 

5 Tips for Happy Holiday Reading

Ahh, yes.  Tis the season.  We are definitely sliding into holiday time, aren’t we?  Halloween, with it’s spooky vibe and low-commitment fun are a fond memory (although the weight gained from eating all of that candy is definitely sticking with me). DeadlyDeliveryfinal In the U.S. Thanksgiving is starting to tap on our shoulders with a reminder to make those grocery lists, send out invites, or if nothing else start practicing our family-dinner-smile.  Yes, the smile that for many of us requires gritted teeth or bitten tongues.  And then ::boom:: the Christmas Season is upon us.Earl low res

So I thought it’d be handy to head into the season with a few tips on how to get in the most Holiday Reading fun.

5.  Read in line.  You know all of those crazy long lines you’ll be standing in while shopping for gifts or groceries or tape to finish your gift wrapping (I swear there is less and less tape on those rolls each year!)?  Thats the perfect time to pull a book or ereader out of your purse and lose yourself in the joy of the holidays via a great romance novel.  One caution though – you might not want to do this on Black Friday unless you have a bodyguard.  Tiny Treats

4. Stir and read, read and stir.  I’m a glutton for baking, candy making and indulging in all sorts of kitchen fun at the holiday time. Whether it’s cookies or candies or breads, there always seems to be a little time here or there while waiting for the candy thermometer to climb or the cookie timer to ding that offers a perfect opportunity to read a few pages (or chapters).  

3.  The Gift of Books.  Okay, so this isn’t as much a how  to fit in reading time tip as it is a general holiday reminder… Books make great gifts.  I love gifting books to my family, my niece and nephews, my kids, parents, everyone on my list.  The joy of finding the right book for each person is a really wonderful thing.  

2.  Keep it Short and Sweet.  I love, love, love anthologies at the holidays.  The stories are shorter, so they fit easily in those little pockets of time we so often seem to be limited to.  And what do you know?  The Romance Bandits have a number of holiday anthologies out right now.  Isn’t that handy 😉  Christmas with a SEAL cover

1. Or Long and Luxurious.  Whats better during the craziness of the holiday rush than to take a moment to slow down and luxuriate in a little one on one time with yourself?  A cozy cuddle under a blanket by the fire, a hot bubble bath to ease the stress or the romance of curling up by the tree lights to read a longer story is the perfect escape.  Oh, hey, I have a longer holiday book out, in case you hadn’t heard 😉  

How about you?  Do you have any holiday reading tips or favorite tricks to help you find reading time in the business of the season?  

Gifts

And the winner from last week’s Christmas with a SEAL Launch Party is: Laurie G

Comments

30 Comments

  • Jane says:

    Hello Tawny,
    I’ve never read while waiting in line to check out, but I’m going to avoid the crowds and shop for gifts online. I’m happy I’ll have some time to sneak in some reading because I’m not in charge of the cooking. I’ll probably just be asked to help out here and there.

    • Jeanne Adams says:

      Jane! His Chook-liness is back with you! Yay! The Tiny Treats will be a perfect read while waiting for all those email receipts to print!

      Grins.

    • Tawny Weber says:

      Jane, I love online shopping! I’ve had many a’year that I only shopped online, but missed the in-store experiences so am more of a hybrid shopper now 😀

      YAY you on not having to cook. That will give you some great reading time.

  • Shannon says:

    As for reading in line, it’s usually at the post office. I arrive “early” on a Saturday morning, which at my post office means 9. And there’s already a crowd. Some are people bringing items and packing there on the spot. Others are all together and just want to get it done. Then there’s the families where Mom and Dad somehow got tagged with a kid or two is … umm… BORED. So I open my Kindle, kindly move when I’m nudged.

    After the packages are mailed, my schedule frees up considerably, and I’m able to pick up all the books–Christmas and otherwise–and start cuddling up for the season. This year, Christmas will come closer to 12th night–one of my favorite author’s book comes out 6 January.

    • Jeanne Adams says:

      Hey Shannon! I know what you mean about the Post Office. I do that too, take my Kindle. I’m loving that there are so many great novellas for the holidays! (Hey, I put out two!) I love that for when I’m in line. Grins.

    • Tawny Weber says:

      Shannon, great idea for the post office lines! I always stick my husband with that holiday chore (hey, I do all the shopping!) so totally forgot about THOSE lines. I suddenly feel very sorry for those kids (and post office patrons) that are stuck in line, though.

      That is so awesome that you’ll have so much book cuddling time–and that you’ll be able to extend the joy into the new year 😀

  • Helen says:

    Tawny

    Those are really good ideas and I have all of the above books mention and read 2 of them and they are awesome 🙂

    I always have my kindle with me and get it out whenever I have to wait and for me reading at Christmas is always with the air con on keeping me cool

    Have Fun
    Helen

    • Jeanne Adams says:

      Heehee! Thanks, for the buys, Helen! And enjoy that reading spree in the air con!

    • Tawny Weber says:

      Awww so glad you’re already diving into the stories, Helen!!! I hope you’re loving them all 😉

      Thats so cool that you carry your ereader with you everywhere. I love that I can read on my phone while waiting in line but bringing the ereader would be so much easier for sure 🙂

  • pjpuppymom says:

    My Kindle goes everywhere with me. You never know when a few extra reading minutes may become available.

    My schedule takes off on December 1st so, with only a few exceptions, I restrict my December reading to novellas and short stories. I’ve already read Anna’s novella (awesome!) and have Deadly Delivery and Tiny Treats patiently waiting on my Kindle.

  • Tawny,

    Anthologies are my go-to remedy for holiday reading. Short, fun, put them down and move on to shopping, baking, wrapping. And I have all the Bandit ones on my ereaders already to go! Now if I could just get mine written and out to the readers!! 🙂

  • catslady says:

    I never go to sleep without reading. It can be hours or 15 minutes but always something! I’d rather read than sleep lol.

  • Dianna aka Hrdwrkdmom says:

    No tips or tricks, my Kindle just goes where I go and if I have 10 minutes to spare or more, I take it for reading.
    They ask me often at work how do you get anything out of a 10 minute reading break? I just smile and say that is 10 minutes I am doing what I love to do.

  • Hi Tawny! And Jeanne! Tawny, thank you so much for featuring HER CHRISTMAS EARL in your post. It’s lovely having a Christmas story out – already thinking of ideas for next year’s. I’ve got Jeanne’s DEADLY DELIVERY waiting for me – I’m about to bite the bullet this week and buy an e-reader. Talk about dragging the horse to water! But there’s too many awesome things on ebook only and I”m sick of missing out. Next on my TBR pile are a couple of old Nora Roberts trilogies from her category romance days, the awesome Vanessa Barneveld’s debut, THIS IS YOUR AFTERLIFE, and THE WINTER SEA by Susanna Kearsley, a new author to me. I read her SHADOWY HORSES last weekend and just couldn’t put it down.

  • Hi, Tawny–and Duchesse! What a great list of options. The one that works for me is #1, just taking the time out.

    I can happily say I have every book pictured in your post and am looking forward to diving into them. 🙂

  • Amy Conley says:

    I must admit, this year, other than the grands, we may not even celebrate Christmas, which will give me lots of reading time.
    Since my Mother passed away in July, I lost my favorite Auntie yesterday (I can say that here since no one else in my family follows any reading blogs), and my mother-in-law thisclose to passing away, what’s to celebrate? I’m just not in the mood. It’s too hard to think about right now.

    • Sending you hugs and prayers, Amy. I hope the grands will bring the joy and happy memories of Christmas to you after such a tough year.

    • Amy, you’ve really had a rough year. I’m so sorry for your losses.

    • Amy, sorry you and yours are having such a rotten time.

    • Amy Conley says:

      I do hope my daughter goes all out, as she loves Christmas and doing as much as possible. Her birthday is New Year’s Day, so I think she uses Christmas as a major build-up to her birthday! LOL Although she usually begins decorating the day after Halloween, not this year. But I have the feeling she will be done decorating by Thanksgiving.

  • Oooh! More Christmas reads to add to my stash! Already red La Divina Campbell’s Christmas novella and ADORED it ! Such a great read!

    The only way I get through this season working at Walmart is with the help of my stash of Christmas anthologies and novels. I keep the print copies on a shelf together so I can drop one in my bag before I got to work. And now with my kindle I can carry those novellas only available in e versions.

    Two of the additions to my Christmas Kindle reading I’ve already enjoyed are :

    Christmas in the Duke’s Arms – an anthology featuring novellas by Grace Burrowes, Miranda Neville, Carolyn Jewel and Shana Galen. Great stories!!

    And a Christmas novella by one of my critique partners – A Marquess for Christmas by Christi Caldwell. I really enjoyed this one.

    And of course I hope everyone will try the Regency Christmas anthology CHRISTMAS REVELS as it features stories by three wonderful authors – Hannah Meredith, Anna D Allen, Kate Parker and a debut author you might have heard of – Louisa Cornell ! It will be going live by December 3rd, but we hope to have it available sooner. And yes, I am excited and SCARED WITLESS !!

  • Mozette says:

    Well… I usually wait until I’m away from the hustle and bustle of the city and get in and read some of my favourite authors who I put of during the year.

    It sounds like an ordinary thing to do, but where I live, in a townhouse/duplex place, we all live on top of each other… and reading isn’t as easy to do with little kids running around screaming. So the coast is the best place… where I can hide in the caravan with my headphones on or out the back in the shade of the afternoon… not bad if you ask me. 😀

      

 
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