PRE-ORDER HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, THE BRAND NEW FESTIVE TREAT FROM HEIDI SWAIN, COMING CHRISTMAS 2024. Holly has the place to herself this Christmas. It’s not her place, though – she is house-sitting for friends who live on Nightingale Square – just there to keep the place warm and cosy and only for long enough for her to sort her life out. Newly single and finding herself unsure about next steps for her career, she plans to hunker down and make some life decisions. To clear her mind, she sets off on early morning walks around a nearby lake and bumps into May, an older lady who is also new to the area, and her dapper Dachshund Monty. Quickly, a firm friendship blossoms. Then when Holly meets Bear, a rather large and rather attractive man, at the local pub, and his rescue dog Queenie, her stay at Nightingale Square suddenly feels even more appealing. As the community comes together for the season’s festivities, Holly must start thinking about where her life will take her next. Some big decisions need to be made, but distractions close to home make thinking about the future more tricky than ever… Will she get that festive feeling this Christmas…? Your favourite authors love Heidi too! 'Grab a hot chocolate and lose yourself in this heart-warming story of romance, community and secrets. The perfect story to read by the fire!' PHILLIPA ASHLEY ‘Brimming with warmth and Christmas cheer’ SARAH MORGAN

"Ornaments, decorations, stockings"--Cover.

Join a brave little mouse on a big Christmas adventure! This is the chapter book edition of Alex T. Smith's modern Christmas classic How Winston Delivered Christmas, with gorgeous black and white illustrations from the author throughout – the perfect festive gift for newly confident readers. Winston is on a Very Important Mission. On Christmas Eve, he finds a letter to Father Christmas that did not make it to the post box – so, with no time to lose, he sets out to deliver it himself in time for Christmas Day! He has a lot of Very Exciting Adventures on his Very Important Mission and makes some wonderful friends along the way. Will he find Father Christmas in time? How Winston Delivered Christmas is a heartwarming illustrated story by Alex T. Smith, bestselling author of the Claude series.

Selected for Jamie Oliver's Cookbook Club ‘I love it. As soon as I opened this, I felt it was Christmas.’ – Diana Henry Advent celebrates the magical run-up to Christmas with over 100 classic German baking recipes. The Advent season is one of the most special times of the year, when candles twinkle, the Christmas tree is decorated, and the smells of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove fill the kitchen. In her new cookbook Advent, Anja Dunk shares her recipes for the very best of traditional German festive bakes. From lightly spiced Lebkuchen, frosted cinnamon stars, jam-filled ginger hearts, snow-capped coconut macaroons, to marzipan-filled Stollen, edible tree decorations, lucky meringue mushrooms and a gingerbread house dripping with candies and sugar icicles, you will find delectable spiced treats to fill your Bunter Teller and share with friends and family. Featuring Anja’s own linocut illustrations and evocative photography, this is a stunning, comforting clothbound volume that will be a family favourite for many years to come. The weeks of Advent hold all the sweet, almost unbearable anticipation of Christmas for days on end and this gorgeous book embraces that fairy-tale feeling within its pages.

Controversial yet beloved among audiences, Christmas-themed horror movies emerged in the early 1970s and gained a notorious reputation with Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), depicting Santa as an ax-wielding maniac. Some parents and conservative groups condemned the film, while others embraced the portrayal of Yuletide as a backdrop for fear and dread. Drawing on interviews with directors, producers, special effects artists, photographers and actors, this book celebrates the sordid, colorful history of the Christmas horror subgenre. Psycho Santa films such as Christmas Evil (1980) and 3615 code Pere Noel (1989) are examined, along with "Yule-Die" slashers like The Dorm that Dripped Blood (1982), Black Christmas (1974) and Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972). Commercial successes like Gremlins (1984) and Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) are covered, as well as more recent releases such as Better Watch Out (2016), Red Christmas (2016) and Deathcember (2019). Rare photographs, promotional materials and an annotated filmography are provided.

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners. It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions. But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy. The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe. Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

CLASSICS FOR CHRISTMAS: 180+ Novels, Christmas Tales, Poems & Carols in One Volume (Illustrated) offers an unparalleled aggregation of literary treasures, each radiating the warm spirit of Christmas in a myriad of textures. This anthology spans the vast landscape of classic literature, encompassing an array of genres from the poignant prose of Dickensian tales to the lyrical verses of Wordsworth, all unified under the festive banner of the holiday season. Such a compilation not only showcases the scholarly depth of the editors but also shines a light on the individual gemsstories, and poems that have shaped the cultural legacy of Christmas, making it a time of reflection, joy, and profound storytelling. The diverse cadre of authors presented in this volumeranging from novelists like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky to poets like Emily Dickinson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and not forgetting the visionary storytellers such as Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersenbrings together a rich tableau of cultural and historical contexts. This anthology embodies a unique cross-section of literary movements, from Romanticism to Realism, each contributing to the multifaceted celebration of Christmas in literature. It is a tribute to their collective genius, offering a cohesive narrative that transcends geographical and temporal boundaries to underscore the universal themes of love, generosity, and renewal inherent to the holiday season. This volume is an essential addition to the libraries of those who cherish the literary soul of the holiday season. Beyond its value as a comprehensive anthology of Christmas classics, it serves as a gateway to the varied emotional landscapes created by some of literatures most celebrated authors. Readers are invited to dive into this cornucopia of festive tales, poems, and carolsto be delighted by the familiar, challenged by the profound, and ultimately enriched by the breadth of perspectives and stylistic approaches. CLASSICS FOR CHRISTMAS offers not just stories to be read but experiences to be lived and shared, making it an invaluable resource for anyone looking to rediscover the depth and complexity of the holiday spirit through the lens of classic literature.