Written in the Stars: A Charity Anthology - Various Authors

-

AUTHORS: Various

GENRE: Christmas, Anthology
RATING: 3.7 stars.

This anthology has 22 stories (23, if you count a bonus tale by a little ten-year-old budding writer). Each of the stories is set around Christmas but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all the stories are ‘Christmassy’. Some are joyful, some mournful, some hopeful, and some simply have Christmas in a background mention.

The genres in the stories are varied as well. I appreciate how the stories have been clubbed by genres. Thus we have

I. A Christmas Crime – ten crime-based stories.

II. Holly Jolly Christmas – five family/romance based stories.

III. It's a Christmas Miracle – seven fantasy-based stories. (Christmas miracle… get it?)

You could just read the stories as per your mood. The crime/thriller ones don't utilise Christmas in a happy way but are quite interesting. On the other hand, the holly-jolly ones are predictable but they make the best use of the festive sprit. Each section thus has its advantage.

As a multi-author anthology, it is but obvious that there will be some hits and some misses. But I am glad to say that the hits far outnumber the misses. Most of the stories were easily three stars and above for me. Here are my top favourites, each of which earned a 4.5+ stars:

🎄 You let me in - Keri Beevis - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (Would have given more if I could!) – The only story that made me gasp in shock! No spoilers. Just read this creepy story.

🎄 All They Want for Christmas - Valerie Keogh - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 – The only reason I docked off ½ a star is because I could see what was coming. But what an unusual take on the traditonal family Christmas story!

🎄 Coming Home - Angela Marsons - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 – It’s Angela Marsons, y’all! Should you be surprised? Yes, you should, Because this story is from the ‘Christmas Miracles’ section and not from the crimes one! It starts off innocently but soon goes into a very different angle. Loved how the perspective shifts were written.

🎄 A Little Christmas Wish - Stephen Edger - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 – I thought I knew where it was going. I didn’t quite hit it right! Amazing imagination.

🎄 A Christmas Wish - Gina Kirkham - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 – Made me cry! What a beautiful story to end the book with!

Author Tara Lyons lost her 1.5 year old daughter Sofia a couple of years ago to a brain AVM, a rare condition that doesn't manifest symptoms. In support of The Butterfly AVM Charity and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, she, along with several other authors and supported by Bloodhound books, brings to you this anthology. All net profits will be towards the two charities mentioned.

3.7 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each of the stories. Definitely and heartily recommended. You’ll be contributing to a good cause as well by opting for this anthology, but even without the cause, it is a collection worth reading as it explores so many different aspects of Christmas.

This anthology is also available on KU, but if you can, please opt to purchase it. I did.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

Violent Advents: A Christmas Horror Anthology - Edited by L. Stephenson - ★★★.¼

-
Image
  EDITOR: L. Stephenson GENRE: Christmas Horror Anthology PUBLICATION DATE:  December 12, 2024 RATING: 3.3 stars. In a Nutshell: A short-fiction anthology filled with Christmassy horror. Some really good stories here, though I wish there had been more variety in the “source of the evil.” A good option for those who are fed up of saccharine seasonal stories. This is the time of the year when readers are torn between spooky season and Christmas season. Here's a book that combines both. 😉 This indie anthology contains twenty-six stories by twenty-six writers. There’s no editor’s note, but the title and the tagline make the theme clear – it is a “Christmas horror” anthology. The stories are mostly fast-paced, which works well in this genre. After the first few stories, I wondered why a majority of them were using the Christmas tree as the horror device-of-choice. It occurred frequently enough for me to start eyeing every Christmas tree in the stories suspiciously. Only after...
Read More»

The Little Christmas Library - David M. Barnett - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: David M. Barnett GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 10, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A character-oriented contemporary fiction with a strong Christmas spirit and a dash of Christmas magic. Excellent characters and a well-connected narrative linking them all. True to contemporary times in every way. Might get a bit too sugary, but works well for the genre. A fabulous and heartwarming option for the festive season. Plot Preview: When Molly McGinley moves from London to her Northern hometown of Merry-le-Moors, she feels like an utter failure. Ten years in the big city, and all she has to show is a broken relationship and no job. Her widower dad Jack is more than happy to have his daughter home, especially as he is still missing his wife who passed away a decade back. Jack now whiles away his time driving the town’s mobile library and he insists that Molly accompany him on his rounds instead of moping alone at home. As the two take the library bus t...
Read More»

Somebody I Used to Know - Wendy Mitchell - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Wendy Mitchell GENRE: Memoir PUBLICATION DATE: June 5, 2018 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: The memoir of a woman who unexpectedly became the face of young-onset Alzheimer’s in the UK. Ghost-written with the help of a journalist, this book covers her diagnosis, reaction, coping strategies, everyday experiences, and her plans for the future.. The writing is filled with pain and frustration as well as hope. Much recommended. Do note that it might be triggering for Alzheimer’s patients and also caregivers. A reading challenge I am participating in needed a book penned by a ghost-writer. I was very clear that I didn’t want to opt for any celebrity memoir, most of which are sanitised fake versions of their lives. Nor did I want to try fictional novels that straddled the line between pseudonymous and ghost-written. ( The Nancy Drew series, for instance. ) Google led me to Wendy Mitchell’s memoir. One look at this book’s blurb, and I knew I finally found the right option for the...
Read More»

Making Up the Gods - Marion Agnew - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Marion Agnew GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie drama with some quirky characters and a great setting in Lake Superior, Canada. Mellow in tone, genuine in content, thought-provoking in themes. I enjoyed this unusual novel. Plot Preview: Simone, almost 70, is a retired widow who lives an isolated life in her cottage on the banks of Lake Superior and still misses her husband, though he’s been dead for five years. While she is now active in her local church and finds solace in baking for those grieving, she is fiercely protective of her privacy. But when the local reverend asks her to take care of nine-year-old Chen while his widowed mother goes on a much-needed trip, Simone finds it tough to refuse a fellow-mourning widow. Just before Chen arrives, a stranger named Martin knocks at Simone’s door, claiming to be her cousin. Simone is suddenly handling two strangers at once, and she worries that they will dis...
Read More»

Dropseed: The Story of Three Sad Women - Nettie Magnan - ★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Nettie Magnan GENRE: Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: June 30, 2024 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A literary fiction about three women and their individual struggles. Great nature imagery and intriguing flawed characters, but too overwritten for my liking. Readers who like descriptive prose and don’t mind meandering storytelling are bound to enjoy this better. I was the wrong reader for this book. So please take this review with a pinch of salt. Plot Preview: Sally is a frustrated middle-aged ex-artist who is tired of the monotony of her life. Now with the added task of caring for her ailing mother, Sally seeks a change, but can she do so at the cost of her responsibilities? Mary, Sally’s mother, is not happy about how she has been reduced to complete dependence because of her illness. Her crankiness is often a cover for her frustration and her regrets. Is it too late for her to find peace? Beth, Mary’s caretaker, knows she has a tough patient, but even handling Mary is b...
Read More»