I'll Be Home For Christmas
Authors: Tom Becker, Holly Bourne, Sita Brahmachari, Melvin Burgess, Tracy Darnton, Katy Cannon, Non Pratt, Benjamin Zephaniah, Lisa Williamson, Julie Mayhew, Marcus Sedgwick, Juno Dawson, Cat Clarke, Kevin Brooks.
Published by Stripes Publishing
Pages 375
Format Paperback
My Rating ★★★1/2
Published by Stripes Publishing
Pages 375
Format Paperback
My Rating ★★★1/2
A collection of brand-new stories and poetry from the Uk’s leading authors on the theme of home. At least £1 from every copy sold will go directly to Crisis.
Home means something different for everyone. Many of us are fortunate enough to count our home as a place of stability, love and safety; others are not so lucky. Fiction can be our first exploration of hardships that are very much part of the real world. By using fiction both as a means of raising money for Crisis and increasing awareness of the struggles faced by those who experience homelessness, this collection bridges the gap between the real and the imagined.
Home means something different for everyone. Many of us are fortunate enough to count our home as a place of stability, love and safety; others are not so lucky. Fiction can be our first exploration of hardships that are very much part of the real world. By using fiction both as a means of raising money for Crisis and increasing awareness of the struggles faced by those who experience homelessness, this collection bridges the gap between the real and the imagined.
My thoughts:
I picked this up in a local bookshop back in December on a bit of a whim, but I was looking for something Christmassy. I tend to really enjoy reading short stories around Christmas time, because I’m always so busy and sometimes find it hard to really delve into a a big long novel in short bursts. So instead, I would sit down and simply read one short story at a time from this book.
I enjoyed reading this collection, and was immediately struck by how diverse the content was. Every story offered something new and very different from the last, which was really refreshing and held my interest from start to finish.
If anything, I maybe felt that one or two of the stories ended a little abruptly in my opinion, as I would have liked to read on a bit more. Having said that, the overriding theme of home was definitely present in every part of the book, and it really seemed to capture the spirit of home and family; and all the lovely things we should be thinking about at Christmas time.
I was a little nervous when reading the blurb that the book would turn out to be very sad and maybe a little depressing for a festive read, but I can safely say that was not what I took away from the writing. Each author wrote with a great level of sensitivity, and allowed the stories to be mostly uplifting and hopeful throughout.
In particular, Non Pratt’s story Ghosts of Christmas Past added some touching romance to the collection, and was really subtle and engaging. If Only in My Dreams, by Marcus Sedgwick, although very different, was another personal favourite of mine, and it really left me desperate to read more.
I enjoyed all the various content within this collection, and I only hope another will be released in time for next Christmas! The added bonus that this book has been designed to help raise money for a very deserving charity, Crisis, is yet another reason to pick up a copy!
Overall reaction:
I picked this up in a local bookshop back in December on a bit of a whim, but I was looking for something Christmassy. I tend to really enjoy reading short stories around Christmas time, because I’m always so busy and sometimes find it hard to really delve into a a big long novel in short bursts. So instead, I would sit down and simply read one short story at a time from this book.
I enjoyed reading this collection, and was immediately struck by how diverse the content was. Every story offered something new and very different from the last, which was really refreshing and held my interest from start to finish.
If anything, I maybe felt that one or two of the stories ended a little abruptly in my opinion, as I would have liked to read on a bit more. Having said that, the overriding theme of home was definitely present in every part of the book, and it really seemed to capture the spirit of home and family; and all the lovely things we should be thinking about at Christmas time.
I was a little nervous when reading the blurb that the book would turn out to be very sad and maybe a little depressing for a festive read, but I can safely say that was not what I took away from the writing. Each author wrote with a great level of sensitivity, and allowed the stories to be mostly uplifting and hopeful throughout.
In particular, Non Pratt’s story Ghosts of Christmas Past added some touching romance to the collection, and was really subtle and engaging. If Only in My Dreams, by Marcus Sedgwick, although very different, was another personal favourite of mine, and it really left me desperate to read more.
I enjoyed all the various content within this collection, and I only hope another will be released in time for next Christmas! The added bonus that this book has been designed to help raise money for a very deserving charity, Crisis, is yet another reason to pick up a copy!
Overall reaction: