Our Iceberg Is Melting by John Kotter with Holger Rathgeber

Review by Brenna B. (demiducky25)

When recently asked to submit a review for holiday related books, I searched my bookshelf to see if there was anything holiday related that I hadn’t already read yet.  This book had penguins on the cover.  Penguins live in the Antarctic, albeit the opposite pole from Santa but it still cold there.  However,  I LOVE penguins and if the holiday décor in my house has anything to say about it, penguins have a lot to do with Christmas (there are about 10 toy penguins sprinkled throughout the living room and porch and probably a bunch of penguin ornaments on the tree as well).  As a business book, it is not about the holidays per se; however, the general message of the book, changing and succeeding under any conditions, can certainly be applied to the often-times stressful holiday season where the weather, family dynamics, and work overload can frequently come to a head.

At 137 pages (many with cute illustrated pictures) this is a very short book, and the majority of it is a fable about a colony of penguins that have to figure out what to do when they find out the iceberg they live on is melting.  At first, most of the penguins refuse to believe this until Fred, a very observant penguin, provides irrefutable proof that something needs to be done.  He becomes part of a team with a number of penguins with different personalities, and together they need to figure out how to come together to make a plan that will work for their colony.  The team consists of:

-Louis: the head of the Leadership Council

-Alice: a no-nonsense member of the Leadership Council

-the Professor: a highly knowledgeable penguin (lacking in people skills…errr…penguin skills) who thinks that everyone is beneath him due to his vast intellect

-Buddy: a very well liked, though not very bright young penguin

The foil of this story is NoNo, a member of the Leadership Council who refuses to see that the iceberg is melting and does everything possible to cause disorder in the colony.

Throughout the fable the 8 key points for effectively enacting chance in an organization are illustrated:

1)      Create a sense of urgency

2)      Pull together the guiding team

3)      Develop the change vision and strategy

4)      Communicate for understanding and “buy in”

5)      Empower others to act

6)      Produce short-term wins

7)      Don’t let up

8)      Create a new culture

I’ve read very few business oriented books (not having majored in anything business related), but I can’t imagine that most are as relatable and as fun to read as this one.  Yes, it does get a bit repetitive since the authors feel like they are beating you over the head with their points a number of times throughout the story, but it certainly wasn’t a dry read!  Most of us can probably find ways to apply the 8 step process to successfully change areas of our lives.  During this holiday season, take a look at your life, try to identify your “iceberg” and see if you can apply the steps the penguins followed to deal with their melting iceberg.  All in all, I give this book 3 ½ out of 5 stars.

His Mistress by Christmas by Victoria Alexander

Review by reacherfan1909

His Mistress by Christmas is an historical romance set in the late 1885 London around the holidays.  Like most Christmas-centric romances, this one is light, frothy, fun with a tried a true plot livened by witty dialogue, but not much else.

Lady Veronica Smithson was married briefly, though happily, to an older man who left her a wealthy, independent woman.  While her family might want her married again, Veronica has a different idea.  She wants none of the drawbacks of marriage – essentially becoming some man’s chattel, but she does miss the pleasures of the marriage bed.  She has what she considers the perfect solution – become the mistress of an interesting man who will be amenable to such a discrete arrangement.   And she’s found the perfect candidate – Sir Sebastian Hadley-Attwater, explorer, author, world traveler, and currently speaker at the Explorers Club – and handily enough, the cousin of her best friend Portia, Lady Redwell, another young widow.

Sir Sebastian loves traveling and writing, and is happy to oblige the Explorers Club in speaking to members and guests, including a lovely looking woman sitting with his cousin.  When taking questions from the audience, he’s challenged about the club’s policy of no female members, but deftly deflects what might be a huge political argument and happily allows Sir Hugo deal with the redoubtable Miss Charlotte Bramwell while he snags an introduction to the woman he’s decided must be his.

Portia is horrified by her friend’s plan.  It’s just scandalous, and Sebastian is her cousin!  Once they’ve been introduced, it’s obvious the two are destined for each other.  The witty remarks fly along with veiled innuendo.  Sebastian is delighted to spar with the woman and immediately undertakes to get to know her better by asking her to the theater – even going so far as to invite her Aunt Lotte, who is still locked in argument with Sir Hugo, to accompany them.

So begins their romance, or as Veronica would have it, their relationship.  She is smart, clever, loves to spar with words, and has only limited use for society, though she has no desire to make herself a social outcast.  A discrete affair is allowed widows and as she has no intention of ever marrying again, it’s a path she’s determined trod.  Sir Henry is ready to prove to his family he’s established, mature, and solid member of society, so he might finally get his inheritance from his oldest brother, something denied him while living the life of a vagabond traveler and writer.  He’s even acquired a country estate to prove he’s setting down roots.  But he also wants a wife.  Nothing proves a man is established and mature like property and a wife.  It’s obvious that Lady Veronica, as bold and as forward as she is, is not experienced in the matter of affairs, and that’s fine with him.  He plans to marry her, but he’s averse to seducing her first.

The plot progress with the standard formula, lot’s of witty, albeit rather shallow, repartee, and the slimmest of plots.  Victoria Alexander specializes in intelligent, outspoken, strong minded heroines and always includes plenty of wit and humor, but here the book is froth, not substance, lively but without depth, and lacks any shred of real tension in the story arc.  The emotional ‘big misunderstanding’ that is a classic plot device, but here is contrived to the point of silliness.  In fact, the whole ‘inheritance’ thing was pretty shaky to start with.  Both Sir Sebastian and Veronica were lively, if rather stock characters.  Despite all it’s pluses, the book held zero surprises and no original story elements.  Though 300 pages, it read like a much shorter work.

There are many ways to describe books like His Mistress by Christmas – ‘a mere bagatelle’ is an expression that springs to mind, possibly due to the historical nature of the book.  ‘Slight fluff’ is another expression that suits, as do both ‘predictable’ and ‘charming’.   Still, for a holiday read, is does have the kind of wit and sparkle that makes holidays fun, and none of the real emotional angst that can be so depressing.  I liked Veronica and Sebastian and Portia, and Sebastian’s family are sure fodder for Ms Alexander’s future books.  As a holiday read for romance lovers, it a good choice, full of charm and wit you can almost forget its predictability.  My grade is C+ (3.5*)

Our Simple Gifts: Civil War Christmas Tales

by Owen Parry

Review by Vicky T. (VickyJo)

I love Christmas–and one of the ways I like to get into the spirit of the season is to read Christmas stories.  It never fails to put me in a better frame of mind.  I’m always rereading my old favorites, but I also enjoy finding new stories to add to my list.  I stumbled across a new (to me) collection recently; I’d like to recommend a wonderful little book of heartwarming stories called “Our Simple Gifts: Civil War Christmas Tales” by Owen Parry.

Parry is probably best known for his series of Civil War novels featuring Abel Jones, a Welsh Civil War veteran who goes about solving mysteries in a series of six novels.  This collection of short stories is also set during America’s Civil War, which adds a melancholy feel to the stories.  Parry creates fully developed characters and settings in these tales; you feel the cold snow, the warm fires, the despair and the hope.

Our Simple Gifts contains four stories:  “Star of Wonder” is the story of a young man returning home from the battlefield, having lost his arm in battle, and his fiancée to typhoid fever.  His journey home on Christmas Eve becomes not just a journey, but his destiny.  A blizzard, a young Irish widow and the grace of the season show him that forgiveness and faith still exist.

“Tannenbaum” introduces Gus Tannenbaum, a German immigrant serving with the Union troops nicknamed Dutch by the other members of his company.  In spite of the prejudice of some, and the smallness of others, Dutch sees these men as his only family, and as such, decides to make this a memorable Christmas for all.

“Nothing but a Kindness” finds Natty Hawks heading home to the hills of Appalachia, having been released from a Union prison in time for Christmas.  After losing an eye, he’s no longer a threat, or so the Yankees figure.  He knows his family will be surprised to see him; his father, the staunch Union supporter who couldn’t understand why his son joined the Rebels; his mother, worn down and worried, his many siblings, and his beloved grandmother, Old-Ma.  And it turns out to be Old-Ma who greets him first, and gives him the love and the wisdom he needs to carry on.

Finally, “Christmas Gift” shows us a sad Christmas on a southern plantation, and how roles can be reversed in the twinkling of an eye.  Dundee is suddenly a free man, no longer a slave.  Those who were once mighty have now fallen, and Dundee is only human.  He searches his heart and soul about the notion of justice, of judgment and what Christmas really means.  Can he find it in his heart to reclaim himself?  Will his faith bring him peace?

Each one of these tales expresses forgiveness, love, charity and faith…all the things that together represent the true meaning of Christmas.  Some may feel that the juxtaposition of the war and this holy season tugs at the heart strings too much, is perhaps too sentimental.  But if you can’t be sentimental at Christmas time, then there is just no place for sentiment in this world, is there?  This is one of the better writers of historical fiction putting his talents to a topic near and dear to his heart.  And it shows.  Our Simple Gifts by Owen Parry is now on my short list of things to read each holiday season.

Tis The Season To Be Sinful by Adrienne Basso

Review by Kelsey O.

FIRST LINE

Richard Harper was late.

Juliet Wentworth had it all, a tender husband and a house that was to become their dream house. That all ended after her husband passes away suddenly and Juliet is left living in the dowager house with her children and hoping that they can find someone to rent Highgrove Manor so that they have money to get out from under her husband’s tyrannical brother’s thumb.

Richard Harper is trying to make it as an entrepreneur in London. It has been a tough go since leaving the Colonies and Richard is finding the English to be less than hospitable since moving three years ago. His ideas have been met with skepticism and resistance. But now things have change. He has elevated himself in society and now to get that final accreditation he needs to own a country estate. This leads him to Highgrove Manor and Richard meets the headstrong Juliet who is unwilling to let him buy the estate. He has two choices; rent the manor or marry her.

This is truly a heartwarming Christmas story. Richard thinks that he will just treat the marriage as a business adventure but instead gets thrown head first into emotions that he at first wants to deny but then opens his heart to Juliet and her three kids. He has to overcome his fear and after confiding into Juliet he knows that he can trust her. Juliet too grows and knows that she must tread carefully around Richard at first but knows that eventually he will come around.  Not much in way of conflict. Once Juliet marries Richard it seems her brother-in-law just disappears. The tension comes just between Juliet and Richard and their journey to find love with each other. A great romantic read with a joyful ending.

Tied With A Bow by Eileen Wilks, Virginia Kantra, Lora Leigh and Kimberly Frost

Review by Susan R. (Sue-in-AZ)

Story Synopsis

This is an anthology of 4 paranormal romances.  As usual with these sort of books, the four authors are a mix of newer and more established authors.  Each story is “novella” length.  By necessity, the plots move really quickly. Not a whole lot of set up before we jump right into the heart of each story.

The first story is “Upon a Midnight Clear” by Virginia Kantra.  This is written as a historical romance with a twist.  For the “historical” part, Aimee is rescued as a young girl from the Terror during the French Revolution. She’s taken to England where she is raised by distant relatives. As the poor relation, she is treated as an unpaid servant, expected to be grateful to be given a place to live.

For the “twist” part, her rescuer is an angel, come down to earth to grant Aimee’s mother an answer to her prayers.  But the angel is definitely not supposed to rescue Aimee – and in fact, he has been cast out of heaven for doing so.  He is forced to live as a human, and is sent to earth as a 17 year old boy.

Now, years later, Aimee and her former angel meet as adults……

The second story is “First Light” by Kimberly Frost.  A note from the author explains this story is intended to introduce a new series: Etherlin.

In this story we are introduced to another angel: Nathaniel.  Nathaniel started out as a human during the Roman Empire, and was recruited to become an archangel to fight evil demons.  One demon in particular: Gadreel.  Nathaniel and Gadreel have fought many times over the centuries.  But there’s a new twist this time – Kate.

Years ago, Kate found a unique ring – apparently dating back to the Roman Empire.  What she doesn’t know is the ring belongs to Nathaniel, and he wants it back.  But the ring holds the key to both their futures and they have some extremely difficult choices to make.

The third story is “Human Error” by Eileen Wilks.  This book picks up characters familiar from the author’s World of the Lupi series.

Benedict is a werewolf, or lupi in the lingo of the series.  His “mate” is Arjenie.  The story of how they meet and become mates is told in one of Wilks’ full-length books.

In this novella, Benedict is meeting Arjenie’s family for the very first time – at Christmas. Or really at Yule, since Arjenie’s family are Wiccan. The family knows Benedict is lupi, but he wants to present himself as normal as possible.  Unfortunately, right off the bat, a malevolent force causes Benedict to shift into wolf form.  He scares the whole family – one uncle even pulls out a gun!

After things calm down, Benedict, Arjenie and the whole family go to work to discover what evil force is stalking not just Benedict, but all of them….

The fourth story is “An Inconvenient Mate” by Lora Leigh. This novella is part of the author’s very prolific Breeds series.

Malachi is a Coyote Breed – a result of a genetic experiment, and now an agent working against such experiments.  He’s come to the Navajo Nation with a small group of Breed agents, looking for a rogue Breed who’s been killing scientists.

Isabelle is the Navajo chief’s niece. Her friends spot the very handsome Malachi in the bar and dare Isabelle to approach him. They know she won’t take them up on the dare – she’s gun-shy after leaving an abusive relationship.  But the magnetism coming off Malachi in waves draws Isabelle in. It’s like they’re the only two people in the room.

What Isabelle doesn’t know is that Malachi has recognized her as his “mate” – which means something very permanent to his kind.  What follows is definitely hot and steamy.

My Review

I loved all four stories!  Since the format is short, there’s not a lot of time for the characters to have second thoughts – or sometimes even a first thought – before jumping into some pretty juicy scenes!  I thought all four authors did a good job on developing characters and settings in the space available.

This is a good format to try out some new authors, jump into a new series, or get a little extra tidbit in a series you already love.

Mystery For Christmas And Other Stories

Review by Diane G.  (icesk8tr)

While some of you are getting ready for Christmas, some of us are reading mysteries about it! Mystery For Christmas And Other Stories is a collection of twelve Christmas mysteries. These short stories were selected from Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. These authors have some clever stories involving the Christmas spirit, death of Santa Claus, and thieves.

There are heartwarming stories with lessons on good will towards others that are less fortunate. You have a story on how a boy saw Mommy kill Santa Claus, but he does not learn what happened to the weapon for 40 years. Santa is murdered in another story that involves embezzling funds from their employer. A story brings up questions of how Marley died in the Christmas Carol. Mystery for Christmas has a Christmas party that includes crime and framing someone.

These stories were cute, entertaining, and made you think. The authors who wrote these stories include John D. MacDonald, Rex Stout, George Baxt, Anthony Boucher, Patricia Moyes, and 7 more. I enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend it to others!