I don’t know about you but I’ve always loved taking a trip to the library. Wandering through the aisles of books and checking out the new displays. Suzzane was the same way but she is gone and neither Charlie or David are library people.

Since they aren’t would you want to go to the Library with me as part of our Interactive Christmas Gift Guide. I don’t know about you but I would to have something new to read as the #Holidays are right around the corner.

For me it’s calming walking through those shelves and seeing all those books waiting for someone to take them home. And at Christmas, I think it would be especially fun to take the whole family to the library and let everyone choose their own Christmas book.

Of course, if my family were choosing their books, we’d probably end up with a pretty interesting collection! Before we get into which books everyone would want I would like to start with a Christmas Cookbook and I wonder if there is one for the Blackstone David just got.

Which I haven’t been able to find but since the main way I cook is in my Crockpot I did find Slow-Cooker Christmas Favorites by Gooseberry Patch and inside it is recipes for Candy. During Christmas would you like to come make candy with me.

If Suzanne were with us, I already know two books I would have picked for her. I think I would have looked for an Eloise Christmas book, because I think she would have been fun to read together. And since I actually have a Merry Christmas, Curious George downstairs, that one would probably have come home with us, too.

I’d be choosing books for Suzanne in her memory, because sometimes a book can bring back a feeling or a moment you don’t want to forget. Which is one of the reasons I love books.

When Charlie was little, I could have seen him picking out something like The Berenstain Bears and the Christmas Angel (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights: A Faith Story). Or maybe a Biscuit’s Christmas Storybook Favorites: 9 Christmas Holiday Stories in 1 Book Plus Stickers for Dog Lovers (Biscuit), if the library had them in stock.

Those are the kinds of books I remember being perfect for little ones who were just learning to love reading. Even David would be able to practice his reading with these books. Would you help him if I’m busy/

Now that Charlie is older, I’m not quite sure what he would choose. That’s part of the fun, though. Sometimes you don’t know what somebody will be interested in until you put a whole library in front of them. Although, if I was to guess it would be a Anime book of some kind.

As for me? Give me a Christmas book with a little romance, a Hallmark Town setting and a hunky gentleman and a dog or two with a whole lot of holiday feeling. Then I would be one happy camper.

I’m talking about the kind of book that feels like a Hallmark Christmas movie. Give me Christmas decorations, a little romance, maybe somebody coming home for the holidays, and I’m probably going to be happy sitting in my chair reading it.

And then there’s David. Knowing David, he’d probably walk right past the Christmas books and pick something completely off the wall. He’d probably find some action movie tie-in or something that I would look at and say, “How in the world is THAT a Christmas book?”

And he’d remind me that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. At that point, I think I’d just tell him to check the book out and bring it home. Because here’s the thing: if it gets somebody to read, I’m not going to fuss about what they picked.

Reading is reading. If David—or any of us—needs to practice reading, then let’s find something that makes us want to turn the next page. We can sit down, read our books and talk about what we liked.

Gerald? Well, I don’t think Gerald would check out anything. He’s not much of a reader. And that’s okay, too. Especially now with his eyes and not being able to see we can get him a book on tape which I’m not even sure he would listen to.

If we could get Gerald out and inside the Library maybe he would find something else in the library that interested him. Maybe he’d surprise me one day and walk out with a book. You never know.

That’s what I love about this idea. Everybody gets to choose. We could make an afternoon of it. Visit the library, walk through the Christmas section, let everyone pick something, bring our books home and spend some time reading together.

And for the kids, there’s another part I really love. After they finish their book, they could draw a picture of their favorite part or write about what they think happens after the last page.

That’s reading comprehension. That’s writing. That’s imagination. And that’s a homeschool lesson that doesn’t feel like a lesson. It’s just a family spending time together with a good book.

Here’s where I want you to help me. What is your favorite Christmas book? Is there a Christmas book you think I absolutely should read? I’m always looking for something new to add to my TBR list.

I love holiday romance, so I’m wondering if I should look at Nicholas Sparks, Janet Dailey or Fern Michaels for a Christmas read. Maybe Danielle Steele has a favorite I don’t know about.

Or maybe one of you is going to introduce me to a Christmas book that becomes my new favorite. So tell me: What Christmas book should I read next? Leave me your recommendation, because I may just add it to my Christmas TBR list! And who knows? Maybe our next library adventure will start with one of your recommendations.

Besides the Library where is your favorite place to shop for books and why?

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates