Top Ten Holiday Reads
November 27, 2006
[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_5″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]Top Ten Holiday Reads | ||
1 | Christmas Angel | Jo Beverley |
2 | A Christmas Bride | Mary Balogh |
3 | Once Upon a Christmas | Diane Farr |
4 | Rocky Mountain Christmas Miracle (The Shadows of Christmas Past anthology) | Christine Feehan |
5 | A Christmas Promise | Mary Balogh |
6 | Puddings, Pastries, and Thou (Wish List anthology) | Lisa Cach |
7 | Make a Joyful Noise (A Regency Christmas Carol anthology) | Carla Kelly |
8 | The Christmas Ornament (A Regency Christmas VIII anthology) | Carla Kelly |
| 9 | One Christmas Knight | Kathleen Creighton |
10 | I Will (Wish List anthology) | Lisa Kleypas |
(The Shadows of Christmas Past anthology) Christine Feehan 5 A Christmas Promise Mary Balogh 6 Puddings, Pastries, and Thou
(Wish List anthology) Lisa Cach 7 Make a Joyful Noise
(A Regency Christmas Carol anthology) Carla Kelly 8 The Christmas Ornament
(A Regency Christmas VIII anthology) Carla Kelly 9 One Christmas Knight Kathleen Creighton 10 I Will
(Wish List anthology) Lisa Kleypas
As might be expected with the biggest holiday of the year just around the corner, your top ten holiday stories all deal with Christmas. Jo Beverley’s Christmas Angel, published in 1991 as part of her wonderful Rogues series, landed in first place.
Two of Mary Balogh’s trad Regencies placed in your top ten. In the second slot is 1997’s A Christmas Bride and A Christmas Promise, published in 1993, placed fifth. Balogh has written several novels and many, many short stories dealing with her favorite holiday of the year. In all, twelve of her short stories and novels received votes in this poll.
Another author with two titles in the top ten is Carla Kelly. She has participated in twelve Christmas anthologies, and four of them received votes in the poll. The two that made it into your top ten are Make a Joyful Noise from Signet’s 1997 Christmas anthology, and The Christmas Ornament, from Signet’s 1998 Christmas anthology.
Diane Farr, who continues to be without a book contract, is recalled with fondness by voters, as her 2000 trad Regency Once Upon A Christmas, finished in third place.
[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]While authors such as Mary Balogh and Jo Beverley have written full-length romances with a Christmas theme, it seems as though most romances with a holiday theme are actually novellas. Our results are split; with five of your top ten being full-length romances and the remaining five being part of Christmas-themed anthologies. The most popular recurring Christmas anthology was the annual Signet Regency anthology. While it is no longer being published, it is a tribute to the many authors who contributed wonderful holiday gems year after year (Mary Balogh, Carla Kelly, Mary Jo Putney, Emma Lange, Marjorie Farrell, Edith Layton, and Barbara Metzger) that so many of the votes received were for stories in Signet Christmas anthologies.
We invite you to consider these questions and post about these poll results:
- Have you read a Christmas anthology, and if so, which one[s]?
- Do you read any other themed anthologies, and if so, what are those themes?
- Do you tend to read anthologies by theme or by author, and if you buy an anthology for a specific author, are you satisfied if their contribution is the only one you enjoyed?
- Do you look forward to certain annual anthologies?
Lee Brewer, LinnieGayl, and Cindy Smith
Post to the Romance Potpourri Forum Compare these results to the 2009 Mini-Poll for Favorite Holiday Reads