With 1) Christmas decorations to put away, 2) a Christmas letter still to write and mail, and 3) several blog posts about pre-Christmas outings and hosting holiday house guests waiting to be created and published... I was overwhelmed. I just wanted to sit down, relax, read a non-challenging book and perhaps blog about it. The Christmas Spirit was just what the doctor ordered.
The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber ©2022 was a delightful, light, humorous book that I read one afternoon/evening shortly after New Year's. Two close friends – Peter, a local pastor, and Hank, the sole bartender at a family-owned tavern – debate whose job is more difficult, demanding, and exhausting. The longtime friends try switching roles the week before Christmas to settle the debate. Each learns how challenging the other's job can be; the way each fumbles in his new role is cause for huge hilarity. The Christmas Eve service complete with its mini-skirted strippers in attendance and a rambunctious, stubborn mule on the loose, kept me chuckling out loud.
The book was a welcome change from the maudlin, predictable, Hallmark seasonal movies. The story is told from the framework of a grandmother telling it to her 8-yr old grandson Lance and granddaughter 6-yr old granddaughter Lilly. Of course there is a bit of romance sprinkled here and there but it does not dominate the story. It can not because Lance groans, covers up his ears, and demands fair warning if there are any kissing parts. I could relate to the book after having just had my own 10-yr old granddaughter and 7-yr old grandson visiting with their mom, dad and other grandma for ten days during the Christmas time. It was the ideal book to read while resting up after after a joyous, raucous visit. While not preachy, it certainly portrayed a sense of the Christian goal of welcoming and acceptance of others. Short and sweet and funny, it was a treat to read. A bartender and a pastor do share similar skill sets, after all. I upped The Christmas Spirit's rating to 4 stars because, although in no way was it a deep, pondering tome, it did deserve to be graded as better than average.
The cover of that book does not exactly say "strippers and a mule" but... it sounds like it might be too much fun to miss! I'll put this on my reading list for next Christmas.
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