Kings College Cambridge God rest ye Merry Gentlemen

I love this carol. :)

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Ebenezer Scrooge only loves one thing, and that’s money. He hates anything that brings cheer and happiness to others, so he naturally despises the whole Christmas season. One Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by his dead partner, Jacob Marley. Marley has been dead for years and was just as selfish as Scrooge. His spirit is now forced to wander the earth in chains, and has come to warn Scrooge that the same fate awaits him if he continues living the way he has been. Three spirits are going to visit Scrooge: the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come. As Scrooge is given the chance to wander through his past and future, he comes to see himself in the same way that others see him.

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re going to read one holiday related book this Christmas, then make it A Christmas Carol. I’m quite certain that everyone is familiar with this story.  I love the style of narration, the plot, the overall message and how the story presents the festivity of Christmas. This novella is an allegory about poverty in Victorian London, with the infamous Scrooge representing the greed of the rich. A Christmas Carol is very short and could be a good introduction to Charles Dickens. It captures a lot of the great things about his writing, while being short and easy to understand. As a Christmas story, this is as good as it gets. There are so many retellings for a reason: A Christmas Carol is a timeless story that captures the spirit of the holidays.  No matter how many movie adaptations you’ve seen, the book has a special magic that will make you feel like you’re learning of Scrooge’s redemption for the first time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I read this book every Christmas Eve with a nice warm drink. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Nat King Cole - Joy To The World

I love this Christmas song. It's so festive!! :)

Nat King Cole - The First Noel

Wonderful! :D

Nat King Cole - O Holy Night

A lovely Christmas hymn. :)

The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)

A lovely song and Nat King Cole had a great voice.

Dean Martin - Let it Snow!

I love this song. Hope it gets everybody into the Christmas spirit!! :)

Bonfire Night 2013

In Great Britain, Bonfire Night is associated with the tradition of celebrating Guy Fawkes' arrest on 5th November. The modern festival is, therefore, on 5th November, although some commercially-driven events are held at a weekend near to the correct date, to maximise attendance. Bonfire night's sectarian significance has generally been lost: it is now usually just a night of revelry with a bonfire and fireworks. Celebrations are held throughout Great Britain, in parts of Northern Ireland, and in some other parts of the Commonwealth.

 

Parkin Cake is a sticky cake containing a mix of oatmeal, ginger, treacle and syrup which is eaten on Bofire Night.  Other foods include marshmallows toasted on the fire.

 

 

 

Have fun, everyone!! :)

 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

 

Harry Potter, along with his best friends, Ron and Hermione, is about to start his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry can't wait to get back to school after the summer holidays. (Who wouldn't if they lived with the horrible Dursleys?) But when Harry gets to Hogwarts, the atmosphere is tense. There's an escaped mass murderer on the loose, and the sinister prison guards of Azkaban have been called in to guard the school...

 

I really like that we took a break from the Voldemort plotline, and got a better look at Harry's parent's past. It added to his character arc in such a unique way, because this is the first book that I have felt like Harry was able to be well and truly happy. Knowing even just these small parts of his past (and things like why his father was nicknamed prongs-- fab!) seemed to add pieces to his own identity, enough to change his entire demeanor. And I was so happy for him, finally having Sirius and Lupin to look to as proper family--people who he knows really care about him. I love that part on the last page where Harry tells the Dursleys about Sirius, saying, "He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of Wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though . . . keep up with my news . . .check if I'm happy . . ."

 

 

 
A few other things I liked are the Marauder's Map--which is fantastic! I want one. I love the time-turner part, it is brilliant and made the latter part of the book into very suspenseful reading.  Enjoy!! :)

 

Happy Halloween 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween! Have fun! I am going to watch Corpse Bride and The Nightmare Before Christmas tonight! :) xx