tbr...

I absolutly adore this book.
You can't help but fall in love with Mary Anne and David Parkin.
Life Lessons abound in these 3 stories. Very sad at times and joyous at others.

I let someone borrow this book and she never got around to reading it. So I brung it back home.

RELEASE NOTES:

mailed to nwpassage via TitleTrader.com.

I just got back from a three-week vacation and this was waiting for me among the pile of mail! Thanks so much for sending this to me cheesy! TBR.

From the front cover:

New York Times bestselling author Richard Paul Evans

The Christmas Box Collection
Three beloved classics in one heartwarming volume
The Christmas Box
Timepiece
The Letter

From the back cover:

Richard Paul Evans' #1 New York Times bestseller The Christmas Box is a holiday classic, a tale so touching that it continues to "tug families' heartstrings" (USA Today). Now, the three poignant bestsellers in Evans' glorious Parkin family trilogy are compiled in one magical treasury.

THE CHRISTMAS BOX
When a young family moves in with a widow, they discover the first gift of Christmas - and what the holiday is really all about.

TIMEPIECE
The power of forgiveness - and the indelible ties that connect one generation to the next - bring hope to a young couple in this exquisite prequel to The Christmas Box.

THE LETTER
A mysterious letter is found at the grave of a couple's only child in the trilogy's unforgettable conclusion. As they face love's greatest challenge, they find its truest meaning.

Includes bonus excerpts from The Locket and The Looking Glass, the first two novels in an all-new series!

I still haven't read this yet *blush* but I wanted to note that I offered it in the Christmas Book Swap on BookRelay, so I now owe it to MissyZ. I'll try to get to it soon...

Finally finished reading this tonight. If I remember correctly, I first added this to my wishlist after reading Evans' inspiring story in Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul (which told how his first novel, The Christmas Box, was rejected by everyone, so he finally self-published it and through word-of-mouth it went on to become a bestseller & modern classic).

I'm glad I finally read these and satisfied my curiousity about them, but... I'm afraid I didn't really like them so much. If you like the Chicken Soup books, you will probably like these too. They are heartwarming, in that same lots-of-death way. :)

I think the best of the 3 books is The Timepiece, as The Christmas Box felt too short, rushed, and rather amateur-first-novelish, and The Letter was way too long (and the ending PO'd me - I really liked David, in spite of myself). Also, all three novels are heavy with the "life lessons", but I think The Timepiece did the best job of smoothly integrating the lesson with the story (The Christmas Box beats you upside the head with it, while The Letter was a bit too wispy & out there).

Anyways, I'm glad to finally be done and know what all the fuss is about. (Thanks again cheesy!) I have held onto this for WAY too long, but as soon as I get MissyZ's address, it will be on its way to her.

One other note: since it's nearly 6PM on 31 December 2005, this is likely my last read of the year. Happy New Year!!! May your 2006 be full of good books and the time to actually read them... :)

*blush* OK, things kept conspiring to keep me from getting to the bloody post office until today, when this FINALLY went in the mail. I'm sooo sorry this took so long. Hope it's worth the wait!

Oooh yay! With such glowing journal entries, I can't wait to read this one. Christmas came early for me this year! :-D
Thanks NW!

Whoops - I'm a little behind with journalling, what with the Christmas break 'n all...
I brought this home with me to read over Christmas but I'm afraid this one fell foul of the 100-page rule for me. While I'm sure the story is really sweet, I found the writing style just too amateurish which really put me off, and I only read the first story and a little into the second.

Hopefully someone else will enjoy it :)