‘Tis the season to start thinking about Christmas reading! Well, I’ve been at it for awhile now but I’m still looking for more books to read. So, this week’s conversation comes with two parts. First, let’s talk about Christmas books we’ve read and loved…maybe enough to read more than once…and would recommend to others. Second, let’s talk about our anticipated Christmas reads for this year and this includes a giveaway. More about that later.
Some of My Favourite Christmas Reads:
There is something so cozy and comforting about revisiting special Christmas books. I spend a good part of the holiday becoming reacquainted with beloved fictional friends. Too many for me to name them all but here’s a glimpse at my reread list. I’ve read some multiple times already, some have actually become an annual tradition while others have only been read once so far but will definitely be read again.
All the Meg Langslow Christmas books! This a cozy mystery series full of quirk and heart and the Christmas books are exceptional in the way the zany mayhem is balanced by the most heartwarming, community gathering together in the true spirit of Christmas kind of vibe. Caerphilly Virginia is where I want to be at Christmastime (if only it wasn’t a fictional town!) This is a long running series, over 30 books by now, but I first met Meg and company through my library’s collection of Christmas audio books. Since then, I’ve read all the Christmas books each year, and for that matter, revisit each one of the books annually.
I’m not a huge novella reader, but I actually adore Christmas novellas. There’s something so cozy about curling up under a comfy quilt with a tantalizing story that I know I can finish in one sitting.
I love Historical Fiction any time of year but Christmas Historicals are extra special, especially Christmas Romances! There’s something about the simplicity of this sacred holiday in earlier eras that touches my heart and soothes my angsty yuletide nerves.
It seems that I’m not only attracted to rom/coms in the summertime! 🙂 I’ve read and re-read a number of wonderful holiday Contemporary Romances. So many favourites!
So, how about you? Are you a Christmas re-reader too? Have any favourite Christmas novels you’d like to share with the rest of us? You know, in case our bookish wish lists are festively depleted? 🙂
Anticipated Christmas Reads (and the giveaway!)
Do you have your eye on a certain Christmas title on your wishlist? Too impatient to wait and see if Santa has a copy for your stocking? Then this giveaway is for you:
Add the title of a Christmas book you’d like to win in a comment (or email to kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca) and I’ll put your name in the draw. Please include the book title and the author(s). Must be Christian Fiction and can be published any time up until the end of this year.
US and Canada winners — your choice of paperback or ebook (or audible for Canadians where available)
International – ebook if you have a US Amazon account.
Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 9.
Kav's Best Reads 
I’ve already mentioned my annual re-read favorite earlier, Michelle Griep’s 12 Days at Bleakley Manor. It’s a Dickens sort of tale and I love it so much that I have a paperback and audio copy.
Now you’re dangling all kinds of Christmas books to temp us! My pick would be Christmas at Sugarplum Manor by Roseanne M. White.
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I love the fall time change. I’m up ‘early’ already for church and it’s not even 7:30! Such efficiency! Too bad it won’t last. 🙂 This one kinda scares me because it sounds a bit love triangle-y but I love Roseanna M. White and this is a retelling so I’ll just have to be brave. Good luck, Perrianne! I love that you have dual copies of your fave Christmas read so that it will always be on hand no matter your reading mood.
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I am still waiting for that Fall change! It’s 85 degrees (F) out today. 🤣🤣🤣
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Hi, Kav! I mentioned this one last week: my Christmas season reread is “A Walk to Remember.” It’s set partially at Christmastime, but not exactly a “Christmas book,” per se. For the giveaways opportunity (thank you!), I’m interested in “The Christmas Swap,” by Melody Carlson. I listened to the audiobook at work a few years back. In addition to enjoying the story, I have such sweet memories of choosing Christmas audiobooks during that little pocket of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas break 🙂
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I just checked my hold status on A Walk to Remember and noticed that my library also has a DVD by that title that looks to be adapted from the book! Who knew? I’ve read a number of Melody Carlson’s Christmas books but not ‘The Christmas Swap.’ Yay for sweet Christmas audiobook memories. Good luck, Stephanie!
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The little amish matchmaker by Linda Byler will always be my favorite christmas read.
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That does sound like a sweet read and — woohoo — it’s on audible plus so I can ‘read’ it for free! Thanks for the suggestion, Kim.
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Kav! You are 3 for 3 in your Sunday Conversation topics! I am a Christmas junkie and will read them anytime at all but I’m really getting in the Christmas spirit now. I count 11 of your favorites I’ve read but I have a bunch more for you to consider, some new, some old, all memorable.
Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin is so good. Grown up Addie from All My Secrets gets her own story. Works fine as a standalone. 2024
The Red Gloves Collection, 4 books, by Lynn Austin 2006
Restoring Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti 2016
Cuddle Creek Christmas series by Kathleen Morgan. Book 1 – The Christkindl’s Gift 2004, Book 2-One Perfect Gift 2008 and Book 3- All God’s Gifts 2003, I read them in this order even though book 3 was written before the other two.
Shepherd’s Abiding by Jan Karon 2003 part of her series but I believe it could be a standalone
The Christmas Blessing by Melody Carlson 2017, Christmas in Winter Hill 2019, and A Quilt for Christmas 2022
And of course Donna Van Liere is fantastic with her holiday books. I’ve read 8 of her 10 and all were 5 star except one. #3 The Christmas Hope, #4 The C Promise, #5 The C Secret, #6 The C Note, #8 The C Town, #9 The C Star and #10 The C Table. (I didn’t read the first two because I saw the movies first and never went back to read them, but loved the movies)
So there you have it, 20 of my favorites! I want to read the debut book by Ann Swindell, Christmas in the Castle Library. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity! And happy Christmas reading to all! 🙂
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Eeeepppp!!! What a wonderful selection of Christmas books — most I haven’t heard of! They all look fantastic. I’ve read Kathleen Morgan’s Scottish series and this Christmas one sounds really good. I definitely need to read more of Cynthia Ruchti’s backlist so maybe I should start with Restoring Christmas. And that new Lynn Austin is calling to me as well. I have a lot of Christmas romances and a bit of suspense and some of these books from your favourites will round out my holiday reading nicely. Thank you for sharing!
And I’m with you on Ann Swindell’s debut! That one intrigues me. Good luck, Tracey!
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Good morning, Kav! I’ve enjoyed many of the Christmas books you mentioned above except the cozies. Not a HUGE fan of novellas either except right before Christmas when my mind is cluttered with visions of sugarplums dancing in my head. lol Planning food/fixing/ordering for parties…one which will be at my house on Christmas Eve. 😕
I really enjoy re-reading Melissa Tagg’s Christmas novella series, One Enchanted Christmas, One Enchanted Eve, & One Enchanted Noel IF I have time. If not I’ll only re-read the 1st one.This series has all the Christmassy feels you can ask for & is truly as enchanting as the titles suggest! Love the beautiful covers on them as well.
Would love to win Courtney Walsh’s new full-length book, ‘Christmas with a Crank’
Have a blessed Sunday! dianalflowers at aol dot com
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P.S. I didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the cozies you mentioned, I haven’t read them. lol
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Waaaaaiiitttttt!!!!! How did I miss that Christmas series by Melissa Tagg????????????? I love her books! I have Wedding at Sea on my TBR but she’s being pushed out of the way by Christmas books. Ack — so many books, so little time! Thanks for mentioning that. I wonder if maybe when the first book came out it was originally only in ebook so I didn’t look into it? Will have to check. I haven’t read the other two books in Courtney Walsh’s Christmas series. Wonder if they need to be read in order? Anyway, good luck, Diane and thanks for the suggestions!
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Kav, you HAVE to read Wedding by the Sea! Well, you should. LOL! Melissa’s Christmas series isn’t available individually in pprbk, however, each one I mentioned is compiled into one book called, Enchanted: A Christmas Collection, which is in paperback as well. So good!!! Pretty sure Courtney Walsh’s can be read as standalones.
Goodness gracious. It’s only 6 PM and it’s pitch dark out since we set our clocks back. May as well read, I guess, since there’s nothing else to do. How awful! (wink)
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Eeeepp — thanks for telling me that Melissa’s Christmas series has been compiled into one paperback edition. I checked and it’s on Canadian Amazon and not at a hugely inflated price wither. Eeeeeppppp!
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EEEPPP!!! And even though some of the characters carry over into the next book, there is resolution at the end of each novella so you can read them 1 at a time . . . whenever you have time! I feel like they should’ve made a dark cover to match the series covers, but oh, well. It’s actually a little less expensive on Amazon.com, but not sure how that affects you as far as shipping costs. A very memorable Christmas series!
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Oops! That was supposed to read Wedding at Sea. I got Autumn by the Sea mixed up with that one. I think I read too many books. Or is there such a thing? 😉
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I must say I’m one of those that loves Christmas books all year round.
Two books I can highly recommend (because I was blessed to read ARC’s) are GUARDING HER CHRISTMAS SECRET by Jill Weatherholt and REDISCOVERING CHRISTMAS by Mindy Obenhaus. Both are FIVE STAR reads!
My most anticipated Christmas book is CHRISTMAS WITH THE QUEEN by Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb. With that being said, there are tons on them on my TBR list making it a good thing that I enjoy reading them all through the year.
Thank you so much for the chance to win a copy of a book of my choice!
Instead of an extra hours sleep (which furbabies aren’t going to allow), I take an extra hour today to read. Hope you make good use of your hour too. 🙂
2clowns at arkansas dot net
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Love Inspired publishes some great Christmas fiction and their book covers are glorious!
While Christmas with the Queen looks interesting, it isn’t Christian fiction so doesn’t work for this giveaway. Feel free to choose another title.
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DEADLY CHRISTMAS INHERITANCE by Jessica R. Patch is a Christmas story on my TBR list too!
2clowns at arkansas dot net
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I love Jessica Patch’s LIS books! Good luck!
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Another fun topic! I guess with the time change last night, it really makes one think the holidays are not that far away. Thank you and the other readers for sharing some of your favorites. I really enjoyed reading several of Melody Carlson’s Christmas books including The Christmas Dog, The Christmas Cat, and The Christmas Bus. She has written others, too. An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen would make a nice keeper shelf book to reread.
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I need to check out more of Melody Carlson’s Christmas books. I read one each year a while back but stopped for some reason. Another excuse to go to the library! 🙂 I’m saving my re read (well, re listen) of An Ivy Hill Christmas for Christmas week. Already anticipating it. Good luck, CC!
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Hi Kav, I would love to read Latisha Sexton’s The Hart of Christmas this year. Also, I had no idea Terri Blackstock had a Christmas novel. She’s one of my favorite authors of all time. Rebecca
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Oh, yes, Terri Blackstock’s Catching Christmas is wonderful! It’s shorter in length…considered a novella, I would think, but does it ever make an impact! And there are hilariously funny parts too. Very different from the suspense novels she writes.
Latisha Sexton is on my indie author list now so The Hart of Christmas might be a good choice for me too. Good luck, Rebecca!
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I’m really looking forward to reading Courtney Walsh’s new Christmas book, Christmas With a Crank! I love her books!
dmandres5 at gmail dot com
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I do too. And that cover is so cute! Good luck, Melissa!
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I rarely re-read any book. Just to many good new ones out there! I did repurchase the book Christmas Roses by Amanda Cabot because I would often recommend it to people, but had really forgotten what it was about. But I have yet to re-read it. I see she has a new one out this year called One Special Christmas, so I would choose that one.
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I’ve reread quite a few books this year and really enjoyed meeting up with fave characters again. I agree though, so many new books to read! It’s a balancing act for sure. I feel a sense of nostalgia at Christmas time and tend to gravitate to old bookish favourites the same way I follow the same traditions year after year. It’s all part of the way I celebrate. One Special Christmas has a gorgeous cover which makes me want to read it even more! Good luck, Patty!
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Here are some (not all are Christian, but all are clean) that I have read and loved: Christmas in Dixie by Kaci Lane (it is hysterical!), All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon, The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham, One Enchanted Christmas by Melissa Tagg, A Hilly Jilly Christmas by Emma St. Clair, Holly Jolly Christmas by C.C. Warrens, A Christmas Courtship by Shelley Shepard Gray, Finding Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn, The Gift of Christmas Past by Cindy Woodsall, Catching Christmas by Terri Blackstock, and the one we read every Christmas is Piper’s Night Before Christmas by Mark Lowry (in audio), we have read it since our kids were little, it is the sweetest story. I have a ton on my TBR and 8 that I physically own that I hope to read this year. But, I would love to read/own Courtney Walsh’s Christmas With A Crank, love her books. cilydav at hotmail dot com
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Ooohhh, thanks for even more books to add to my Christmas wishlist! I have heard of Kaci Lane, but haven’t read anything by her and hilly Jilly Christmas by Emma St. Clair just sounds fun…plus another new-to-me author! Woohoo! Christmas with a Crank is popular today. Good luck, Cindy!
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Thanks Kav! I hope you enjoy these authors as much as I do 🙂
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The Wish Book Christmas by Lynn Austin is one of my favorites. Christmas Love Through The Ages a collection was good.
I want to read Amanda Cabot new one One Special Christmas. Blessings leliamae54(at)aol(dot)com
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Good luck, Lucy! That collection you mentioned has a number of new-to-me authors in it. Must check it out.
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Kav, I like the Christmas novella collections too. One of the best I’ve read is from many years ago – A Prairie Christmas Collection. Another oldie Christmas title that I really liked is A Simple Amish Christmas. A more recent title I loved is The Mistletoe Countess. I think for the giveaway opportunity (yay!), I’ll go with An Ivy Hill Christmas. The cover alone make me want that book! 🙂 Thanks for the chance!
ckbarker at gmail dot com
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Barbour Publishing does such a great job with their novella collections. A Prairie Christmas Collection sounds good — and with more new-to-me authors! I plan to relistend to An Ivy Hill Christmas closer to the holiday. Love Julie Klassen. Good luck, Cheryl!
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I really enjoy Christmas books but I don’t often reread them since there are always so many more I want to read. I have several awaiting: Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin, Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M. White, and On the Way to Christmas by Sheila Roberts, Melissa Ferguson, and Amy Clipston. Hopefully I’ll have time to read a few more.
For your giveaway I had a hard time deciding between Mistletoe Season by Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller and Pepper Basham and Meddling with Mistletoe by Liz Johnson. I’ll go with Meddling with Mistletoe since I really like the Red Door Inn books.
pmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com
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I read both the books on your wishlist and they were great But, I can relate to the lure of the Red Door Inn! Good luck, Pam!
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I read Lynn Austin’s All My Secrets and LOVED it😍 That being said, I’d enjoy the chance to read an extension and find out what becomes of the characters after the story closes (Ms. Austin crafted some AMAZING storytelling with that one!), so I’ll go with Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin.
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Ha — we lured you into holiday reading, Elly! Good luck!
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Lol, well I don’t boycott them altogether, they just usually have to be the continuation of a book or series I’ve enjoyed to entice me😜
Thanks!
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I love Christmas books and am excited to be adding a few more to my want-to-read list after reading this post! Thanks! 🙂 A few that I’ve enjoyed over the years are:
Christmas at Carnton by Tamera Alexander (I actually enjoyed all the books in that series!) Under the Texas Mistletoe by Karen Witemeyer, Where Treetops Glisten by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, & Sarah Sundin, and A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs.
I’ve heard good things about The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham, and haven’t had a chance to read one of her books yet, so I would pick that one for the giveaway. 🙂
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You’ve reminded me that Under the Texas Mistletoe is one of the books I missed last year. Must catch up with it now because I’m all up to date with Karen Witemeyer except for that one. And you’ve heard right about The Mistletoe Countess — it’s romantically perfection! 🙂 Good luck, Sabrina!
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I really, strongly, highly recommend Christmas in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell. It’s a debut novel but she’s written some Christian non-fiction. it’s contemporary but has an old world feel in a castle library. This is my favourite Christmas read ever now!
I’m also looking forward to Christmas with a Crank by Courtney Walsh so that will be my choice. Thanks, Kav!
tam – appletamoAtYahooDotCa
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Okay, you’ve sold me, Tammy. I’m getting Christmas in the Castle for sure now! And I love that it’s a debut novel. Good luck — Christmas with a Crank sounds like it’s going to be all kinds of fun.
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I loved Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham.Finally got Where Treetops Glisten by Cara Putman, Sarah Sundin and Tricia Goyer. I also enjoyed The Dickens trio by Michelle Griep and the Christmas Heirloom collection. This year had some goodies: Christmas at SugarPlum Manor by Roseanna White and Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin and Mistletoe Season collection with Pepper Basham.
I would choose Crystal Clear by Margurite Martin Gray ( 1879 France Christmas fairy tale-esque romance)
paulamarys49ATgmailDOTcom
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I’ve already read Mistletoe Countess twice so far and I think I’ll read again during the Christmas holidays. I’ve enjoyed the other books you mentioned too. And, Squeal!!!! a fairy tali-esque Christmas romance sounds divine! Good luck, Paula!
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I loved The Mistletoe Countess, The Christmas Heirloom, and Catching Christmas. Last year I read You Better Watch Out by Natalie Walters, and that was fantastic! 😀
One that I want to read this year is Mistletoe Season: Three Christmas Stories by Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller, and Pepper Basham.
eclitton at gmail dot com
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I loved You Better Watch Out…that might have to be a reread this year. And Mistletoe Season is awesome too. Good luck, Elizabeth!
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Oddly enough, I haven’t really read that many Christmas books that I can remember! I did, however, enjoy A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs (a book I accidentally got rid of!) and Where Treetops Glisten by Sarah Sundin, Cara Putman, & Tricia Goyer. I would probably pick The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham 🙂
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Great choice, Bridget! Good luck!
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I usually read 3 or 4 Christmas books each year–not necessarily at Christmastime. Thanks for all the great suggestions, Kav!
I’ll choose Christmas with a Crank by Courtney Walsh. It sounds like a fun read.
whthomas13 at yahoo dot com
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Good luck, Winnie!
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I adore Christmas-themed books! They are so cozy and bring a special warmth.
This year I’m wishing for A Longing for Christmas by Chalon Linton, Jennifer Moore, Karen Tuft, Alene Wecker
Thanks Kav!
colorvibrant at gmail dot com
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I do too and I’ve been reading up a storm of them. Good luck, Heidi!
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I LOVE reading Christmas stories! Two of my all time favorites are Christmas Jars and Christmas Jars Reunion by Jason F. Wright. They’re so good! My Christmas wish book is Christmas at Sugarplum Manor by Roseanne M. White.
Alison Boss nj(dot)bossman(at)gmail(dot)com
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Christmas Jars sounds really good. My library doesn’t have a print copy of it but they do have a DVD — neat that it was made into a movie. Good luck, Alison!
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So many good Christmas books! I have been wanting to read An Invisible Christmas by Julie Klassen.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
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I’m assuming you mean An Ivy Hill Christmas? I can’t find An Invisible Christmas by Julie Klassen. Oh, well, if you win we’ll sort it out. Good luck, rubynreba!
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