Devil May Care by Elizabeth Peters

Barbara Mertz wrote under two pseudonyms. The first one Barbara Michaels were more of her gothic romances and Elizabeth Peters were more of her romantic suspense. I really am surprised that Devil May Care is a Elizabeth Peters and not a Barbara Michaels. In this chilling tale, Ellie is staying in her Aunt Kate’s house. When supernatural events start happening in the house it is up to Ellie to figure out what satanic rites might have taken place in the house. It is one of her more disturbing books, but still very well written.

The Little Mermaid (1989)

The Little Mermaid is one of the few movies I think is better than the book. Hans Christian Anderson is the king of bittersweet endings. The Little Mermaid in the book doesn’t get the prince in the end, instead she essentially commits suicide and becomes an angel. In the Disney movie on the other hand, Ariel does get Prince Eric at the end of the movie. It is a wonderful story about how true love can conquer anything including the distance between the land and the sea. It also shows the depth of a father’s love as King Triton first tries to protect his daughter from the scary human world and then shows his great love by allowing her to be with her human prince. It is truly one of Disney’s greats!

Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce*

Wild Magic is part of the Tortall World. The series, The Immortals, is the second series to come from that world. It tells the story of Daine, a thirteen year old girl who finds out that she has a very powerful and rare “wild magic” that allows her to talk to animals and even shapeshift at times. She enters into the tutelage of Numair who helps her to train and hone these powers, which she desperately needs to save her world. A fun story.

Captain Sindbad (1963)

Captain Sindbad is a fun romp based on the classic story. The special effects are kind of poor, but it is still fun. In this version of the classic tale, Sindbad is in love with the lovely Princess Jana, but to win her hand he has to fight the evil El Kerim. There’s just one bad part, El Kerim seems to be immortal. It is soon revealed that by black magic El Kerim has removed his heart and put it in a “safe location” many miles away. Sindbad and his crew must go on an epic quest to find and destroy El Kerim’s heart.

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

Another Rankin Bass Christmas special. In this adorable cartoon, Santa catches a cold right before Christmas Eve. He decides that not only is he sick, but no one really cares about Christmas anymore. He decides to cancel Christmas so he can stay in bed on Christmas Eve. It is up to two young elves, Jingle and Jangle to prove to Santa that the Christmas spirit is not dead and that the world still needs him. In the midst of this they get mixed up with dogcatchers who mistake their reindeer for a stray dog and the brothers Snow Miser and Heat Miser. It is a fun movie. They made a live action remake in 2006 but it did not have the charm of this original Christmas classic.

Santa Who (2000)

Just after discovering some long lost letters in a coat pocket that he hasn’t used in decades, Santa falls out of his sleigh and hits his head. Suffering from a bad case of amnesia, he is found by reporter Peter Albright, one of those letter writers who never got his Christmas wish. Peter sets out to find “Santa” his family for Christmas, never for a moment suspecting who he truly is. It takes the imagination of his girlfriend’s son, Zack, to help Santa remember who he truly is and make sure everyone has a magical Merry Christmas.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by Robert L. May

Begun as a promotion campaign by Montgomery Ward, Rudolph has remained a holiday classic. It is a story about a little reindeer bullied because instead of the traditional black nose, Rudolph has a big glowing red nose instead. Everyone’s opinion changes when there’s a horrible fog on Christmas Eve and Santa is having a hard time seeing to deliver the presents. When he gets to Rudolph’s house, the light from Rudolph’s shiny red nose helps guide him through the house. Santa wakes Rudolph to ask him to guide his sleigh through the fog and snow. A classic story about how we can all make a difference. The book itself has inspired countless sequels and movie adaptations.