Cozy Reads by the Fireplace: Christmas Book Reviews🎅
The library certainly looks more festive this time of year! From string lights to hidden gnomes and falling snow, Tyndale is a cozier study spot than ever. And while you're enjoying those early Advent tunes and a cup of hot cocoa, why not take a look at some of our Christmas offerings?
Winter Fire is an anthology of Chesterton's writings on Christmas turned into an Advent devotional. The book features 30 days of wisdom and witticism about Christmas written by the closest thing to the real-life manifestation of Santa Claus, juxtaposed with scriptural connections, and devotionals, all in a beautiful and timelessly illustrated hardbound volume.
Careful, though: If you dare to start glancing through its enlightened pages, the temptation to go next door and purchase your own copy from The Sword & Shovel may be too much to resist...
Greater than the Norse epics, deeper than the mysteries of Middle-Earth, old as Christianity itself, are the tales of the jolly embodiment of the festive season: Father Christmas.
From recounting the misadventures of the North Polar Bear to goblin invasions and terrible storms, Father Christmas faithfully wrote to J. R. R. Tolkien's children every year in response to their letters and to inform them of the happenings in the Arctic--and they're all collected in one volume. As you read, the lore expands and the stories connect in ways you couldn't guess--once you start reading, you won't put it down!
This last pick is a different kind of book—an anthology of the 43 most enduring Christmas hymns of the faith, placed in order as a devotional if the reader wishes. Each hymn is accompanied by a full history of both the text and tune, delving into the scripture alluded to in many of the most famous lines—like the origin of "Lo, how a Rose E'er Blooming" in Isaiah, which incidentally was the theme of NSA's Christmas concert last year!
If you're curious about the history of our hymnody or simply want to learn some new songs, this volume is perfect for you.
A very merry Christmas to you from the Tyndale Library, and a happy new year! (And Advent, and Epiphany, and St. Nick's, etc.) We look forward to seeing you after break, and I hope these books add to the jolliness of your Christmas season! 🎄
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