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Holiday Cheer 2016

Holiday Cheer

Holiday Cheer 2016

At Bookreporter.com, we've been celebrating the holiday season in style with our Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature. As our gift to you, we've been spotlighting a book and giving five lucky readers a chance to win it.

Although the contests have ended, we encourage you to take a look at this year's featured titles. These are books you'll want to read during the holidays --- and throughout the new year as well!

- Click here to see the winners of this year's Holiday Cheer contests.

The Angel of Forest Hill: An Amish Christmas Romance by Cindy Woodsmall - Romance

When Old Order Amish Rose Kurtz is asked to leave her family and help Joel Dienner with his children in the wake of tragedy, the quiet young woman recognizes a home where she might find kindness instead of criticism and hope replacing harsh words. She agrees to stay in Forest Hill and become Joel’s wife for the sake of his family needs, but their marriage is to be a partnership, one built from need, not love and affection. As the years pass, Rose continues to beckon Joel to join life again, to take joy in his growing children, and to awaken his heart to the possibility of new love. But will the arrival of a beautiful widow and a series of misunderstandings reverse how far Rose and Joel have come?

Broken Promise: Book One of the Promise Falls Trilogy by Linwood Barclay - Thriller


After his wife’s death and the collapse of his newspaper, David Harwood has no choice but to uproot his nine-year-old son and move back into his childhood home in Promise Falls, New York. David believes his life is in free fall, and he can’t find a way to stop his descent. Then he comes across a family secret of epic proportions that will affect not only his family, but the entire town.

Far From True: Book Two of the Promise Falls Trilogy by Linwood Barclay - Thriller

When private investigator Cal Weaver looks into a break-in at the home of a recently deceased man, he uncovers far more than he is prepared for after he finds a hidden room that was used for salacious activities. Detective Barry Duckworth is doggedly trying to solve two murders, one of which is three years old. He believes the killings are connected, since each featured a similar distinctive wound. And the key to his mystery may lie with Cal Weaver’s own case. As the lies begin to unravel, and another murder occurs, Cal and Barry find themselves headed straight into the heart of dark secrets as they uncover more startling truths about Promise Falls.

The Twenty-Three: Book Three of the Promise Falls Trilogy by Linwood Barclay - Thriller


It’s May 23, and the small town of Promise Falls finds itself in the midst of a full-blown catastrophe with dozens dead from a flu-like virus. Investigator Cal Weaver quickly zeros in on mass poisoning and a tainted water supply. Meanwhile, a college student has been murdered, and Detective Barry Duckworth recognizes a killer’s handiwork from the unsolved homicides of two women in town. Suddenly, the strange events from the last month start to add up. The motive for hurting the people of this town points to the number 23 --- and working out why will bring Duckworth closer to death than ever before.

The Christmas Town by Donna VanLiere - Fiction


Lauren Gabriel spent many years of her childhood in foster homes, wishing her mother would come back for her. Now 20 years old, she still longs for a place that she can truly call home. When Lauren, a cashier, ends her shift one night, she finds herself driving aimlessly in order to avoid returning to her lonely apartment. And when she witnesses a car accident, she is suddenly pulled into the small town of Grandon to serve as a volunteer for the annual fundraiser for Glory’s Place, a center for single mothers and families who need assistance. Could this town and its people be the home she has always longed for?

City on Edge by Stefanie Pintoff - Thriller

The night before the Thanksgiving Day Parade, a crowd gathers on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to watch the giant balloons fill with helium and rise toward the sky. Then the festive ritual takes a terrifying turn --- a gunshot rings out, police commissioner Logan Donovan falls, and panic erupts. When the chaos clears, another crime is revealed: Donovan’s daughter, Allie, has been kidnapped. Within hours, Special Agent Eve Rossi and her handpicked team of former convicts know a lot about the kidnapper. But Eve grapples with a harrowing question: Whom should she fear more --- a vengeful man threatening innocent lives, or a charming, arrogant cop fighting to save his daughter, who may be trying to cover up his crimes?

Conspiracy of Silence: The Tox Files, Book 1 by Ronie Kendig - Thriller/Adventure


Four years after a tragic mission decimated his team, Cole "Tox" Russell has been disavowed by the United States. But when a dormant, centuries-old disease is unleashed, he is lured back into action. Tox and his former Special Forces team regroup to work with FBI deception expert Kasey Cortes and fiery archaeologist Tzivia Khalon to search the globe for answers --- and a cure. As the mission leads from one continent to another, it becomes clear they're not just fighting a plague but battling an ancient secret society whose true goals remain hidden. Tox and his team soon realize that their sole chance might be to reach back through centuries of silence to find the only answer that can save them all.

The Expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee - Fiction


Mercy, a young Korean American and recent Columbia graduate, is adrift, undone by a terrible incident in her recent past. Hilary, a wealthy housewife, is haunted by her struggle to have a child, something she believes could save her foundering marriage. Meanwhile, Margaret, once a happily married mother of three, questions her maternal identity in the wake of a shattering loss. As each woman struggles with her own demons, their lives collide in ways that have irreversible consequences for them all.

The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa - Fiction


In 1939, barred from places that once felt like home and stripped of their possessions, Hannah Rosenthal and her best friend Leo Martin make a pact: Come what may, they promise to have a future together. A chance to have that future appears in the form of the St. Louis, a transatlantic liner that can supposedly provide Jews safe passage to Cuba. Seven decades later, Anna Rosen receives a package from Hannah, a great aunt she has never met. She and her mother travel to Havana to meet her, and learn the story of how Hannah and Leo honored the solemn pact they made.

The Heart of Henry Quantum by Pepper Harding - Fiction


Henry Quantum has several thoughts going through his head at any given time, so it’s no surprise when he forgets something very important --- specifically, a Christmas gift for his wife, which he realizes on the morning of December 23rd. Henry sets off that day in search of the perfect present for her: a bottle of Chanel No. 5 perfume. But much like Henry’s ever-wandering mind, his quest takes him in different and unexpected directions, including running into the former love of his life, Daisy. His wife, meanwhile, is hiding a secret of her own. And Daisy, who has made the unsettling choice of leaving her husband to strike out on her own, finds herself questioning whether she and Henry belong together after all.

Johanna's Christmas: A Festive Coloring Book for Adults by Johanna Basford - Art/Crafts & Hobbies


From flurries of delicate snowflakes to deliciously decorated gingerbread houses and reindeer-led sleighs, JOHANNA'S CHRISTMAS is a celebration of this wonderful holiday season that invites you to pick up your pens and pencils to color, complete or embellish each of the festive artworks. Hidden in this book are a flock of elusive little robins. Can you spot them all?

Like Family written by Paolo Giordano, translated by Anne Milano Appel - Fiction


When Signora A first enters the narrator’s home, his wife, Nora, is experiencing a difficult pregnancy. First as their maid and nanny, then their confidante, this older woman begins to help her employers negotiate married life, quickly becoming the glue in their small household. She is the steady, maternal influence for both husband and wife, and their son, Emanuele, whom she protects from his parents’ expectations and disappointments. But the family’s delicate fabric comes undone when Signora A is diagnosed with cancer.

Marry Me at Christmas: A Fool's Gold Romance by Susan Mallery - Romance


To bridal boutique owner Madeline Krug, organizing a Christmas wedding sounds like a joy --- until she finds out she'll be working closely with the gorgeous brother of the bride, movie star Jonny Blaze, who came to Fool's Gold looking for a normal life, not for love. Nevertheless, "ordinary" Madeline is the most extraordinary woman he's ever met, and Madeline finds real-life Jonny even more captivating than her celebrity crush. But will the action star be brave enough to risk his heart and step into the role of a lifetime?

The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee - Historical Fiction

THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT tells the mesmerizing story of Lilliet Berne, an orphan who left the American frontier for Europe and was swept into the glamour and terror of Second Empire France. She became a sensation of the Paris Opera, with every accolade but an original role --- her chance at immortality. When one is offered to her, she finds the libretto is based on her deepest secret, something only four people have ever known. But who betrayed her? Alexander Chee shares Lilliet’s cunning transformation from circus rider to courtesan to legendary soprano, retracing the path that led to the role that could secure her reputation --- or destroy her with the secrets it reveals.

Snowfall on Haven Point: A Haven Point Novel by RaeAnne Thayne - Romance


Two years since losing her husband, all Andrea Montgomery wants is for her children to enjoy their first Christmas in Haven Point. But then Andie accepts a favor to keep an eye on the brother of her friend Wyn, Sheriff Marshall Bailey, who’s recovering from a hit-and-run. Marshall hates feeling defenseless and resents the protective impulses that Andie brings out in him. When a blizzard forces them together for the holidays, something in Marshall begins to thaw. Andie’s gentle nature is a salve, and her kids’ excitement for the holidays makes him forget why he never wanted a family. If only he and Andie can admit what they really want --- each other --- their Christmas wishes might come true after all.

Speaking American: How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk: A Visual Guide by Josh Katz - Social Sciences


Did you know that your answers to just a handful of questions can predict the zip code of where you grew up? In 2013, Josh Katz accumulated and visually mapped over 350,000 unique survey responses to questions about word choice and pronunciation throughout America. His dialect quiz quickly became the most viewed webpage in the history of The New York Times. In SPEAKING AMERICAN, Katz offers a visual atlas of the American vernacular --- who says what, and where they say it --- revealing the history of our nation, our regions and our language.

The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin - Historical Fiction


Of all the glamorous stars of New York high society, none blazes brighter than Babe Paley. Her flawless face regularly graces the pages of Vogue, and she is celebrated and adored for her ineffable style and exquisite taste. But beneath this elegantly composed exterior dwells a passionate woman who is desperately longing for true love and connection. Enter Truman Capote. This diminutive golden-haired genius with a larger-than-life personality explodes onto the scene, setting Babe and her circle of Swans aflutter.

They're Playing Our Song: A Memoir by Carole Bayer Sager - Memoir


For five decades, Carole Bayer Sager has been among the most admired and successful songwriters at work, responsible for her lyrical contributions to some of the most popular songs in the English language. But while her professional life was filled with success and fascinating people, her personal life was far more difficult and dramatic. In this memoir, Sager tells the surprisingly frank and darkly humorous story of a woman whose sometimes crippling fears and devastating relationships inspired many of the songs she would ultimately write.

Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber - Romance

Aspiring journalist Julia Padden starts a blog as a means of seeking revenge against her grouchy, arrogant, annoyingly handsome neighbor. Julia and Cain have clashed since she moved into the apartment building, but instead of fighting fire with fire, Julia has decided to kill Cain with kindness and document her success --- or lack thereof --- for all the world to see. To her surprise, her blog is an instant success, with Julia’s followers contributing their own suggestions for breaking through Cain’s cold exterior. And little by little, these small acts of kindness start to have a major effect.

The Widower's Wife by Cate Holahan - Mystery/Thriller


Ana Bacon, a young housewife, tumbles off a cruise ship into the dark and deadly waters. But did she take her secrets with her? Investigator Ryan Monahan is a numbers man. So when his company sends him the Bacon case, which could net a $10-million payout, Monahan doubts that her death is just a tragic accident. But the husband has a substantial alibi, and a number of witnesses claim to have seen Ana fall. So the official ruling seems to be substantiated. Still, the more Monahan uncovers about Ana’s life, the more he realizes how many people would kill to keep her secrets hidden. And the closer he gets to the truth, the greater the odds grow that he, too, will take a fatal fall.