him out the window, and sprinting back to Eddie’s house. 

They walked into Richie’s house and shed their jackets. “You want some coffee to warm you up?” Richie asked. “I know you don’t know how to use the coffee machine.” Eddie replied, laughing. “I’ll do it. You go upstairs and clean off your bed.” “Hey! It’s not that dirty!” Richie said, holding his hand to his chest in a dramatic, offended manner. Eddie put his hands on his hips. “Do you really want to hang out with your boyfriend with your cumrags on your bed?” He raised an eyebrow. Richie opened his mouth to protest, then ran upstairs. Eddie laughed as he walked into the kitchen. He filled a filter, slid it into place, flipped the lid down. He crossed the room to the sink, and grabbed two mugs from the drain rack and took the empty one to the coffee machine. He put it under the dispenser, and pressed “start”.

Richie threw his clothes off his bed, and kicked them into the corner of the room. He quickly made his bed, then sat on it, messing with his fingers impatiently. Not more than a minute had passed when he decided he was bored, and he leaned over to the other side of his bed, and picked up his guitar. Eddie grabbed both mugs and began up the stairs. He nearly tripped twice, and almost screamed because he almost spilt his coffee, but he didn’t, and he was proud of himself. He pushed Richie’s bedroom door open with his foot, and smiled. Richie was on his bed strumming away at his guitar, singing under his breath. He was so into it, he hadn’t even noticed Eddie enter the room, which was surprising, because his trip up the stairs wasn’t too quiet. He pushed the door mostly shut with his foot again, and set their mugs down on Richie’s bedstand. He sat gently on the bed, and kissed behind RIchie’s ear. “You sound amazing.” He whispered, grinning as he buried his face into Richie’s face. Richie jumped a bit in surprised, nearly dropping his guitar. “Jesus Eds, you scared the shit out of me. Warn a dude before you go up behind him and kiss ‘im, okay?” Eddie laughed, and wrapped his arms around Richie’s waist. “I’m pretty sure almost tripping all the way up the stairs was a good enough warning.” Richie felt his ears blush a bit, and he rested his head on Eddie’s. “Anyways, what were you playing?” Eddie asked, poking Richie’s guitar. “Oh, it’s just something dumb I’ve been working on.” He replied, blushing more as he set his guitar back on the floor.  He turned back to Eddie, laying back, pulling his boyfriend down with him. They laid there for awhile, just staring into each other's eyes. “I have an idea,” Richie said softly, ending the silence. He rolled over and reached into his bed stand, rolling back over with a black marker in his hand. “No, no, no, Richie, if you draw a dick on my face my mom will-” “Oh shush,” Richie said, pulling the cap off with his teeth. “Richie, do not!” Eddie threatened, pulling his face away a bit. “Hold still, Eds, I have an idea. You gotta trust me.” Eddie huffed quietly and closed his eyes. “Okay, go for it.”  He felt a few pokes on his cheek, then he felt Richie drawing lines. It only took about a solid minutes before Richie pulled the marker back and yelled “Voila!” Eddie opened his eyes and sat up, fighting the urge to scratch where the ink was on his cheek. “What did you do?” He asked, putting his hand to his face. “Go look in the mirror.” Richie replied, beaming. Eddie stood up and walked to the mirror Richie had hung on his wall, and Richie followed. He stood on his tiptoes to be able to see his face clearly, and turned his face to the side, examining his temporary tattoo.  He turned back to Richie quickly, smiling. “The big dipper?” Richie couldn’t help but to giggle. “Yeah! When I was looking at your face I couldn’t help but to wonder if any of your freckles made actual constellations, and I guess they do!” Eddie smiled, shaking his head as he wrapped his arms around Richie. “You’re kind of a nerd, Richie.” He said softly, as Richie hugged him back. “Ah, but I’m your nerd.” Richie replied, making Eddie giggle. Eddie looked up at Richie and gently kissed his chin. “God I love you.” He whispered softly. Richie smiled and buried his face in Eddie’s hair. “I guess this makes this official, huh?” “Yeah, I guess it kinda does.” Eddie responded, pulling back a little, and grabbing Richie’s hand, lancing their fingers together. Richie giggled a little bit, earning a weird look from Eddie. “What?” He asked, frowning a little. “Haha.... Gay.” “Richie, we’re dating.” Eddie said, squinting at him. “Yeah, and it’s gayyyyyy.” Richie giggled, twisting their arms to Eddie’s back was now facing him. He wrapped his arms around Eddie’s waist. “But I think I like being gay.” He whispered to Eddie. “Oh, well I’d hope so.” Eddie replied, raising an eyebrow. “That’s the part where you’re supposed to say ‘wow, me too, Richie!, Eddie, my dear.” Richie said, setting his chin on Eddie’s shoulder and pouting. “Oh I’m sorry, your highness. ‘Wow, me too, Richie!’” Eddie replied, mockingly. “It’s just not the same.” Richie sighed wistfully. “Oh shut up Richie.” Eddie said, squirming out of his arms. He sat on the bed, and Richie followed. Richie only had to pout another minute or so before Eddie broke the silence saying, “You know I love you, right?” Richie looked down at him, grinning. “Yeah, I was just pouting to get something out of you. Now that I know it works I definitely see myself using it in the future. “ “Don’t you fucking guilt trip me to say I love you RIchie.” Eddie replied sharply. “Will you say it without me guilt tripping you?” “I just did not more than 2 minutes ago, Richie.” Richie thought for a moment before giggling. “Oh yeah.” Eddie sighed and rested his head on Richie’s arm. “You’re kind of a pain.” Eddie mumbled. “Yeah, I try.” There was another brief moment of silence before Richie kissed the top of Eddie head, and wrapped and arm around his waist. “I love you too.” 

[thebesreads]

Hello everyone

As it’s Christmas Eve Eve today, I thought I would dust off an old favourite of mine with the Christmas Top Ten. Although with it being Christmas Themed, I’ve added two making it a Christmas Top Twelve. Most of them are only short books, so you could start them tomorrow and have the list finished by Twelfth Night.

On the First Day of Christmas my True Love Sent to Me…

 How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss

I’ll start off with a easy one. One that everyone has read and seen the greatest Christmas movie of all time based on this book. This was always my favourite book when I was little and we would always watch it on Christmas Eve. The noses always used to make me laugh and I always wanted to be Cindy Lou Who.

With a heart two sizes too small, the Grinch is the meanest creature you’ll ever meet. He hates Christmas and the whole festive season. But when he hatches a dastardly plot to steal Christmas, he’s in for a big surprise!

On the Second Day of Christmas my True Love Sent to Me…

The 101 Dalmations by Dodie Smith

Not many people realise this was a book before it was a Disney film. Again I read this when I was young. In fact I think this may have been the first Christmas book I read on my own! I love the moment when Lucky gets stuck in the snow. I know its sad, but its just so cute! There are a number of differences between the novel and the films, but the story is essentially the same. If you think the films are good, I would definitely read the book!

Pongo and Missis had a lovely life. With their human owners, the Dearlys, to look after them, they lived in a comfortable home in London with their 15 adorable Dalmatian puppies, loved and admired by all. Especially the Dearlys’ neighbor Cruella de Vil, a fur-fancying fashion plate with designs on the Dalmatians’ spotted coats! So, when the puppies are stolen from the Dearly home, and even Scotland Yard is unable to find them, Pongo and Missis know they must take matters into their own paws!

On the Third Day of Christmas my True Love Sent to Me…

The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman

I first found this story when Barbie bought out her movie, and every Christmas I watch it. I also read it and I remember my mom and I watching the ballet on telly, I get so excited when I do both because it makes me feel like I’m seven again. I love the magic behind the story. I love Marie  and how excited she gets over the Nutcracker. It just makes me feel so Christmassy!

It is Christmas Eve and Marie has tired of her new presents, happily playing with a nutcracker instead. When the clock strikes midnight, she is stunned to see an army of mice advancing, led by a seven-headed Mouse King. Her very own nutcracker comes alive, leading the dolls and toys against the mouse army and a violent battle ensues. Soon after, her godfather comes for a visit and tells her the story of the nutcracker. As the tale unfolds, Marie learns about the ongoing feud between the mice and their enemy Princess Pirlipat. It sounds fanciful, but could it be true? This timeless tale is full of the magic of Christmas, but is a delight to read at any time of the year. Its enduring popularity is testament to its originality and charm.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas my True Love Sent to Me…

The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson

This one is very sad. I remember my teacher reading this and it made me cry. I was a sensitive child. But it was still a story that was very full of Christmas, even though its sad.

The wares of the poor little match girl illuminate her cold world, bringing some beauty to her brief, tragic life.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas my True Love Sent to Me…

All I Want For Christmas Is You by Lisa Mondello

I absolutely loved this book. For content I would suggest that its more of an adult book so I would say older than 16. Its the story of a single mom trying to have a good Christmas with her daughter. The little girl is so cute, she just makes your heart melt.

Santa Claus is going to have a rough season… Lauren Alexander is raising her daughter alone. Abandoned by her family for her decision to keep her daughter Kristen, she has done a pretty good job for the last six years. Or she thought she had. That’s why she is crushed when little Kristen gives up her wish for a toy or goodie and instead asks Santa for a present for her mother. She wants Santa to bring a Daddy. Delivering Daddies isn’t Santa’s bag.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas my True Love Sent to Me…

Father Christmas and Father Christmas Goes on Holiday by Raymond Briggs

These two I’m going to class as one book because they continue on from each other and I would always read both of them at Christmas and watch the video that my Grandad bought me.

Father Christmas has awoken from a dream of summer sun to discover it is December 24th, Christmas Eve – the start of his longest night’s work of the year! Much merriment ensues as Father Christmas travels the world, with a few issues along the way, to bring joy to children everywhere. – Father Christmas

No-one needs a holiday more than Father Christmas, but where can such a well-known and easily recognized person go? Father Christmas sets off in search of his ideal holiday spot! France, Scotland and Las Vegas are his chosen destinations, but as Father Christmas discovers – there’s nowhere like home. – Father Christmas Goes on Holiday.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas my True Love Sent to Me…

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Always a favourite, and a classic. Who can resist a magical land in the back of your wardrobe where there are talking animals, evil witches, Lion Kings (literally), a war, and siblings? This is literally a book for everyone, I don’t know anyone who couldn’t enjoy this story. It even has a cameo from the big man himself!

When Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy took their first steps into the world behind the magic wardrobe, little do they realise what adventures are about to unfold. And as the story of Narnia begins to unfold, so to does a classic tale that has enchanted readers of all ages for over half a century.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas my True Love Sent to Me…

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Another classic! Its been retold many times by a lot of film makers, including the Muppets and Disney. I think this story is the epitome of the meaning of Christmas, charity and good will to all men.

Charles Dickens’ masterfully crafted Christmas fable tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a man with wealth to match the coldness of his heart. On a mystical Christmas Eve, a visitation with spirits forces Scrooge to make a choice: change, or perish.

On the Ninth Day of Christmas my True Love Sent to Me…

A Visit from St Nick by Clement C. Moore

“Twas the Night Before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse’. ooooh just those words make me excited for Christmas. Everyone knows the rhyme, maybe not all of it, but we know some.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas my True Love Sent to Me…

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone By J.K. Rowling

I know what you’re all thinking, ‘how can this be a Christmas book’. but I just love the Christmas Scene in Harry Potter. The first proper Christmas Harry had had in his 11 years. It just makes me think of all of my family Christmases at home.

Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy – until he is rescued by a beetle-eyed giant of a man, enrols at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, learns to play Quidditch and does battle in a deadly duel. The Reason: HARRY POTTER IS A WIZARD.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas my True Love Sent to Me…

Christmas at the Beach Café and Christmas Gifts at the Beach Café by Lucy Diamond

Again these are two stories that I’ve combined into one post, they follow on from each other and are part sequels to The Beach Cafe, however they can be read on their own, as they do have a quick recap of the major parts of the story. They made me feel really Christmassy as Evie shares the excitement of the season with the readers.

After a hectic summer running her beach café in Cornwall, Evie Flynn is looking forward to her first Christmas with new boyfriend Ed – she’s determined that it’s going to be the most perfectly romantic one ever. Cosy nights in front of the fire, spicy mulled wine, mince pies . . . what’s not to love? – Christmas at the Beach Cafe.

With her Cornish Beach Café closed for the winter, Evie Flynn should be looking forward to lazy days and a happy Christmas, with nothing more pressing to think about than when to have her next mince pie.  But her sister Ruth is coming to stay, in a cloud of heartbreak and bitterness following her marriage breakdown, along with her three unhappy children, and Evie knows she’ll have her work cut out, trying to spread some festive cheer. Then her boyfriend Ed breaks the news that he’s going to spend Christmas in London, for family reasons, and her heart sinks even further. – Christmas Gifts at the Beach Cafe.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas my True Love Sent to Me…

A Winter’s Tale by Carrie Elks

This was the first Christmas book I read this year, and I really liked how festive it was! Most of the Christmas novels like this, have another story that happens to be at Christmas, where as this had the holiday at its core. Without Christmas, the story wouldn’t have happened.

Struggling film student Kitty Shakespeare is determined to make the most of her new job as nanny to major producer Everett Klein’s son, Jonas. It might not be exactly the career she’d hoped for when she moved from London to LA, but thanks to her habit of freezing up in interviews, this is her last chance to impress a key player in Hollywood – if she can get this right, then surely he’ll take a moment to look at her work. However, what Kitty hasn’t allowed for is Everett’s sexy-as-hell brother, Adam – but love at first sight this is not.

  And that was my top twelve Christmas books, and so I’ll leave you with this thought:

“One can never have enough socks,” said Dumbledore. “Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.”

Happy Reading!

The Twelve Books of Christmas Hello everyone As it's Christmas Eve Eve today, I thought I would dust off an old favourite of mine with the Christmas Top Ten.