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We at FaithfulReader.com have assembled a list of books that capture the true essence of this most blessed time of year. Among these titles are faith-enriching devotionals and thoughtful examinations of the monumental events in which our faith is rooted, heartwarming tales to share with children of all ages, as well as amusing anecdotes of Christmases past and ideas for future family traditions. We hope these thought-provoking and inspiring reads will fill you with the spirit of the season to be cherished all year long.
 THE ALUMINUM CHRISTMAS TREE
Thomas J. Davis
Rutledge Hill Press
Fiction
ISBN: 1401601898
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The shiny aluminum tree was the symbol of everything he thought was right in their lives and everything she thought was wrong. It was 1958 and Jimmy Jackson had it all: a wife, two kids, and the promotion that was his ticket to success. Finally, he could afford all those things he had spotted in the Sears Roebuck catalog. But now that he had the money, would he find that the true cost was more than he could pay?
 CANDY CHRISTMAS'S CHRISTMAS COLLECTION
Candy Christmas
Howard Publishing
Cooking
ISBN: 1582292558
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Gospel musician and recording artist Candy Christmas brings a touch of her home to yours. These mouth-watering recipes and unique tips for holiday entertaining can transform this Christmas season into one your family and friends will remember --- and treasure --- for years to come.
 THE CASE FOR CHRISTMAS: A Journalist Investigates the Identity of the Child in the Manger
Lee Strobel
Zondervan
Religion & Spirituality
ISBN: 0310266297
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By focusing on the "hows" and whys" of Christmas, this warm yet journalistic book will help believers reaffirm their faith while guiding seekers as they pursue solid answers about this miraculous occurrence. With material from THE CASE FOR CHRIST as well as new ideas from author Lee Strobel, this book is designed to be a tool to give away to family, friends, neighbors, and others who want to understand what happened at Christmas 2,000 years ago.
 CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS: Prayers and Poems to Celebrate the Season
June Cotner
Center Street
Worship & Devotion
ISBN: 0446531006
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From angels and shepherds to memories, inspiration, and Christmas through the eyes of a child, this keepsake collection celebrates every aspect of the holiday and includes blessings, toasts, and prayers for every occasion. Comprised of a mix of contemporary and classic selections, June Cotner's splendid volume features writers such as Christina Rossetti, Edgar Guest, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Madeleine L'Engle, and Jane Yolen.
 THE CHRISTMAS HOPE
Donna VanLiere
Integrity Publishers
Fiction
ISBN: 0312334508
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Patricia and Mark Addison have long given up the hope of having a meaningful Christmas. But this year, Patricia's job as a social worker will lead her to a very special five-year-old. Against her better judgment, Patricia bends the rules and takes the little girl to her own home. Through the presence of Emily in their house, and her penetrating questions about heaven, the Addisons learn that there is no sorrow so great that faith cannot help you find your way through. And Christmas will once again be a time of joy in their home.
THE CHRISTMAS HOPE is another classic novel in Donna VanLiere's Christmas Shoes series.
 THE CHRISTMAS SCRAPBOOK: A Harmony Story
Philip Gulley
HarperSanFrancisco
Fiction
ISBN: 0060736615
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It's autumn in Harmony, and Pastor Sam Gardner has vowed to be ready for Christmas. Determined to redeem a dreadful history of gift-giving, Sam enrolls in a scrapbooking class to make a Christmas gift his wife will never forget. However, Sam's absence from their home every Wednesday night, coupled with his questionable alibi of attending a men's group, raises her suspicions.
Meanwhile, Sam struggles in the class and must attempt to complete his project with only the help of his faithful secretary, Frank. As Christmas fast approaches and rumors swirl of Sam's Wednesday night absences, a series of mishaps leads to a Christmas no one will soon forget.
 THE FIRST CHRISTMAS: The True Yet Unfamiliar Story of Christ's Birth
Paul L. Maier
Kregel Publications
Religion & Spirituality
ISBN: 0825433304
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This beautifully illustrated gift book offers the real, historical drama of Christmas by award-winning author and historian Paul L. Maier.
 FOURTH DAWN: A.D. Chronicles, #4
Bodie and Brock Thoene
Tyndale House Publishers
Fiction
ISBN: 0842375155
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Revealing a different facet of the Christmas story, FOURTH DAWN focuses on Mary and Joseph's life before Christ's birth. This riveting and moving narrative details the hardships of a pregnant unmarried virgin, and her apprehensive fiancé who realizes he must soon care for the mother and the Son of God.
 HANNAH'S HOPE
The Red Gloves, Book 4
Karen Kinsgbury
Warner Faith
Fiction
ISBN: 0446532363
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Fifteen-year-old Hannah Roberts remembers when her father was her closest friend, but now he is very cold and distant. Feeling orphaned, Hannah lives a lonely life with her wealthy, ailing grandmother.
As Christmas nears, Hannah learns a shocking secret: the man she believed was her father is not her parent after all. In an effort to find answers, she begins a desperate search for her real father, Air Force pilot Mike Conner. Local politicians and the city's newspaper find out about her quest, and the entire state joins in Hannah's hope --- that she will find her father before the holidays.
HANNAH'S HOPE is the final installment in Karen Kingsbury's Red Gloves series.
 HOLDING HEAVEN
Jerry Jenkins
Integrity Publishers
Historical Fiction
ISBN: 159145218X
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Imagine two conversations, 30 years apart, between the most celebrated person in history, Jesus, and his earthly father, Joseph. In the first, the father tells the son the details of his birth. God has invaded earth in the most unlikely place and under the most unusual of circumstances. In the second, the son tells the father --- now on his deathbed --- what is to come. Miracles will turn many from darkness to light. Yet how painful for the father to learn what the enemy will do with the very raw materials with which he has fashioned his living.
 HUGS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
John William Smith and Lean Weiss
Howard Publishing
Inspiration
ISBN: 1878990748
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Give someone the best Christmas gift imaginable…a Hug! In this special holiday book, you'll find page after page of warm stories, personalized scriptures, and inspirational quotes that act as thoughtful and uplifting hugs, warming the heart and reminding everyone of the true significance of the season.
 JOY TO THE WORLD! The Stories Behind Your Favorite Christmas Carols
Kenneth W. Osbeck
Kregel Publications
Spirituality/Music
ISBN: 0825434319
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This collection of carol stories, which will add special meaning to each Christmas season, is perfect for personal or family Advent devotions.
 THE JUDGE WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS
Randy Singer
WaterBrook Press
Fiction
ISBN: 1400070570
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In this charming and thought-provoking tale, a live Nativity scene in a small Virginia town sparks a nationwide debate about the separation of church and state, resulting in a showdown between a stubborn father, an eager law student, and a cantankerous judge. Only a surprising series of events can force these characters to realize the real meaning behind this season.
 A MIDNIGHT MIRACLE
Gary Parker
Revell
Fiction/Romance
ISBN: 0800718593
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Jenna Newsome is praying for a miracle. When Mickey, a boy from her daycare, is diagnosed with cancer, Jenna is determined to raise money for his expensive treatments. But Mickey's time is running out, and with Christmas right around the corner, the fund is far short.
When Rem Lincoln, a former classmate of Jenna's, returns to town to visit his father, they both unexpectedly find their lives intertwined in ways they couldn't imagine. As Christmas Eve approaches, Jenna is surprised to discover that she's now praying for two miracles: one for Mickey and another for love.
 ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS
Lauraine Snelling and Lenora Worth
Steeple Hill
Fiction/Romance
ISBN: 037378547X
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Steeple Hill is proud to present two festive, romantic novellas by beloved award-winning authors.
In "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Lauraine Snelling, a romance blooms between Blythe Stensrude and Thane Davidson after their dogs tangle leashes in the park --- until Thane assumes guardianship of his three-year-old niece. Blythe is sure motherhood is not for her, but how can she refuse Thane's request to give a neglected little girl the best Christmas ever?
And in "'Twas the Week Before Christmas" by Lenora Worth, socialite Elize Melancon plans to go home to her grandmother's Louisiana plantation for the holidays. But her grandmother has a strange request --- she wants Elize to "reform" a handsome man so he can date another woman!
 THE PROMISE: A Christmas Tale
Ted Dekker
J. Countryman
Inspirational
ISBN: 1404102337
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We know and love the Christmas story --- light comes to dispel dark, purity comes to stomp corruption. It's beautiful. It's perfect proof of an eternal truth and light...
THE PROMISE, however, is not the usual story. This is the tale of a mute boy who is born and abandoned in the shadows of life. He carries with him two things --- his dead mother's shawl and her promise that someday he will find a king who will give him a voice.
 A PURSE-DRIVEN CHRISTMAS: So, What Did You Get Me?
Anita Renfroe
NavPress
Christian Life
ISBN: 1576838986
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A PURSE-DRIVEN CHRISTMAS is Anita Renfroe's lighthearted look at the fun, challenges, and just plain insanity of the most wonderful time of year. Chock-full of candor and sass, Renfroe encourages us to step back and laugh at the craziness of the season.
 REDEEMING THE SEASON: Simple Ideas for a Memorable and Meaningful Christmas
Kim Wier and Pam McCune
Focus on the Family/Tyndale
Christian Living
ISBN: 158997302X
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Drawing from experience with their own families, authors Kim Wier and Pam McCune share 18 ideas for bringing the family together, meditating on the true meaning of Christmas and sharing the gospel message with others. REDEEMING THE SEASON accomplishes the task of de-commercializing Christmas and pointing to Christ.
 SEEKING THE CHRISTMAS LAMB: Forty Days of Celebrating Christ's Sacrifice Through the Season
Tamara J. Buchan
NavPress
Devotional
ISBN: 1576833933
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When the commercialism of Christmas gets the best of your holiday spirit, sometimes you just need to stop and reflect on the true significance of the season. In SEEKING THE CHRISTMAS LAMB, author Tamara J. Buchan provides simple yet poignant daily readings for each of the 28 days of Advent and the 12 days of the epiphany. This helpful guide and devotional is meant to inspire and motivate readers to seek out more profound and spiritual reasons to celebrate on December 25th.
 THE SHOE BOX
Francine Rivers
illustrated by Linda Dockey Graves
Tyndale House Publishers
Fiction
ISBN: 1414305680
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In this heartfelt tale retold for young readers, a six-year-old orphan named Timmy comes to live with the Holmes family, bringing with him a special red shoe box. Why is it so important? What treasures does he keep inside? This Christmas parable about redemption serves as a gentle reminder to give God all we have to offer.
 STARTLING JOY: Seven Magical Stories of Christmas
James A. Schaap
Revell
Fiction/Short Stories
ISBN: 0800718771
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The true and awe-inspiring message of Christmas can be found in even the oddest of places. This is what James A. Schaap expresses through everyday characters like a bored teenager and an outgoing bus driver in STARTLING JOY. Consisting of seven short stories examining the elements of the holiday season, this collection portrays how imperfect people can find joy, grace and beauty --- little miracles --- in an imperfect world.
 TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY
Davis Bunn
WestBow Press
Fiction
ISBN: 1595540733
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It started with an old photograph of Marissa's grandmother, younger and more beautiful than Marissa had ever seen. As the questions begin, an extraordinary story of love, loss and caring, of separation and reunion, unfolds. As her grandmother shares this story with Marissa, the two discover that the most precious gift of Christmas is that of the present and that the season of giving is not limited to once a year.
--- Compiled and written by Marisa Emralino
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