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Holiday Cheer 2018

Holiday Cheer

Holiday Cheer 2018

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.

Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber - Romance

Before beginning her dream job as sous chef in one of Seattle’s hottest new restaurants, Josie Avery takes a summer position cooking at a lakeside lodge in the remote Alaskan town of Ponder. Josie falls for the rustic charms of the local community --- in particular, famed master swordsmith Palmer Saxon, who would like nothing more than to make Josie his wife. But Josie can’t imagine abandoning her mother and sacrificing her career to stay in this isolated town --- not even for a man she’s quickly coming to love. Fate has other plans, though. Josie misses the last boat out of town before winter sets in, stranding her in Ponder and putting her dream job at risk. As the holidays approach, Josie and Palmer must grapple with the complications that arise when dreams confront reality.

Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber - Romance


Annie Marlow has been through the worst. Rocked by tragedy, she heads to the one place that makes her happy: Oceanside in the Pacific Northwest, the destination of many family vacations when she was a teenager. Once there, Annie begins to restore her broken spirit, thanks in part to the folks she meets. Chief among them is Keaton, a local painter whose quiet, peaceful nature offers her both comfort and reprieve from her grief, and the two begin to grow closer. Then events threaten to undo the idyll Annie has come to enjoy. And when the opportunity of a lifetime lands in her lap, she is torn between the excitement of a new journey toward success and the safe and secure arms of the haven --- and the man --- she’s come to call home.

Becoming by Michelle Obama - Memoir


As First Lady of the United States of America --- the first African American to serve in that role --- Michelle Obama established herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. In her memoir, Michelle invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her --- from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address.

The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan - Romance


Suzanne McBride's three adopted daughters are coming home for the holidays, but tensions are running high. Hannah knows she can’t avoid spending the holidays with her family two years in a row. But it’s not the weight of their expectations that’s panicking her --- it’s the life-changing secret she’s hiding. All Beth wants for Christmas is time to decide if she’s ready to return to work. Seeing everyone was supposed to help her stress levels, not increase them! Posy isn’t sure she’s living her best life, but with her parents depending on her, making a change seems risky --- but not as risky as falling for gorgeous new neighbor Luke. As Suzanne’s dreams of the perfect McBride Christmas unravel, she must rely on the magic of the season to bring her daughters together.

The Glass Forest by Cynthia Swanson - Historical/Literary Thriller

In the autumn of 1960, Angie Glass is living an idyllic life in her Wisconsin hometown. At 21, she is married to charming, handsome Paul and has just given birth to a baby boy. But when Paul’s niece, Ruby, reports that her father, Henry, has committed suicide and that her mother, Silja, is missing, Angie and Paul drop everything and fly to the small upstate town of Stonekill, New York, to be by Ruby’s side. Angie thinks they’re coming to the rescue of Paul’s grief-stricken young niece, but Ruby is a composed and enigmatic 17-year-old who resists Angie’s attempts to nurture her. As Angie learns more about the complicated Glass family, she begins to question the very fabric of her own marriage.

Imagine Heaven Devotional: 100 Reflections to Bring Heaven to Your Life Today by John Burke and Kathy Burke - Devotional


In 2015, John Burke's IMAGINE HEAVEN uncovered an exhilarating picture of Heaven, drawn from Scripture and illustrated with true stories of near-death experiences. This New York Times bestseller offered real-life evidence that supported readers' faith and answered some of their most pressing questions about life after death. Now you can meditate daily on the realities of Heaven with the IMAGINE HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL. Each of the 100 devotions in this book includes a near-death story from IMAGINE HEAVEN, Scripture and a prayer, as well as brand-new stories and content that will help you meditate on the life to come as you apply God's heavenly promises to how you live life today.

In Pieces by Sally Field - Memoir


Sally Field has an infectious charm that has captivated the nation for more than five decades, beginning with her first TV role at the age of 17. From the sweet-faced "girl next door" on “Gidget” to the dazzling complexity of Sybil to the Academy Award-worthy ferocity and depth of Norma Rae and Mary Todd Lincoln, Field has stunned audiences with her artistic range and emotional acuity. Yet there is one character who always remained hidden: the shy and anxious little girl within. In her memoir, Field brings readers not only behind the scenes for the highs and lows of her star-studded early career in Hollywood, but deep into the truth of her lifelong relationships --- including her complicated love for her own mother.

Kingdom of the Blind: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny - Mystery


When a peculiar letter arrives inviting Armand Gamache to an abandoned farmhouse, the former head of the Sûreté du Québec discovers that a complete stranger has named him one of the executors of her will. Still on suspension, Gamache accepts and soon learns that the other two executors are Myrna Landers, the bookseller from Three Pines, and a young builder. None of them had ever met the elderly woman. The will is so odd and includes bequests that are so wildly unlikely that Gamache and the others suspect the woman must have been delusional. But what if, Gamache begins to ask himself, she was perfectly sane? When a body is found, the terms of the bizarre will suddenly seem less peculiar and far more menacing.

Lady of a Thousand Treasures by Sandra Byrd - Historical Romance

Miss Eleanor Sheffield is a talented evaluator of antiquities, but the family business is at risk. In the Victorian era, unmarried Eleanor cannot run Sheffield Brothers alone. The death of a longtime client, Baron Lydney, offers an unexpected complication when Eleanor is appointed the temporary trustee of the baron’s legendary collection. She must choose whether to donate the priceless treasures to a museum or allow them to pass to the baron’s only living son, Harry --- the man who broke her heart. Eleanor knows that donating the baron’s collection would win her favor among potential clients, saving Sheffield Brothers. But the more time she spends with Harry, the more her faith in him grows. Might Harry be worthy of his inheritance, and her heart, after all?

Mark of the Raven: The Ravenwood Saga, Book 1 by Morgan L. Busse - Historical Fantasy


Lady Selene is the heir to the Great House of Ravenwood and the secret family gift of dreamwalking. As a dreamwalker, she can enter a person's dreams and manipulate their greatest fears or desires. For the last hundred years, the Ravenwood women have used their gift of dreaming for hire to gather information or to assassinate. As she discovers her family's dark secret, Selene is torn between upholding her family's legacy --- a legacy that supports her people --- or seeking the true reason behind her family's gift. Her dilemma comes to a head when she is tasked with assassinating the one man who can bring peace to the nations, but who also will bring about the downfall of her own house.

The Martin Chronicles by John Fried - Fiction


Martin Kelso's comfortable world starts to change at the age of 11. Girls get under his skin in ways he never noticed before. His cousin Evie, who used to be Marty's closest confidante, has grown up into a stranger, mysterious and unpredictable. Marty and his best friends once inhabited fantasy worlds of their own making, where the heroes always won the day. But now, as neighborhood kids are attacked on their walk to school, they find themselves wanting to play a new game that better prepares them for real life. As life changes quickly and Marty feels less secure with himself, the difference between games and reality, friend and foe, and right from wrong becomes much more difficult to distinguish.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty - Fiction

Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Frances Welty, the formerly bestselling romantic novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House nursing a bad back and a broken heart. The person who intrigues her most is the strange and charismatic owner/director of the resort. Could this person really have the answers Frances didn’t even know she was seeking? Should Frances put aside her doubts and immerse herself in everything Tranquillum House has to offer ---- or should she run while she still can? It’s not long before every guest at Tranquillum House is asking the same question.

November Road by Lou Berney - Historical Thriller

A loyal street lieutenant to New Orleans’ mob boss, Carlos Marcello, Frank Guidry knows too much about the crime of the century: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Within hours of JFK’s murder, everyone with ties to Marcello is turning up dead, and Guidry suspects he’s next. With few good options, Guidry hits the road to Las Vegas, to see an old associate --- a dangerous man who hates Marcello enough to help Guidry vanish. When Guidry sees a beautiful housewife on the side of the road with a broken-down car, two little daughters and a dog in the back seat, he sees the perfect disguise to cover his tracks from the hit men on his tail.

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict - Historical Fiction


She possessed a stunning beauty. She also possessed a stunning mind. Could the world handle both? Her beauty almost certainly saved her from the rising Nazi party and led to marriage with an Austrian arms dealer. Underestimated in everything else, she overheard the Third Reich's plans while at her husband's side, understanding more than anyone would guess. She devised a plan to flee in disguise from their castle, and the whirlwind escape landed her in Hollywood. She became Hedy Lamarr, screen star. But she kept a secret more shocking than her heritage or her marriage: she was a scientist. And she knew a few secrets about the enemy. She had an idea that might help the country fight the Nazis...if anyone would listen to her.

Season of Wonder: A Haven Point Novel by RaeAnne Thayne - Romance


While in high school, Dani Capelli fell hard for the wrong boy, and found herself pregnant and married by graduation. Two daughters later, she realized her mistake, filed for divorce and enrolled in vet school. Things were finally looking up…until her ex-husband became her late husband, in the most notorious way possible. So when the retiring Haven Point veterinarian offers Dani a chance to settle in the small Idaho town and take over his practice, she jumps at it. But adjusting to the charming mountain community isn’t easy; 13-year-old Silver begins acting out, while six-year-old Mia is growing too attached to their next-door-neighbor, Deputy Sheriff Ruben Morales. Dani can’t blame her. Ruben is everything she’s secretly wanted --- and everything she can’t bear to risk loving…and losing.

A Thousand Doors: An Anthology of Many Lives edited by J.T. Ellison - Fiction/Anthology


Forty-year-old Mia Jensen is home after a terrible day, trying to figure out how she's come to this point in her life, when she hears a strange noise from the kitchen. She investigates, only to be brutally attacked and left for dead. As she dies, she experiences some of the lives that could have been hers had she only made a different choice. Can one woman can find peace with the path she's chosen before it slips through her fingers forever? Through the unique voices of New York Times bestsellers and rising stars in women's fiction, A THOUSAND DOORS examines how our smallest decisions can create lasting effects, and allows the thought Can we actually change our lives?