First Lines... and the Origins of a Special Little Reindeer

"'Twas the day before Christmas, and all through the hills

The reindeer were playing, enjoying their spills.

While every so often they'd stop to call names

At one little deer not allowed in their games.

Ha ha! Look at Rudolph! His nose is a sight!

It's red as a beet! Twice as Big! Twice as Bright!"

... Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Robert L. May, 1939

It was 1939 and Montgomery Ward department stores was looking for an inexpensive way to draw customers into their store during the Christmas season. Robert May was an advertising executive with Montgomery Ward, had a natural flair with words, and was asked to create something. The result was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, a story "of Rudolph, a young reindeer who was teased by the other deer because of his large, glowing, red nose. But, When Christmas Eve turned foggy and Santa worried that he wouldn't be able to deliver gifts that night, the former outcast saved Christmas by leading the sleigh by the light of his red nose. Rudolph's message-that given the opportunity, a liability can be turned into an asset-proved popular." May used a rhyming pattern similar to Clement Moore's, 'Twas Night Before Christmas, and a Christmas icon was born! Montgomery Ward gave away almost 2.5 million copies of the poem, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, when it was first published. In 1947, Montgomery Ward gave the copyright to May, who published the poem in book form, which instantly became a best seller.

In 1949, Johnny Marks, Robert May's brother-in-law, wrote a short song based on Rudolph's story. It is rumored that at first no one wanted to record the song because the story itself was a cherished Christmas tradition. But eventually country-western singer Gene Autry recorded the song and the rest is history. The song's popularity has even surpassed the books popularity- almost anyone can sing along to the song, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but how about the book by the same name? 71 years later, we are still enjoying Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

And tonight we'll be watching for that little red glow in the night sky, that will be our favorite reindeer leading Santa's sleigh to all the homes of all the good little boys & girls all over the world... Merry Christmas!

The Sunday Salon... Reading with a Holiday Theme! A wonderful new Children's book & a little something for us girls too!

What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them, and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake...

It's official- it's the Holiday Season! I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had a wonderful day with family & friends. I have finally recovered from cooking and eating... And now I've got to share with you some great seasonal reads- books with a holiday or winter theme. There are wonderful classics, mysteries and romances written especially for this time of year, but today we'll just touch on something for the kids & family to read together and something just for us girls!

Secrets of a Christmas Box by Steven Hornby... Enter the magical festive world of the Christmas 'Tree-Dwellers', as Larry, a Christmas snowman, wakes up after the long sleep in the Christmas box, to find his brother is missing. Desperate to find him before Christmas, Larry, along with his girlfriend Debbie, a newcomer Splint, and Larry's companion Tinsel, break the laws of the ‘Tree-Elders’ and escape down the tree and away into the house, to look for clues. Away from the safety of the tree and in an unfamiliar world, the Dwellers stumble upon a dark and sinister secret that threatens their entire world. Can Larry and the group make it back to the tree in time to warn the others, and finally uncover the truth behind the ‘Secrets of a Christmas Box’? I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of this charming book! I'll be posting my 'official' review later in the week, but just had to mention Secrets of a Christmas Box today because it is such a sweet book. It's written in 24 chapters so that you can read one chapter a night beginning December 1st and ending Christmas Eve. Like a Advent calendar, but in book form! The characters are delightful and so is the story. Written for ages 8 and up, this could be the start a holiday reading tradition. This is what holiday reading is all about! Would you like to read a little of the story? Here's an excerpt.

Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs... A loving, moving, laugh-out-loud celebration of special times with friends and family. The story begins a year after the end of Knit Two, with Dakota Walker's trip to spend the Christmas holidays with her Gran in Scotland-accompanied by her father, her grandparents, and her mother's best friend, Catherine. Together, they share a trove of happy memories about Christmases past with Dakota's mom, Georgia Walker-from Georgia's childhood to her blissful time as a doting new mom. From Thanksgiving through Hanukkah and Christmas to New Year's, Knit the Season is a novel about the richness of family bonds and the joys of friendship. For fans of The Friday Night Knitting Club, and anyone who enjoys a good story, Knit the Season should warm the heart on a cold wintry night! And This Book is Kindle Ready!

A Highlander Christmas by Dawn Halliday, Cindy Miles and Sophie Renwick... A festive anthology featuring three all-new stories, three sexy Scotsmen, and a magical holiday setting. An enchanting trio of paranormal Christmas stories: Dawn Halliday's Winter Heat...Lost in a blizzard, a young woman casts a spell over the brooding Highland warrior who rescues her. Cindy Miles's A Christmas Spirit...A museum curator's tour of a Scottish castle leads to an unexpected encounter with a dead-sexy spirit. Sophie Renwick's Yuletide Enchantment...Passion blooms between an anxious bride-to-be and a dark, sensual stranger from another world. What could warm us girls up better on a cold winters night than a little romance!? A Highlander Christmas has gotten great reviews and offers a little escapism and fun during what can be a hectic time of year! And how can you resist a hunk in a kilt?! This Book is Kindle Ready!

This month will also bring reviews for some wonderful holiday theme books- one of which is A Christmas Carol Special Edition by Charles Dickens and with special insights by Stephen Skelton. It's a wonderful book with annotations, and insights into the story's biblical allusions. What are you reading these days? Do you like to read holiday themed books this time of year? I especially enjoy reading the childrens stories that bring me back to the days long ago when Santa was still a mystery to me...

Happy reading... Suzanne