Review: The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York

The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York by Alex Palmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a very interesting look at the life of John Duval Gluck, Jr., who happens to be the author's great-granduncle. Gluck lived during the Jazz Age in New York and was founder of The Santa Claus Association, a group dedicated to reading the letters of poor children writing to Santa Claus with their wishes and wants at Christmas time. On the surface, Gluck seemed to be nothing but a kind and generous man whose goal in life was to offer these poor children a chance to believe in Santa and have a wonderful Christmas day. For years, these letters ended up in the Dead Letter Office of the New York Postal Service to be destroyed, along with a child's hope for a Christmas gift. In 1913, John Gluck took on the task of receiving, reading, and investigating these letters and finding donors to fulfill the requests. Under the surface, though, was a man who seemed to stay one step ahead of everyone, and used his position with The Santa Claus Association and his position with a bogus boy scout organization to bilk money out of thousands of people.

I found Gluck to be a fascinating character. He seemed to be a very typical con artist who could capture everyone's heart and be that guy that everyone wants to know, but has you completely snowed. The author has you almost feeling sorry for the guy, but eventually, you realize that he was just a crooked man. This was a well written account of some interesting New York history.

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Review: The Christmas Pearl

The Christmas Pearl by Dorothea Benton Frank
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A cute story about love and redemption. Theodora reflects on her childhood growing up in the south when the holidays were as much about the process of preparing for Christmas Day and following family traditions as it was about the actual day of gift giving. There was reverence in decorating the house, baking cookies, the process of filling out the beautiful crèche, and enjoying time with family. Pearl was the family housekeeper who acted as Theodora's surrogate mom, and who kept the house running well. Theodora's memories centered around Pearl who was simply a part of the family. Theodora is now a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Without Pearl, the home seems to have lost the sparkle and spirit it once had. Theodora's family is a hot mess. No one gets along, and there are strained relations among siblings and cousins. What the house needs is a Pearl of wisdom and a visit from an old friend from beyond to help get the family back on track.

This is a sweet holiday story that will help remind the reader what the season is all about. Life is too short to dwell on what divides us. Perhaps we all need a Christmas Pearl.

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Review: Notorious Victoria: The Life of Victoria Woodhull, Uncensored

Notorious Victoria: The Life of Victoria Woodhull, Uncensored by Mary Gabriel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story follows the life of Victoria Woodhull, a pioneer in women's rights, the first woman to run for President, the first woman stockbroker (along with her sister Tennie), and a proposed spiritualist. Victoria lived during the gilded age in New York and was aquainted with the likes of Cornelius Vanderbilt, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Victoria's life was a rags to riches story. Scandal often followed her and her family and were often fighting legal battles due to the scandalous stories they printed in their own weekly newspaper, leading to her moniker Notorious Victoria.

This is a well researched and written account of Woodhull's life. The incidents she often found herself in were often unbelievable, but Mary Gabriel does a fine job of bringing the reader into the mindset of the day to understand how Victoria and her sister Tennie found them in such precarious predicaments. It's a great book to read, to understand how far women have come and appreciate those who stood up for women's rights.

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Review: The Christmas Wish

The Christmas Wish by Lori Evert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such a sweet little book. It is about a young girl named Anja whose greatest wish is to be one of Santa's elves. Her journey takes her on a magnificent trip where she is helped along by some great creatures.

Full of beautiful pictures that will get you in the spirit of the holidays. It makes a great story to read to little ones in the few days before Christmas.

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Review: The Christmas Wish

The Christmas Wish by Lori Evert
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

This was such a sweet little book. It is about a young girl named Anja whose greatest wish is to be one of Santa's elves. Her journey takes her on a magnificent trip where she is helped along by some great creatures.

Full of beautiful pictures that will get you in the spirit of the holidays. It makes a great story to read to little ones in the few days before Christmas.

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Review: The Silver Baron's Wife

The Silver Baron's Wife by Donna Baier Stein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the fictionalized story of Baby Doe Tabor, the wife of Horace Tabor who made his riches in the Colorado Matchless Mine and subsequently lost it all. Elizabeth "Baby Doe" hailed from Oshkosh, Wisconsin where she grew up and married her neighbor Harvey Doe. This book follows Baby Doe from her marriage with Harvey to her life with Horace Tabor in Colorado where she was eventually left alone by family and friends. As a devout Catholic and a divorcee, society and family turned their backs on the woman who really only wanted to work in the mines and be with her daughters.

This was a wonderfully written story that seems to stay pretty true to life. The author fictionalized the conversations and thoughts of this strong woman, who was considered a pioneer in the mining business. It is a sad story of how she was treated and I'd like to think she was the kind woman that the author portrayed her as. Her life seemed devoted to her husbands and children. It's sad how they ultimately treated her. When I first moved to Dallas and later Colorado, I had heard of Elizabeth Tabor through the restaurant chain Baby Doe's Matchless Mine. It was the place to go for Mother's Day (oddly enough) for brunch in the 1800s decorated eatery. Past that, I knew little about the lady behind the mine. I am glad to have this chance to learn more about her.

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Review: Steampunk: Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol

Steampunk: Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol by Zdenko Bašić
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is not my first time reading Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol but it is the first time I have read his stories “The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton” and “A Christmas Tree”. I picked this particular version up not because of the other stories but because of the steampunk illustrations by Zdenko Bašić. I love steampunk art, so this book caught my eye. The pictures are wonderful and puts a whole new haunting spin on the classic Christmas story. I wish there were more illustrations, particularly with the lesser known stories, but it is still worth checking out if you are a fan of the art or the author.

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Review: A Wedding at The Paragraph Ranch

A Wedding at The Paragraph Ranch by Kay Ellington
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another enjoyable story in the Paragraph Ranch series. In this second installment, former English professor Dee Bennett has made her home back in Claxton, TX. Her mom is now in her own home in a nearby retirement village and her daughter has decided to return to school on the east coast. Dee finds herself without a job and is still waiting to get her book published. For the time being, Dee is able to pick up work part time at both the library and the local paper, where she is covering the campaign of a local home town hero for Texas Railroad Commissioner. As it turns out the former high school quarterback has a few skeletons in his closet and it's up to Dee to uncover the truth. Add to the mix a feisty pair of goats and a whole town of quirky characters.

I enjoyed this cute story that takes place in west Texas. My only real dislike is that it takes place during the Obama / McCain race that makes it a bit outdated and a bit of a political soapbox. I think a fictional race would be more appropriate and appeal to a wider audience. For a "cozy read / mystery" this is one of the more well written, "less cheesy" selections that I have come across.

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Review: The Paragraph Ranch

The Paragraph Ranch by Kay Ellington
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dr. Dee Anna Bennett-Kaufmann has come home to her family's ranch in west Texas to help care for her ailing mother who was recently run off the road by an unidentified truck. Dee is one of three siblings, but the only one who had time to spare for their mother, who suddenly seemed a burden for everyone. It came at a time that was strained for Dee, with a summer fellowship upcoming to finish her book for her tenure at the college where she taught Literature. Enter a daughter who was having her own crises, a non-existent boyfriend, and issues with the hired help for Dee's mother. Then there was the mystery around the subject of her book, that needed to be solved and various family members who continued to throw wrenches into the schedule.

Kay Ellington did a wonderful job of sucking the reader into the story and drawing a picture of life in lazy west Texas. I thought it was well written and was completely engrossed into the story and the characters. This is the first of a series and will be digging into the second one right away.

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Review: Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls

Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls by Lauren Graham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you are a Gilmore Girls fan, you'll like this one. Lauren Graham's fast talking humor shines through in this short memoir. Covering the time from her early childhood, through her first stint as the wacky single mom to the end of the series (or is it?) with the recent Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life mini-series, Graham discusses her life breaking into show business and behind the scene stories.

You definitely get a sense that Graham is very much like her character Lorelai: impulsive, fast talking, quirky, and caring. She's down to earth and very relate-able. I enjoyed getting to know her through her stories and reading about some of the day to day behind the scenes filming the 2016 reboot of the show.

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