Christmas Days

12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days

By: Jeanette Winterson

Narrated by: Jeanette Winterson, Imogen Church

Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

For years Jeanette Winterson has loved writing a new story at Christmastime, and here she brings together 12 of her brilliantly imaginative, funny, and bold tales. For the Twelve Days of Christmas - a time of celebration, sharing, and giving - she offers these 12 plus one: a personal story of her own Christmas memories.

These tales open a portal into the spirit of the season, when time slows down and magic starts to happen. From trees with mysterious powers to a tinsel baby that talks, philosophical fairies to flying dogs, a haunted house to a disappearing train, Winterson's innovative stories encompass the childlike and spooky wonder of Christmas, perfect for listening to by the fire with loved ones or while traveling home for the holidays.

Enjoy the season of peace and goodwill, mystery, and a little bit of magic courtesy of one of our most fearless and accomplished writers.

©2016 Jeanette Winterson (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Spirited Christmas Listen

This was an interestingly odd, off beat and at times charmingly engaging collection of stories. The book starts with the author's fascinating overview of the history of Christmas--something I really enjoyed. Then, the collection alternates between a short story narrated beautifully by Church and a short feast chapter read by the author. Winterson uses a very conversational style with the stories and recipes that make up the feast portions of the book. I loved her chatty advice about cooking and all her wonderful back stories about UK Christmas celebrations that went with the feasts.

My favorite of the short stories was the first in the collection, titled the Spirit of Christmas. This was magic filled and was so well written that it made me want to read more of Winterson's non-Christmas writing. For me, this chapter also made the whole audiobook worth the price of admission when grouped with the feast chapters.

Now we get to the odd part, the part that caused several friends to quit the book with a shudder. I hate spoilers but I do have to warn you that the author included a fair number of very scary, creepy ghost stories in the collection. At first, I thought she was following along with a Dickensian theme of ghosts at Christmas time with a Christmas message. In reality, the ghost stories were set at Christmas time, but often were not really about Christmas. It's hard to explain, and I'm still unsure about some of the stories.

I'll be honest, I skipped through several chapters and occasionally just listened to the feast sections. This was definitely not a book that I would suggest for family listening during the holidays--a bit too strange. I think in the end the theme may have been about putting things right at Christmas time, but that's just a guess.

I plan on listening again next year and maybe then I'll get through every story. Recommended if you like ghost stories or if you are willing to take a chance on something unusual. Just keep in mind that you might have to skip a few parts here and there.

Absolutely Delightful!

This book 's tales are autobiographical (I think) and are truly inspirational, although some "holier than thou" types may feel apoplectic. I laughed heartily, wept unashamedly, finished feeling the enduring love and good will to all that make Christmastide . The recipes are for experienced cooks - those who create delicious food by instinct rather than measuring cup. In the end, it left me wanting more, as a good book should.

Thoughtful, wry, warm. Pitch perfect Winterson

Loved everything about this festive little book! Nice to have something to listen to in the weeks leading up to Xmas to remind us to dig deeper. Personal stories and recipes were excellent palate cleansers between chapters and as a long time fan of Winterson, a nice slice of her personality served up without the frosting of her (albeit delicious) prose. If you want something "holiday" that isn't just shinny wrapping and sweetness this is for you.

Great daily deal !

Not Christmas storys you might suspect. I will certainly keep my eye on the author.

Unique Christmas listening experience

With its truly gothic stories and quirky memoirs, this very Christmasy collection turned out to be just what I am searching for in the annual rush and crush of a university's December. Weird, thought-provoking, atmospheric, and beautifully nostalgic, in turns and sometimes all at once.

Second Christmas Listen

I LOVE this book! Ms. Winterson is such a wonderful storyteller and a fabulous narrator. While I certainly like some stories and sections better than others, I am enthralled listening to Ms. Winterson's voice and her tales. She is an amazing writer. I am sad that she had a tenuous relationship with Mrs. Winterson and her father--their loss for sure--but she has certainly fostered some important relationships since. Thank you for making Christmas more special with each listen. I use your "lessons" with my high school English students. Merry Christmas, Jeanette!!!

Cozy Christmas Cabin - Stories to Share

This collection of stories feels like you're curled up in a winter cabin with a cozy blanket, a warm drink, and a crackling fire. And that's exactly what I am looking for in a holiday story.

The stories are well-written and imaginative. They are entertaining at surface level, but still contain all the intricate layers required for a thought provoking short story to stick with you long after it's told. Many of them are also a little creepy in the "perfect ghost story for around a campfire" way. They all come to a satisfying conclusion too- so no sleepless nights!

My favorite one was the Glow-Heart, which actually had me in tears several times. I also very much liked the SnowMama, Mistletoe Bride and the Second-Best Bed. What I loved most about the collection is that these stories explore the deep complications in relationships, but the stories do not revolve around them as a catalyst to drive the plot forward. Instead, the subplot lends a sense of reality to what might otherwise seem like a morality tale.

The addition of the personal anecdotes, recipes and historical references made the collection especially enjoyable. (Historical fiction mystery/thriller is favorite.) These portions made me feel like I was listening to a friend share with me a treasured Christmas memory in a natural way. Of course if it's a story any friend of mine would tell then it would always involve food, personal life tidbits and a bit of historical "did you know?" thrown in.

This audiobook has made its way into my annual holiday rotation!

Best Book of the Season

This book took me completely by surprise - it was by far the most enjoyable listen of my holiday season, and not only because Ms. Winterson has created a narrative that binds together the ties of our common humanity (not an easy thing in today's era of supersensitivity). This is one instance where I can't imagine just reading this - the performance and narration brought this to life in a way I couldn't have imagined from the printed word.

The stories, impeccably voiced by Imogen Church, were well-written, varied, and surprising - chilling and touching and thought-provoking by turns, the disparate motifs delicately linked by holiday commonality. Listening to the author-read portions interposed between the stories was like visiting with a good friend - informal, effortlessly engaging, and unaffected. Historical notes, holiday food traditions, and autobiographical accounts fit seamlessly amid the tales and were utterly captivating. I was almost heartbroken when the book ended because it really was like bidding farewell to a favorite visitor. Now I have one more reason to look forward to the holidays - this book is going on my annual holiday listen list without doubt.

I Listen Every Christmas

I cherish this book of stories every year. I love hearing the author's own voice for her recipes and the narration of the fiction is done well too. Steep here for history of Christmas, heart of Christmas and spirit of the season. Meet the Snow Mama, the silver frogs and the donkey of Christmas day. Always a treasure, enjoy!

A Christmas tradition

We have been reading aloud or listening to this collection by Jeanette Winterson for a few years now. I have my favorites: stories and recipes, but the whole collection is a delight.