WWRW: Advent/Christmas Books Link Up Party Here!

What do we read around here during Advent?

Last year, I did this huge Jesse Tree Ornament Exchange, and this year we have a book, A Shoot from the Root of Jesse by Sarah V. Park that helps keep us on track with the days and the readings and the ornaments, etc.  Dwija blogged about it last year, but I went ahead and my own phone photo, or phon-to if you will.  Dwija's picture was much nicer.

This next book is one of my desert island treasured books.

I blogged about John S. Goodall's An Edwardian Christmas last year.  My copy is from 1979.  I see a used copy available at biblio.com for $15.00.  Worth every penny.

An Edwardian Christmas, like all of Goodall's books, is a wordless picture book.  With pictures like these, who needs words?

There is a "decorating the church with greens for Christmas" scene, and a "walking to church late at night" scene, which I can only assume is for midnight Mass.  I love when books reflect religious practices.

Goodall wrote other Edwardian books, which I don't own...but Christmas is coming!

As you may have guessed, Miracle on 10th Street by Madeleine L'Engle is not a picture book.  A dear friend gave me my copy and inscribed it during "Christmas 1999."

Miracle on 10th Street is a collection of essays, letters, excerpts from novels, poems, and short stories.  The story called Transfiguration is my favorite.

In Transfiguration, a young nun working on the Upper West Side encounters Christ and personifies Christ to the people she encounters throughout her day.

I could say more...but

My older children have read bits and pieces of Miracle on 10th Street, but really it's in the Christmas book basket just for me.  I'm the only die-hard L'Engle fan in the house.  I'm the only one who appreciates the cosmic scope she brings to the humblest of historical events, or maybe I'm just the only one who tries.

Jill and I have been enjoying The Animal's Christmas Eve, Little Golden Book.

Of course, we only have this vintage out-of-print edition with the lovely illustrations.  NOT THIS ONE, that is being sold today on Amazon:

Those are some of the ugliest animals I've ever seen.  Why'd they have to go and mess with a good thing?

Anyway, The Animals' Christmas Eve, like many Christmas picture books, is about preparing the barn for the Holy Family.  BUT The Animals' Christmas Eve Little Golden Book is also a counting book, which is perfect for Miss Chubby Fingers.

I love O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi, but do not currently own it.

We had a paperback copy but it got wet during some basement flooding, and the pictures were just meh.  I hope somebody's recommending a good edition in the link-up.  I miss that beautiful couple.

Lastly, I must include a book that has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas, but it feels magical and Christmasy just the same.

I've written about this one before too.  Robert Frost's classic poem, Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, illustrated by Susan Jeffers.  It is very important to me that you ONLY look at the version illustrated by Susan Jeffers, because it is gorgeous.

I want to enlarge these images super big, so you can see for yourself, but that just won't do the drawings justice.

I can't imagine a living, breathing person of any age who would not like to spend some time with this book.

Now, it's your turn.
An InLinkz Link-up