# Reading > Forum Book Club >  Christmas Reading '10 Poll

## Scheherazade

*Please nominate the books you would like to read during the Christmas holiday by December 10th.*

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## LitNetIsGreat

Oh, how about _The Chimes_ by Charles Dickens? Short, Christmassy, free for those who are happy to read online - _wonderful_ second paragraph. I started it last year and didn't finish it. 

My nomination anyway.

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## Wilde woman

Holidays on Ice - by David Sedaris.

"Santaland Diaries" never fails to make me laugh.

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## Dark Muse

> Oh, how about _The Chimes_ by Charles Dickens? Short, Christmassy, free for those who are happy to read online - _wonderful_ second paragraph. I started it last year and didn't finish it. 
> 
> My nomination anyway.


Since for Halloween I saw a perforance of that as a play, I 2nd that nomination as I would like to read the story.

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## Scheherazade

Nominations so far:

1. _The Chimes_ by Charles Dickens ? 

2. _Holidays on Ice_  by David Sedaris 

I would like to nominate _Christmas Holiday_ by W. Somerset Maugham.

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## Paulclem

Anything but Henry James. I was disappointed with it last year.

I can't believe it's come round so quick!

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## Scheherazade

> Anything but Henry James. I was disappointed with it last year.


Nominate something, then! 

 :Biggrin:

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## Paulclem

> Nominate something, then!


Er.... I will when I think of it.  :Biggrin: 

I was disappointed because I voted for him never having read any James... and never will again...too little time...

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## LitNetIsGreat

> Anything but Henry James. I was disappointed with it last year.


Was that _The Turn of the Screw_? I think it was. It's certainly worth re-reading if so Paul honest, James is page by page stuff, but worth the investment I think. Why not nominate it again? :Hat:

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## Paulclem

Nope. No Sir - I didn't like it. I did take part in the discussion, but I found myself drifting from it - bored in all honesty. 

Stumped about what to nominate though. A seasonal novella to discuss on those wintry nights in over the extended xmas holidays. Super. Hmmm - what to nominate though. I've got to now - I had to open my big...keyboard... and say something - Scher's told me I've got to. :Biggrin:

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## dfloyd

The Cricket on the Hearth. Turn of the Screw is not very christmassy, but neither is it boring. James is to be savored as an acquired taste.

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## Paulclem

> The Cricket on the Hearth. Turn of the Screw is not very christmassy, but neither is it boring. James is to be savored as an acquired taste.


A mystery created by laborious sentencing - thrilling. I found the obtuseness couldn't hide the woman's insanity. For me there was no mystery - just a contrived obscurity. 

Having read it I don't like his style. I never did have much taste. :Biggrin5:

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## prendrelemick

One should never discount the obvious.

A Christmas Carol. by Charles Dickens.

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## Scheherazade

Nominations so far:

1. _The Chimes_ by Charles Dickens ? 

2. _Holidays on Ice_  by David Sedaris 

3. _Christmas Holiday_ by W. Somerset Maugham 

4. _The Cricket on the Hearth_ 

5. _A Christmas Carol_ by Charles Dickens

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## Paulclem

Er.. still thinking..

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## Lady19thC

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
Old Christmas, by Washington Irving.

Turn of the Screw may not seem very Christmasy, but it was based on a ghost story told to James by Archbishop of Canterbury on Christmas night...a long held tradition of telling ghost stories at that time.

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## Janine

"Under the Greenwood Tree" by Thomas Hardy...begins with Christmas and is one of his lighter tales - not tragic at all. I love the book and the BBC movie version. Plus it's not a long book.

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## Paulclem

> A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
> Old Christmas, by Washington Irving.
> 
> Turn of the Screw may not seem very Christmasy, but it was based on a ghost story told to James by Archbishop of Canterbury on Christmas night...a long held tradition of telling ghost stories at that time.


A fine tradition. Pity about the story in this case. 

What about The Hogfather - Terry Pratchett. :Smile5:

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## LitNetIsGreat

> The Cricket on the Hearth. Turn of the Screw is not very christmassy, but neither is it boring. James is to be savored as an acquired taste.


I've voted for _The Cricket on the Hearth_ even though I suggested _The Chimes_ because I've nearly finished _The Chimes_. However they are both relatively small so these could be read together anyway. So far I think it is okay and I'm enjoying it more than I usually do with Dickens, but I'm still not completely sold. Great descriptive passages in places and characterisation but I tend to get a little tired with Dickens at the best of times, so I find my attention floating a little. Readable though.

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## Scheherazade

We read _Hogfather_ couple of years ago... It was an entertaining book but not sure if it deserves a second reading.

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## Scheherazade

Going once...

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## JuniperWoolf

Broke the tie. I've started, but not finished, A Christmas Carrol exactly eleven times. This will give me a bit of incentive.

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## Scheherazade

Going twice...

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## Scheherazade

_Still_ going twice...

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## Scheherazade

Since the tie did not break, we will go with _A Christmas Carol_ as it is the most topical one.

Get your copies ready and I will start the thread later today.

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## Truth teller

The Girl with no Shadows by Joanne Harris - that was last year but it certainly felt like holidays and winter  :Biggrin: 




> A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
> Old Christmas, by Washington Irving.
> 
> Turn of the Screw may not seem very Christmasy, but it was based on a ghost story told to James by Archbishop of Canterbury on Christmas night...a long held tradition of telling ghost stories at that time.


I had been reading The Turn of the Screw last year in Christmas time but also a few years before, so I kinda wanted to remember myself how good it was. It's one of the best ghost stories I have ever read - it's certainly worth reading and reading again  :Blush:

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