Grab your popcorn and enjoy the ride

Once again it's time to break out the holiday movie favorites.  You cannot watch The Nightmare Before Christmas in the middle of May, it just doesn't work. But now it's November and Irving Berlin's White Christmas has suddenly transformed into the most popular movie and soundtrack of the season.  Some people can't wait for the endless reel of It's a Wonderful Life to be shown on TV and must take it home and watch it now to get into the spirit of things.  Another perennial TV favorite, A Christmas Story is one of those movies that gradually grows on the viewer.  (It's a matter of learning to appreciate the many humorous nuances in the movie.)  Who can forget the line, "you'll shoot yer eye out kid"?
Anyone can use the Internet and access a search engine to find "expert" opinions on the top Christmas movies of all time.  However, as with all lists that claim to catalog the "best of" anything, they are subject to differences of opinion and personal taste.  Die Hard, Home Alone, While You Were Sleeping, Bridget Jones's Diary, and When Harry Met Sally are examples of movies that claim to be quality holiday viewing choices. Movies like these can be enjoyed at any time during the year. Real holiday movies are applicable to the time of year.  People actively search the shelves for them in order to catch the holiday spirit.  Miracle on 34th Street, Elf, Muppet Christmas Carol, The Polar Express, Santa Clause (all 3), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Boris Karloff version), A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer are just a few examples of those holiday titles that you can live without for most of the year but are "must-haves" come November.
It's perfectly acceptable to be a fan of the old school titles like The Bishop's Wife, Christmas in Connecticut, Holiday Inn, or Meet Me in St. Louis; they warm the heart and fill the viewer with nostalgia.  It's not a crime to prefer to get your holiday adrenaline pumping with movies such as Gremlins, Rocky IV, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Last Boy Scout, Enemy of the State, and Lethal Weapon.  Many people need a lift during this time of year and gravitate towards lighter fare like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Scrooged, Fred Claus, Deck the Halls, Bad Santa, and Jingle all the Way.  The debate over which of these movies is the best can be an activity to enjoy with your family as you decide which ones you want to watch.  Whether you want to laugh, cry, or remember days gone by, these movies are available for you at your holiday headquarters-the library.

Remember the Spartans! (the way of life, not the football team)

It's here.  The time of year when credit cards and bank accounts start screaming for mercy.  We tell ourselves that this year we will be prudent and thoughtful in our spending.  Guilt will not influence holiday purchases.  Indecisiveness will not cause us to spend unwisely.  BOGO offers, cash back incentives, and ad campaigns that proclaim lowest prices or egg us on to buy quickly due to extremely limited quantities will not sway us.  We will shy away from signs proclaiming "Doorbusters". However, since society and the world around us won't let us skip the holiday season, it's time to strategize.
Some people throw themselves into the world of couponing with abandon year round.  It has become a family activity. Family members spend hours clipping coupons while others are frantically downloading coupon deals from the Internet.  A third person (the "Couponing General") peruses the local ads and calculates where to use the coupons to the best advantage while combining them with store card discounts and double coupon days to achieve the maximum discount nirvana.  The popularity of this activity has spawned popular shows like "Extreme Couponing" on TLC.  (A thoughtful person might say it has likewise contributed to the advent of shows such as "Hoarding: Buried Alive".)  Sometimes it feels like the couponers are involved in  a competition revolving around quantity not quality (or usefulness) of items.  Before you dive into couponing ask yourself; are you looking to save money on groceries or do you want to be the only person on your block with over 50 bottles of ketchup at your disposal?  (But they were only .50 a bottle!!!)  Your answer will determine whether you are "extreme" or merely a bargain hunter.
The clothing stores are already in full holiday discount swing.  Everything is on sale, everything.  Is it a bargain if you have to buy two items that are exactly the same thing in order to get a third free?  Are those name brand jeans from the outlet mall really worth the "discounted" price?  Shouldn't you buy things because you actually need them, not because they were an incredible bargain?  Are we really saving money if the store repeatedly rewards our purchases by giving us another incentive to come in and shop again, and again, and again?  Of course many those deals and incentives are tied to the store credit card, another avenue of revenue for the store. Gone are the days of our grandparents who used to get "two useful things" (most likely socks and underwear) "and one fun thing" for Christmas.  (There was a time not so long ago when three children were thrilled to SHARE the Atari game system they got for Christmas.  No child expected or received their own individual game.  Bonus if you got candy in the stocking that morning too.)
Once we are able to discipline the shopaholic that resides inside, we can approach the holiday shopping season with less trepidation and more determination.  After all, if we look at the bigger picture, there is life after the holidays.  (Remember the millennial scare in the year 2000?  Didn't the Mayan calendar have the end scheduled for 2012?  We're still here and so are the bills.)  Whether we're battle-hardened Black Friday goers or online shopping aficionados, there really is only so much stuff that we need or want.  So before you make your list and check it twice, remember to use the resources at hand to guide you through your shopping expeditions.  You may find that you'll enjoy your excursions more if you approach them thoughtfully, with a goal.  Realize that it would be nice to relax in January instead of trying to return unwanted, unnecessary gifts that you may have been "bargain-tricked" into purchasing.  Don't let the holidays get the best of you, become a holiday "prepper".

Semi-true Stories or "Hey, it could happen!"

Steampunk

To the person who loves history, some of the worst offenses authors of historical fiction make are an overload of period detail, characters using modern dialogue or behaving in a manner that is inconsistent with the time period, and re-writing history. We don't want well-known historical figures performing acts that are out of character, like pardoning their enemy instead of beheading them and marrying their widow for the estate or the inheritance. We can't stand it when people who we know are doomed (like Mary Queen of Scots) receive a surprise happy ending.  If someone is implausibly saved, (such as the fair maiden's rescuer appearing at the scaffold with a machine gun thanks to their handy time machine), the reader had better realize that this author is writing fantasy, science fiction, romance, or maybe a blend of all three.  It is not historical fiction.

One of the keys to an engaging story is a main character that invokes sympathy on the part of the reader.  In The Constant Princess, Philippa Gregory does an excellent job developing the character of Katherine of Aragon. Katherine begins the story as a young, headstrong princess of Spain who becomes the Princess of Wales and (eventually) the beloved wife of Arthur, the Prince of Wales.  Their romance is passionate but short lived.  On his death bed, Arthur extracts a difficult promise from his wife.  She is to deny the consummation of their marriage and set her sights on marrying his younger brother, Henry.
Although she should be headed back to Spain as a widow, her promise to Arthur and the political maneuverings of various European monarchs (including her former father-in-law) prevent her departure.  She allows Henry VII to believe that she might consent to his advances while remaining true to her promise to Arthur.  She becomes the "constant princess", bound by a promise and her own ambition.  What the author has done with this character is highlighted her triumphs and not her disappointments, which can be difficult when using historical figures.  Gregory takes the somewhat tragic life of Katherine of Aragon and turns it into an intriguing story about her personal life and loves and avoids creating an atmosphere of impending doom.

Historical fiction that centers on events, allows the author to create their own characters.  They can use these ordinary people to help lead the reader to a deeper understanding of historical events and their impact on lives. In Skeletons at the Feast, Chris Bohjalian used several real life resources mingled with historical facts to help him create both a realistic setting and characters.
The events in this book take place during the final months of World War II. A Prussian (German) family is fleeing their estate in the face of the Russian advance.  Along with their wagon and supplies, they are bringing their farm helper, a Scottish POW who also happens to be their daughter's lover.  Their goal is to head west through Poland and Germany until they reach the safety of the British and American lines.  Along the way they meet resistance fighters, concentration camp survivors, and German fanatics who refuse to see the reality of their country crumbling around them.  They also must face their journey without their father and older brother who feel honor-bound to rejoin the German forces despite the fact that they know they are most likely going to die.  The variety of characters in this book and the intense setting allows the author to show human nature at its best and worst.
No matter what type of historical fiction you prefer, if it's done properly it can take you back in time or lead you to a new understanding.  Maybe it will spark your interest in a person, time period, or event and lead to become an "expert" in that field.  Don't dismiss historical fiction or you may be doomed to read the same type of fiction over and over and over again.
Also recommended by the Manitowoc Public Library Staff:


Biographical Historical Fiction

Hemingway and Hadley

He's just into you for your money;
 but you've got the title to keep you warm.