Beth's back in festive style. See what she recommends to get into the holiday mood!

Haere mai, Afio mai, Welcome to my monthly musings on my library world.

As you can tell from the title I am quite fond of alliteration. Not a bad quirk to have though. I am going to share with you some of my favourite things across a range of formats and a few thoughts along the way. A bit like a lolly mixture from your local library.

One of the things I really enjoy sharing is quotes. In fact…..I collect them. Words have so much power. Each month I will share a great quote excerpt from a book.

“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.”

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Fa la la la la la la la! Christmas is in the air! I can smell it. I am a festive season enthusiast. Even more so this year after the time we have all had over the past nine months. I am looking forward to something positive and uplifting. Spending time with those we care about will have even more meaning than usual. Many of us realised during lock down how much we cherish those connections.

I find even though it can be hectic in the lead up to the BIG day it is definitely a time when I reflect back on the year that has been. I count my blessings and think about all the people that I am grateful to have my life. It is the perfect time to reach out and let family and friends know how much it means to have them in your life. Tell them why. Whether it’s Aunt Julia’s delicious home baking, Grandad’s entertaining story telling, or a friend’s innate ability to know when something is up. Tell them the personal traits you admire in them. Their courage, kindness, optimism, honesty, loyalty or adventurous spirit. The list goes on. Often we think these things about people but we don’t tell them. Go on. Be brave. Be vulnerable. The rewards will be worth it.

My favourite book this month is “The Mistletoe Promise” by Richard Paul Evans

Elise Dutton dreads the arrival of another holiday season. Three years earlier, her husband cheated on her with her best friend, resulting in a bitter divorce that left her alone, broken, and distrustful.

Then, one November day, a stranger approaches Elise in the mall food court. Though she recognizes the man from her building, Elise has never formally met him. Tired of spending the holidays alone, the man offers her a proposition. For the next eight weeks—until the evening of December 24—he suggests that they pretend to be a couple. He draws up a contract with four rules:

1. No deep, probing personal questions
2. No drama
3. No telling anyone the truth about the relationship
4. The contract is void on Christmas Day

The lonely Elise surprises herself by agreeing to the idea. As the charade progresses, the safety of her fake relationship begins to mend her badly broken heart. But just as she begins to find joy again, her long-held secret threatens to unravel the emerging relationship. But she might not be the only one with secrets.

This is great Christmas read. Richard Paul Evans has written a few Christmas books and this was the first one published in the mistletoe series. Each story is a stand alone book though and do not need to be read in any particular order. Be prepared for a little bit of darkness in the plot but there is also redemption and light. At its heart it is a story of forgiveness, love and finding the right person. It does not fit into the typical romance story. It is better. It is real. Real gets more to your heart and can have more impact.

My favourite DVD this month is “Love Actually”

It's all about love and holiday cheer in London. The Prime Minister is smitten with his caterer; a widower's young son nurses the ultimate schoolboy crush; a writer falls for his Portuguese housekeeper; a devoted wife and mother copes with her potentially unfaithful husband; and a lovelorn American is desperately attracted to a colleague. Explores the ups and downs of relationships in the weeks building up to Christmas.

Watching this movie has become a Christmas tradition in my family. Many years ago I remember going on a date with my husband to watch it in the cinema when it was first released. All these years later and after multiple viewings I still enjoy watching it. It probably almost falls into the classics category now. Now, I do realise that some might consider this movie schmaltzy and overly sentimental. If you can’t be schmaltzy and sentimental at Christmas time, when can you be?!? Love Actually is not a love story, it is a story about love. About all the different forms of love that exist in our lives and the way it can impact us. It is a movie that is thoughtful and entertaining, which does not shy away from taking the bad with the good. Not everyone ends up getting what they want, but then again, that’s love……actually.

Te reo phrase for the month:

Meri Kirihimete ngā mihi o te Tau Hou!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Noho ora mai!

Note: I will be on a festive break over December. Thank you to all my wonderful work colleagues who will be keeping the library ship sailing. I will return with my musings in January. Stay safe! Stay well!