My True Love Gave to Me by Stephanie Perkins (2015-11-05)

I started reading this book way back in October, when it actually came out, and I have to say I'm glad I waited until December, when I felt way more in the holiday spirit, to finish it. It's a whole book of romances so obviously I expected to like it, but in the end I was totally blown away by nearly all the stories and I can totally picture myself coming back to the book year after year.

While I had at least heard of all the authors in the anthology before I had only read books by a few of them previously. Besides the amazing stories and the holiday spirit, the best thing about the anthology was all of the new authors I discovered. Thanks to My True Love Gave to Me I now have a few new authors I know I'm going to be exploring in 2015. Let's recap each of the stories, shall we...

The One That's My Hands Down Favorite...It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins: When I lived in New York City I always loved the people who magically appear after Thanksgiving and sell Christmas Trees on the sidewalk until Christmas. So the fact that the love interest in this story sold Christmas trees (in Asheville...from his family's farm...but whatever...) immediately made me love the story. But then learning the main characters family history and watching her and North get to know each other was just adorable and so sweet. I loved everything about this story.

The One With a Ghost That Took Me By Surprise...The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link: The main character's mom being in a Thai prison and the fact that I was never quite settled in the story, when did it take place? Who was the love interest supposed to be? What was the main character's relationship to the wealthy family she spent Christmas with? made me unsure about this story, but ultimately I ended up really liking it. Even after a ghost appeared, a ghost who turns out to be the love interest, I still ended up being really taken in by this one.

The One That Made Me Want to Move Back to Brooklyn....Angels in the Snow Matt de la Pena: After Stephanie Perkins' story this one is probably my favorite. The poor boy spending Christmas in his boss's apartment in Park Slope and the girl upstairs who's hiding out from her friends and family were so adorable together. Even without the romance I think I would have fallen for the guy, who's the one telling the story, but the romance just made it even better.

The Best One Set at the North Pole...Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han: This story about a human girl who lives at the North Pole was kind of odd, but I still enjoyed it. I liked the main character's determination to find the human boy she met one time and I always think there's something interesting and people's interpretation of the North Pole.

The One That Confused Me, But Ultimately I Liked...Krampuslauf by Holly Black: I had no clue that a Krampus was a real thing and that made for a weird ecperience because I finally Googled it and realized they are an actual thing. The story still threw me off a little, not knowing the main character's name until towards the end was weird for me, but I still ended up enjoying the story, wacky confusingness and all.

The One With the Best Opposites Attract Romance...Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire: Even though I'm not religious there's something about a good old nativity play that I love. This one, which takes place in a Medieval Times-like place after the main character burns down the Church barn, was especially fun. I also loved how the criminal main character convinced the good, but not pure, preacher's daughter to fall for him.

The One That Made Me Cry...Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White: The tears! I loved this story, not for the romance, although that was great, but for the family dynamics. The main character's single mother works all the time and she feels like her mother's boyfriend resents having her around, but then the reveal! It was amazing. Plus it's about a cool, little small town.

The One That (Repeatedly) Made Me Laugh Out Loud...Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter: I've never read any of Ally Carter's books so at first I wasn't sure if these were characters that had been in other books, but after reading the description of her other books I don't think so. Regardless, when the main character switched places with an Icelandic exchange student and then pretended to be from Iceland I was cracking up nonstop. I would love to read the continuation of this story.

The One That Made Me Want to Read the Books Everyone's Been Telling Me to Read...The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor: Ok, people, you win, I will read Laini Taylor's books. Angels are not my thing. I don't even know what a chimaera is (apparently they're in her books), but everyone (ok, Brittany and Sarah) have raved to me about her books and after reading this short story (with a CREEPY PREACHER (don't ask me why I find that to be a selling point)) I am intrigued. You win!

The One I'm Totally Indifferent About....Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan: I've never read anything by David Levithan and as much as I didn't dislike it, I also didn't really like it. It was a sweet story and I loved the diversity it added to the book, but otherwise it didn't really do anything for me.

The One Where I Just Didn't Get the Romance....What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman: Sorry, Gayle, but I liked the idea of the story and the fish out of water situation of the main character, but other than that I was disappointed. The romance didn't quite click, it seemed kind of contrived and lacking in chemistry. Although, again, yay diversity!

The One by One of My Favorite Authors I Just Didn't Love...Midnights by Rainbow Rowell: It pains me to say it, not only because it's Rainbow Rowell, but also because the main character's name is Maggie, but this is probably my least favorite story in the book. I like how there's a New Year's story throw in, but I actually tried to read it two or three times and gave up before I finally forced myself to finish. For a short story the several years it covered felt awkward and I didn't care for the characters or the romance.

Rating an anthology is hard. That was my first thought when I finished reading all the stories. I mean I really loved some, hated a couple and thought a few were just okay. All together it was a great gathering of different holiday stories, but some hit the mark more than others. So in the long run I thought it would be best for me to rate each individually and then average those stars together at the end. Each review is brief as to not give anything away, but more my initial thoughts on the story.

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell – 5 stars
Loved this one! It had such a great Rainbow Rowell vibe to it. It was truthful and had heart and made me feel like I felt reading Fangirl. It had the perfect amount of holiday Magic and was the perfect start to the anthology.

The Lady & the Fox by Kelly Link – 2 stars
I'm still not sure exactly what this story was about. When I was done I thought I was stupid for not understanding what I just read. I was really confused. Basically this story wasn't for me.

Angels in the Snow by Matt de La Peña - 4.5 stars
This story was one that I wanted a whole book of. I loved first that it was from a guy’s point of view and second that the characters were so different yet similar in some ways. They had amazing chemistry and formed a fast bond. Seriously would not have been opposed to a longer story.

Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han – 4 stars
This story had the magical whimsy you expect from holiday stories and the awesome real ness of a Jenny Han book. I loved the fantasy aspect that is so often attached to Christmas but done in a way that you don’t really think of it as not being real. It was simply an adorable addiction to this book.

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins – 5 stars
I was scared reading a Perkins story that did not involve an Anna, Lola or Isla in it. I mean really scared. But guys…this was pure Stephanie Perkins! The writing, the characters, the setting. It was EVERYTHING that is perfect about Stephanie and everything I love about her. I’m now convinced girl would write the phone book and I would read it 9000 times! One of my faves in the book.

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan – 3 stars
I wasn’t crazy about this one. I thought it was okay and I really liked the characters, but I felt like it was too short to get anything done it in. It felt really muddled where it tried to get all the things in to a few short pages. I wasn’t really sure what it was trying to say. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either.

Krampusluaf by Holly Black – 3 stars
This story was plain weird. It was a mix of contemporary and fantasy and I don’t think I liked the blending of the two. I mean I really enjoyed the contemporary part (why it got 3 stars). That part really worked for me. But then it just got strange and I was really confused on what to think. I think stiking to one or the other would have been a better choice for me. It just wasn’t my kind of story.

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman – 5 stars
Gayle Forman at her finest. I just loved this. I loved how it dealt with stereotypes and assumptions. I loved how two people that were different found a random connection and went with it. I love that it all happened in one night. Like I said, Gayle Forman at her finest.

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire – 4 stars
I liked this one. I had a little more religion in it than some of the others which was fine because it wasn’t preachy. I liked that it was from the town “bad boy” POV. And I loved what he learned just by someone taking a chance on him. It was a cute story that was silly at times, but all in all really enjoyable and well written.

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White – 5 stars
My fave in the whole anthology. I loved EVERYTHING about this story. The characters, the plot, the setting. It is seriously everything it is so true about Christmas that we all sometimes forget. Sometimes you just need to make people smile. Sometimes you just need to give up on something to see something better. Sometimes you just need to believe in that holiday magic. Another one I wished was longer.

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter - 3.5 stars
This was cute. Not 100% memorable as I had to read other reviews to jog my memory as to what it was about, but it was definitely cute. I’m not sure it was long enough for it to make the best of an impact, but I know I didn’t hate it and I felt bad for the main character and thought the boy in it was adorable.

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor – 2 stars
I struggled with this one. Like really, really struggled. It was so not my kind of story at all and I was sad it was the last one. The only reason I finished it was because it was the last one. I was just not interested and it was plain weird for my taste. Not the best ender in my opinion, but some may like it if they are into more fantasy than I am.

In totally I enjoyed this anthology and never struggled reading it until the end. It was fun and a great way to ease into the holiday season which is quickly approaching. I would definitely recommend picking it up just for some of the stories I loved. And even for the ones I didn’t. Just because those ones weren’t for me doesn’t mean they may not be for you.

Tis the season for anthologies and box sets, and here is a Holiday themed anthology for fans of YA stories. Anthologies are wonderful for readers, bringing them the chance to ‘test the waters’ with authors they may not be familiar with, and St. Martin’s Press has gathered twelve authors in this book, perfect for a story-a-day.

While the themes are all centering around romance, each of the authors brings a twist to their story, giving readers a new perspective and approach. Ranging from 3- 5 stars for inventiveness, clever characters and memorable plot I’ll touch on each story individually.

Midnight by Rainbow Rowell - 5 stars
A best-friends romance that travels between New Year’s celebrations over a span of years highlights and displays the subtleties of the relationship and their connection. Her prose is evocative and carefully chosen: each word is perfectly placed to create the emotion and imagery the author intended. A lovely short story that will have you wanting more.

It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins - 5 stars.
A single night brings us this relationship that builds and burns with emotion. Perkins captures the emotional development and shows the love in a few short words, and readers are presented with a couple that is believable despite the speed.

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor - 5 stars
There is a dream-like quality to this short, and Taylor creates this fantasy tale that is redolent of snow, ice and hot cocoa. Wholly different from the others, Taylor’s imagination takes flight and bring the reader along for a thoroughly enjoyable ride.

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire – 4 Stars
A serial prankster is avoiding juvenile detention by doing some community service. Fun, funny and irreverent, McEntire creates characters that are so wholly fun to read that you want to know them, even if you aren’t certain you want them in your house.

Krampusland by Holly Black – 4 Stars
While the premise wasn’t all full of holiday cheer – a party organized to ‘tell off’ a badly behaving peer, the story soon changes as characters learn to be more of what they ‘should’ be and learn to incorporate the images they have for themselves into their own personalities. An interesting read.

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White – 4 Stars
More of a story where the main character finds her own footing in her relationship with her family, her friends and using her own experiences to help someone move from an abusive relationship. A clearly presented ‘coming of age’ story full of revelations.

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth by Gayle Forman – 3 Stars
Focusing more on the differences between the couple, I loved the premise and Sophie who was so overcompensating in trying to find someone “like her” that she utterly missed the mark. While the story is very much a ‘don’t judge a book by the cover’ morality play, that point wasn’t as effective with all of the highlihts. Rather than coming together and forming a couple that felt honest and real, we were seing all of the reasons why they aren’t a match.

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan – 3 Stars
While I was excited for an LBGTQ story, there was too much left wanting in this one: I needed more backstory to really feel connected to the characters or to feel the ending appropriate.

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link – 3 Stars
A story that relied on magical realism but felt simply improbable with insta-love without real character build or even a solid emotional feel to grab on to.

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter – 3 Stars
A bit of a tricky premise, with the reasons not coming clear until the very end, this last minute switch story at Christmas was unique but there was something missing in the development of this ultimately sweet yet unfulfilling tale.

Polaris is Where You’ll Find Me by Jenny Han - 2 Stars
This one was difficult to connect to or follow, the lead character felt immature and unfocused, and sadly the story just had too many misses for me to enjoy. There were development issues in the construct, and just a bit more development of the characters would have improved this greatly.

Angels in the Snow by Matt De La Pena – 2 Stars
While I found this cute and clever, with humor and some great dialogue, it just didn’t speak to me as I hoped it could.

I received an eArc from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

This is, overall, a wonderful compilation of various December holiday stories.

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell:
Mags' best male friend, Noel, finds a different girl each New Years Eve to kiss. This year, Mags hides; her heart can't take watching him kissing someone else. Noel finds her anyway, proving Mags' thoughts wrong. It was cute, if a bit immature (adolescents) but I enjoyed it.

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link:
This was a bit disjointed. Miranda is friends with the Honeywells and meets a man named Fenny who has a trapped fox stitched in his jacket. The language made it seem like the Honeywells are a rich family. Fenny though, is something else. I liked it, though was a tad confused.

Angels in the Snow by Matt De La Pena:
Shy is cat sitting for his boss (Matt) over the Christmas break. Shy's in NYC; his family isn't. Matt's neighbor Haley has issues with her shower pipes and ends up showering at Matt's, provided Shy and she share personal information each time. This was a bit annoying but it was still cute.

Polaris is where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han:
It's the Elves' Christmas Ball, and Natalie (the human girl who Santa took 15 years ago at the request of her mother) has to deal with being different from the elves, including knowing that her friend just won't fall in love with her. I think Han described the elves as being tall, which is weird for Christmas elves, but a unique twist that I enjoyed.

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins:
Marigold goes into a tree store hoping to get one of the workers' voices for a video she's working on for school, and ends up buying a tree instead. The worker, North, helps Marigold bring the tree home and the two find they have much more in common than they initially realized. This story gave me the warmth I don't always physically feel at Christmas (I'm in NJ) and made me want Christmas to come for the magic it brings.

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan:
A Jewish boy is wrangled by his boyfriend Connor to play Santa Claus one night so that Connor's younger sister doesn't stop believing. There wasn't much to the story, but it was nice, and what Connor's family needed.

Krampuslauf by Holly Black:
Although Christmas is about charity and loving others, Krampuslauf is about justice and punishment. A girl and her friends want to get back at a cheating boyfriend and throw a holiday party where an actual Krampus goes to. I didn't understand it in full and didn't enjoy the story.

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman:
Sophie Roth has finished her first semester of freshman year of college and has asked herself that same question numerous times in the past 15 weeks. She's on her last night of Hanukkah and can't go home for a week because of plane prices, so decides to head to a caroling session. There, she meets Russell who shows her that there is no such thing as a minor miracle. I adored this story.

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra Mcentire:
Vaughn is on his way to prison after burning down his church's barn, when the pastor strikes a deal: be good for 40 hours and help get the church's Christmas pageant back up. The pastor and his daughter Gracie are amazing people who show love and forgiveness, giving Vaughn the drive to truly keep the pageant running even after more catastrophe strikes. I liked it.

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White:
Maria's town is not on Google as other Christmas towns are. She works in her mother's boyfriend's diner where there is a new cook after the old one dies. Maria wants out of Christmas and away from her mother (who's become a bit estranged) and the boyfriend (who seems to have issues with her), but Ben the cook gives her other ideas. The guy has a magic with food and teaches Maria that there are different ways to know and express love. I almost cried with this one.

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter:
A girl named Hulda switches plane tickets with Lydia. Hulda wants to go to NYC to her real boyfriend, not to one in OK whose family thinks they're dating. Lydia just wants to get away. She meets Ethan and his very welcoming family, where he's the only one who knows Hulda isn't Hulda. The end surprised me but it was very good. I enjoy stories like this.

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor:
On the Island of Feathers, boys give gifts to a girl they like throughout Advent. It's a 24-day courting season that many of the orphans on the Island look forward to. This is most popular for those in their 18th year. Nave is pursued by the creepy pastor, and prays to the Dreamer, a god older than the Jewish God. The Dreamer makes Nave's wishes come true.
I am not fond of anti-Christian stories, but this wasn't bad and Nave got what she wanted in the end.

Obsessed and devoted are the words that best explain my inability to set this book down. Each story is so unique but so rich, well-developed, and endearing, that I couldn't get enough of it.

Some stories made me cry, and others made me laugh out loud. While I own it on Kindle, I believe I'll need to purchase a hard copy of this novel. I'm not much of a re-reader. I always want to go back and read again, but to be honest, my TBR is so long it will outlive me. However, this is a collection of short stories that I would read over and over again. I could see myself placing the book on my nightstand each year,the day after Thanksgiving or maybe even on Christmas Eve, and I could reread a different story every night.

These stories say so much in so few words. They stirred up all kinds of nostalgic feelings, and if I had my way, every author would go back and expand each story into a full novel. Then, I would buy them. All of them.

It's not that the stories don't tell me enough, because each author does a great job of building the world, developing the characters, and creating plot. It's more that once you have a taste, it's hard to quit. Even though I only spent a handful of pages with each of these characters, I'd still like to hold them close, befriend them, love them, and live inside their worlds a bit longer.

This was an excellent, refreshing change of pace, and I admire these authors who were able to find the heart of each individual story so quickly, something I know I would struggle with. They made me fall in love with their worlds and characters in moments.

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I received an advance reader edition of this book from St. Martin's Press via Net Galley.

4 Stars!

I must admit that I am not this biggest fan of anthologies but I ended up liking this one. In my experience, most anthologies have some great stories, some good stories, some okay stories, and some not so good stories and this book held to that idea. Even though I am not a huge fan of anthologies, I still like to read them because it give me opportunity to sample the writing of authors that I want to try without committing to a full length novel. There were several authors in this collection of stories that I plan to read in the future simply because I liked their story in this book.

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell - 5 Stars
I loved this story. The story jumps back and forth in time on New Year's Eve telling Mags and Noah's story. Every year they go to a party at the same house and it was fun watching their feelings towards each other change over the years.

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link - 2.5 Stars
This story started out strong but then lost it's magic about halfway through. By the end of the story, I actually felt more confused than anything.

Angels in the Snow by Matt De La Pena - 4 Stars
This story was quite good. A lot was packed into just a few pages. Shy is cat sitting over the holiday when a huge snowstorm hits the area. Haley lives upstairs and is also snowed in for the holidays. The pair form a unique bond over frozen pipes and banana nut muffins.

Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han - 2 Stars
This story was weak and I found myself drifting off. This is the story of Natty who lives with Santa at the North Pole.

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins - 4.5 Stars
I liked this story quite a bit. Marigold buys a tree from North but really wants him to do some voice work for her. One thing leads to another and he helps her bring home a tree and helps her fit the tree into her apartment.

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan - 2.5 Stars
This read more like a scene than a full story. We see the boyfriend of a man dress up to play Santa Claus for the man's little sister. It was readable but didn't really go anywhere in my opinion.

Krampuslauf by Holly Black - 2 Stars
I did not really care for this story. A group of friends decided to throw a New Years party so that they can confront a boy. To be honest, I just did not see any point to the story.

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman - 3.5 Stars
A pair meet at a campus holiday event and bond over apple pie with cheese, light up sweaters, and a menorah. I liked both of the characters in this story and thought it was better than much of the anthology.

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire - 3 Stars
A young man chooses community service at the church pageant over the alternative when a poorly aimed firecracker burns down the church's barn. He learns that not everything is a joke and not everything is as it seems as he helps pull off the ill fated pageant.

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White - 4 Stars
This was a really nice little story about a little working town in California. It is set in the local diner and loved the growth and change that happened when a new cook comes to town.

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter - 4 Stars
On an impulse a girl trades plane tickets and places with a girl she has never met. The results end up changing her life. I loved this story and thought that the characters were wonderful.

The Girl Who Woke The Dreamer by Laini Taylor - 4 Stars
Believe it or not I have never read anything by Laini Taylor until I read this short story. I need to fix this really soon. This was a story that I would have liked to see extended into a full length book. The world building in this short piece was well done and I can't wait to see what she can do with a full length novel.

I would recommend this collection of stories to others. I thought that the majority of the stories were very good. To be honest there were a couple of stories that I wish I would have skipped but overall this collection should appeal to a wide audience. I definitely plan to follow up with some of these authors in a full length novel.

Okay, confession time. I often like the idea of a story collection more than I actually like reading a story collection. Like, I’ll be all excited about one and buy it and then read a few stories and I’m done. Not because the stories aren’t good. I just lose steam. I couldn’t tell you the last time I actually read every story in a story collection. Then My True Love Gave to Me came along. One look at that author list and I was starstruck! I knew I had to have it (I mean, look at that gorgeous cover!!)

Since I have such a bad track record with story collections I decided I’d just read one story a night and make my way through in order. I read Rainbow Rowell’s story the night I got the book and loved it so, so much. A couple of nights later I read the next story, The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link. Two great stories in a row! I couldn’t wait to read more…. but, NO! One story a night!!! I put the book down. Only ten more stories to go. Must. Savor. Them. Who am I kidding? I have no restraint. The next time I sat down with the book I couldn’t stop after the Matt de la Pena story. Or the one by Jenny Han. Or Steph Perkins. Or David Levithan. But then I read Krampuslauf by Holly Black and realized that I only had five stories left and it was way passed my bedtime! That’s the problem with My True Love Gave to Me….. every story is by an author I love so I never wanted to put it down! I finished the last five stories (by Gayle Forman, Myra McEntire, Kiersten White, Ally Carter, and Laini Taylor) in one fell swoop. You guys! There is not a bad story in the bunch!

I loved how varied the different stories were. They’re tied together by the theme of a winter holiday and a bit of romance, but that’s it. (Well, that and amazing storytelling!) There really is something for everyone. I was so impressed by how invested I was in each story. Kiersten White’s even made me cry! Basically, I wanted the characters in each story to have their own book.

There is no way I could pick favorites. I honestly adored them all. From Gayle Forman’s contemporary story of a Brooklyn girl finding her place in at a rural college to Holly Black’s supernatural tale of love and lies, they’re all spectacular. Stephanie Perkins did a wonderful job editing this delightful collection of holiday stories (and writing one too!) I cannot recommend it enough.

I absolutely LOVED this collection of holiday short stories. I don't often buy anthologies but when I saw that this had stories featuring some of my favorite authors (including Laini Taylor, my all-time favorite author!) I just had to get it. I'm so glad that I did and decided to read it during the holiday season!

Honestly, it was difficult to choose my favorite stories in this collection because there was something that I liked about every story in here. Of course I really loved that romance played such a big part in most of the stories. Who doesn't love the idea of, well, love during the holidays? It's kind of a romantic time of year. And all of these stories were so well-written that even the faster romances don't seem that terrible insta-love (which can sometimes kill a book, in my opinion). Instant attraction is another thing, and one that is entirely realistic and typically well-written in these tales.

I also loved the variety. There are a few Jewish main characters, one gay narrator, one celebrating the Solstice, one who calls on the ancient spirit of an island during the holidays. Some stories incorporated fantastical elements; others were entirely realistic. I did tend to like the fantasy more, but thankfully the contemporary stories were written by some of my favorite names in contemporary young adult stories so I ended up enjoying a little bit of everything.

If you have to read one thing during the holiday season, pick this collection. There's something in it for everyone and it saves the best story for last. You'll love these characters, the holiday setting, and the romance. You'll be left wanting even more!

A fine collection of sweet and sad stories form some of our best YA authors today.

I’m not going to go through each one, but ones that stood out for me were:

Rainbow Rowell’s Midnights: A sweet story of longing and love and kissing… someone else. I love Rowell’s writing that is both perfectly chosen and yet still pierces the heart.

Matt De La Pena’s Angels in the Snow – This is the first time I’ve read this author but it won’t be the last. I loved this story. Lonliness, unexpected friends and family love and sacrifice.

Jenny Han’s Polaris is Where You’ll Find Me – Jenny Han can do no wrong for me. Bittersweet and hopeful, her story about a lone elf who doesn’t belong tugged at me. Because really, we all know that feeling.

Stephanie Perkin’s It’s A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown – There’s a boy and a tree and a girl and her disorganized life. The dialog is funny and Perkins expertly crafts a realistic portrayal of teenage awkwardness and romance.

David Levithan’s Your Temporary Santa – It’s a wonderful story of what we do for love and staying true to yourself. I have to admit that Levithan is hit or miss with me, but this story was a surefire hit to the heart.

Overall, this collection of holiday stories is very enjoyable and put me in the mood for December to roll early. There’s nothing like magic, snow and love.

This collection of holiday love stories from twelve YA writers makes for some cute seasonal fun. "It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown" by editor Stephanie Perkins was the clear highlight for me, but Holly Black's "Krampuslauf," Laini Taylor's "The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer," and Kiersten White's "Welcome to Christmas, CA" could be worth a reread in future winters as well. The rest of the stories didn't make much of an impression on me, but they're all light and fluffy enough that even the weaker ones mostly don't overstay their welcome.

There is just something about anthologies that I love. You know you're going to get a ton of books that have to do with a particular subject or theme and this has everything to do with the holidays. With all anthologies there are going to be some really great books and some that you just don't get into and I found both to be true for this one.

I think the first book, Midnights by Rainbow Rowell was fabulously done. I did not want this story to end. And what I found really interesting is that she tells the story in yearly doses. I thought this was brilliant! We get to see New Year's Eve only and the thoughts of the main character on that evening. It's a unique way to see her growth without getting too much into the story. A full five years would have made the story so much longer but this way we get just enough so as a reader we can understand what is going on. Really enjoyed the ending in this one. Did not want it to end!

Really, this was a great diverse read. Full of young loves and holiday fun. There's so many different types of people and even religions!

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins was another favorite. Somehow in the matter of minutes I was in love with these characters. It's completely opposite from Rainbow Rowell's but just as good!

There are so many great authors in this book that it is hard to put down. To be honest, being the horror reader that I am, all of these authors are new to me but I loved being introduced in this way!

Short, fun, brilliant read, and of course GREAT for the holidays!

Received by publisher for an honest review.

An anthology with holiday stories by many of the hottest authors in YA. Overall I enjoyed most of the stories in this collection. The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link was by far the weirdest story though. Reviews of my favorites are below.

It’s a Yuletide Miracle by Stephanie Perkins
Definitely my favorite story in this anthology. Girl stalks a boy named North because she wants him to help her out by doing some voice-over work for her. What happens next is pure holiday magic. They end up sharing all of their secrets while cleaning out her apartment. The whole story takes place in one night but it’s totally believable. I love their goofy names. I love how they made each other laugh. I loved that neither of them were perfectly poised and had bouts of nervousness. This one definitely put me in the Christmas spirit.

What the hell have you done, Sophie Roth by Gayle Forman
Cute holiday story about a young teens first semester in college. Sophie Roth hates everything about her school and wishes she’d stayed in her hometown. Then she meets a guy who shows her that her new life isn't so bad after all. It was cute and funny but also nice to meet a minority love interest. This rarely happens in YA.

Beer buckets and baby Jesus by Myra McEntire
Amusing story about second chances. Vaughn has been a screw up most of his life. One Christmas he takes it too far and almost land himself in jail. The kindness of a local pastor keeps him out but now he’s gotta help out with the local Christmas pageant. There he discovers that people aren't always as they seem. This includes the girl he’s always had a crush on, the pastor, and his nemesis to name a few. I really liked the message of forgiveness in this story. Plus the romance wasn't half bad either. Although the title is still weird to me.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I rarely read anthologies. I know they are a great way to draw readers in and give them a sampling of a new-to-you author's work which will hopefully cause a reader to pick up more by said author, but this doesn't necessarily work on me. Typically, I'll borrow an anthology from the library and only read the story / stories I want and not really venture any further.

Well, the moment I saw the list of all the contributing authors in My True Love Gave to Me, I knew I had to read them ALL! I'm familiar with almost every single author in this anthology, I may not have read something by every author, but I'm familiar with them. This anthology is packed full of great writers.

Another thing, it deals with my favorite holiday / time of year: Christmas. Normally, I wouldn't be reading a Christmas themed book in August, but I couldn't stop myself. I actually read every single story and I have to say, I was impressed.

Each story so greatly captures the feel of the holiday season. Some of the stories are contemporary, some have a magical elements included, and some are set in new locations in an unknown time, but none of that matters because they are all full of magic and wonder and hope. Mostly hope.

This is a great book to read for the holiday season (preferably while it's snowing outside). Although I found all the stories to be pretty great my favorites included those by:

Rainbow Rowell
Jenny Han
Stephanie Perkins
Kiersten White
Ally Carter
Laini Taylor

Originally reviewed on The Escapist.

***

Twelve best-selling YA authors delights readers with their compilation of twelve holiday short romance stories. My True Love Gave To Me has mixed genres--different flavors that readers would never get tired of. And since it has twelve stories, I'm going to mention only the ones I want to comment on.

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell was the first story off the book. It was told in the midnights of December 31st 2011-2014. The characters first met at year 2011 and their friendship grew as they welcome each year. I love how Rainbow created a short story without sounding like a short story. The characters had shown foundation and told a lot in just 22 pages. It's like a whole book is narrated into this one. Midnights warmed my heart and made me beg for more. You're a rockstar, Rainbow Rowell. I love this! It's one of my faves here.

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link was quite an odd one. I thought at first My True Love Gave To Me is an all-contemporary anthology but this story was the first one who've shown a somewhat paranormal/fantasy type and I was intrigued and a little confused at the story.

Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han was different as well, with the Korean female child adopted by Santa Claus himself (no kidding) who grew up living with elves and assisting her 'father' on gift giving during Christmas. This story tugged my heartstrings and until now I don't know I should be happy or sad. But you can clearly see another touch of talent by Jenny Han on this one.

Stephanie Perkins (It's A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown) was the author I'm looking forward the most since she's the reason I badly want this book and because she's one of my fave authors. I like the depth of her story despite of being a short one and the foundation the characters had in the Stephanie Perkins way.

Holly Black's Krampuslauf was a weird and creepy one. Gayle Forman was another author I'm looking forward to read here as well. Although What The Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? was a nice story, it didn't stick to me like I hoped it will. I like that there's a character growth in Myra McEntire's Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus male lead, from bully to a serious one. I realized I liked that idea very much. Some of my fave books had bad boy-turned-good boy thing.

Remember when I said I hope I could find a Kiersten White work that I would adore? I found it on Welcome to Christmas, CA! I liked how the short story could be an entire novel. It has depth and still managed for the narrator and the story to be witty and fun to read. I really liked it! Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter was another story that had a potential to be a novel. Since the story is complicated--in the characters' way--it would be nice to add more to it. The connection between the two characters wasn't that strong but it's really a good story. It looked like a long story shrink into a small. If it would be stretched, it will turn out to be a great one.

The last story was from Laini Taylor. Despite the paranormal/fantasy-like stories from other authors, The Girl Who Woke The Dreamer was the most peculiar one. Above all, this was also the story that you'd want to see on a separate novel. It has the deepest story and background. I felt like I read an excerpt from a book! The story was captivating and really good.

I read this during Christmas season. Before, I noticed I quite don't feel the coming holidays. But this book changed it and I feel like I can taste the Christmas cookies mentioned on one of the stories and the feel of snow. I could say that you must read this during the holidays too but you can also read it when not and want to forget the summer heat for a while or the stress in school/work or you just want to feel Christmas in July. I would recommend this book to all types of readers--it's like a one-stop shop!

My True Love Gave To Me is truly an enjoyable and worthy read. Enlightening with a touch of eeriness from some stories. Twelve talented authors shared their masterpieces to become one. There were a lot of stories that has potential (and I'd love to) to become a novel. I know I've said that many times and you're probably like, "you've said that on the previous story and another one and another one" but I swear it's because it's like that!

http://michelletheescapist.blogspot.com/2015/01/book-review-my-true-love-gave-to-me.html

This book is a collection of Christmas love stories by an awesome group of ya writers. Obviously, with any collection, some stories will be better than others, but the majority of these were really enjoyable.

Rainbow Rowell's story was just adorable. Of course. Because everything she writes is adorable. It was about 2 best friends falling in love over the course of several New Year's Eves.

Kelly Link's story was okay, although anything will be just okay coming after Rainbow. It's slightly paranormal and has insta-love.

Matt de la Pena's story was great. Shy is on full scholarship to NYU and not going home to CA for xmas because he can't afford the ticket. He's cat/apartment-sitting for his boss over break during a huge blizzard. He meets a cute rich girl who lives in the same apartment complex. They get to know each other and it's really sweet.

Jenny Han's story is just...weird. Natty (short for Natalie) was adopted by Santa as a baby. Now she's a teenager with a crush on an elf, but elves only date other elves. Natty is whiny and annoying and I finished the story wondering what the point of it was.

Stephanie Perkins' story was very cute. I usually like her books, but at least one character bugs the crap out of me. But I actually liked the characters in this one. Even though it was short, it still felt well-developed.

David Levithan's was sweet, but just so damn short. A boy dresses up as Santa so his new-ish boyfriend's little sister keeps believing. It was like the middle of a story and I wanted to know the beginning and the end too. The little bit we got just wasn't enough.

Holly Black's was okay, but it was a little too strange for me.

I liked Gayle Forman's story - about a Jewish city girl who goes to a college in the middle of nowhere in the Midwest. She feels like an outsider, but then randomly finds a kindred spirit. I didn't like how unrealistic the portrayal of Midwesterners was - a lot of us know about Judaism, we don't usually wear Christmas sweaters (okay, a lot of older people do, but not teenagers!), and I've never heard of putting cheese on pie! There are some Midwesterners who are like that, but not a whole college's worth. But besides that, it was a good read.

I did not like Myra McEntire's story mostly because I really didn't like the main character (a guy who always screws up, bummed because he has to do community service and cancel his trip to Florida because he 'accidentally' set fire to a church's shed). But beyond that, it was also pretty boring.

Kiersten White's story was sweet - about a girl learning to love her life and her town.

Ally Carter's story was good enough. A girl makes a split decision to switch plan tickets with another girl.

Laini Taylor's story was awesome. It was beautifully written and very original.

~I received a copy for review~

I failed to get this last Christmas, and the main reason I did not buy it is because I want the pinked paged UK edition.

Despite it being far away from Christmas, lol, I still had a great time reading these Holiday stories.

A bunch of my favorite authors had stories in the collection (I was hoping John Green had one, but nope): Laini Taylor, Rainbow Rowell, Stephanie Perkins, Gayle Forman, and many more, lol.

Some of the stories fell flat, like Jenny Hans, mainly because it was so short. My favorite story was by Holly Black, it was amazing, and I want to own a copy of just that story. And a new author I haven't read before had the story Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Pena, and it was so amazing.

I recommend checking this collection out if you like these authors, and I also found new authors to look into.

It's a quite interesting book, full of stories about Christmas (some more than others), but I must say that some of the stories were just boring. I couldn't feel the Christmas spirit that was supposed to be embodied in these stories.

I have two favourite short-stories: It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins & Midnights by Rainbow Rowell. They were by far the better ones, in my opinion. It's an enjoyable book, funny, cute, christmas-y... I would definitely re-read some of the stories, but not the whole book. Although, it is a good book for this Christmas season.

1. Midnights by Rainbow Rowel - 3.5 stars
2. The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link - 2.5 stars
3. Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Peña - 3 stars
4. Polaris Is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han - 3.5 stars
5. It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins - 4 stars
6. Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan - 3.5 stars
7. Krampuslauf by Holly Black - 2 stars
8. What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman - 3 stars
9. Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire - 3 stars
10. Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White - 3 stars
11. Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter - 2 stars
12. The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor - 2.5 stars

Ratings for each of the stories: 

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell: 5/5
The Lady and The Fox by Kelly Link: 1/5 (didn't finish it)
Angels In The Snow by Matt de la Peña: 4/5
Polaris Is Where You’ll Find Me by Jenny Han: 5/5
It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins: 4/5
Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan: 3/5
Krampuslauf by Holly Black: 1/5 (didn't finish it)
What The Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman: 1/5
Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire: 1/5 (didn't finish this one!) 
Welcome To Christmas, CA by Kiersten White: 4/5
Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter: 5/5 (love this story, Ally Carter will never let you down)
The Girl Who Woke The Dreamer by Laini Taylor: 1/5

I picked this book up on NetGalley because who doesn't love a holiday inspired anthology by various author- some that you know and love well??

I will first say that I didn't read all the stories. There were some that contained swearing and other things in the content that I am not comfortable reading so I skipped them. The ones I did read were cute though. I loved that they all had a holiday/winter theme to them. It's perfect for this time of the year. Twelve authors, twelve stories = pages and pages of happy reading!

Here are the books I did read:
Midnights (Rainbow Rowell)
Polaris is Where You'll Find Me (Jenny Han)
It's A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown (Stephanie Perkins)
Welcome to Christmas, CA (Kiersten White)
Star of Bethlehem (Ally Carter)
The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer (Laini Taylor)

The books I did read were all relatively clean, some had mild swearing.

The cover is so cute. Characters from all the stories are represented, skating on the ice. Very cute idea. I love it.

I am a huge fan of young adult Christmas anthologies. My True Love Gave to Me is a fantastic collection that is perfect not only for YA fans, but for those who simply love the holidays. Not only does this book offer stories from 12 of the hottest authors, but it has something for everyone. While most holiday collections focus on contemporary romantic stories, this one provides original ideas and offers diversity.

Rainbow Rowell's "Midnights" was my favorite of the twelve stories, but I found the others to be equally as satisfying. Perhaps what truly makes this one special is that the stories cover multiple genres and also highlight the festivities of those who do not celebrate Christmas. My True Love Gave to Me was a real win for me, and I can see myself rereading it each year!

A collection of stories from some heavy hitting YA authors and I loved that some of these stories were out of their normal publishing wheelhouse. Reading contemporary stories from authors who normally write fantasy or sci fi was fun - especially since I am quite a contemporary fan. There was still some magic in some of the stories, but mostly stayed in the contemporary genre.

I read these stories here and there over two weeks and I loved spacing them out and just curling up for a half an hour at a time and reading just one story. I will not review each one individually, but I definitely loved most and only disliked two. I loved how each author approached writing a story about Christmas or the holiday season.

I would definitely recommend this book to readers of the YA genre and those who dabble in it from time to time. I hope that there are more collections like this in the future.

I was really looking forward to a collection of YA holiday romances in My True Love Gave to Me, but overall I was quite disappointed. There are some good stories here, but some of my favorites were more for their ideas rather than the execution. Several of them just felt too big for so few pages, which is a shame. I also didn’t feel too much holiday cheer while reading these, as most of them were just kind of set around the holidays but didn’t really focus on them.

★★☆☆☆ Midnights by Rainbow Rowell

This story had a really cute premise: showing the three New Year’s Eves of two best friends, plus food allergies. It’s obvious that Mags wants more from Noel at each of these parties, and it’s obvious that she’s going to get what she wants at the most recent one. While I loved the idea of the story, the execution was really boring, and I didn’t like the choppiness of the author’s writing.

★☆☆☆☆ The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link

I cannot even begin to explain what this story was about. I have no clue what was going on. I don’t know where it was set, where Miranda was from, why she spends Christmas with these people, why her mother is in a Thai prison for life, or what that has to do with a maybe-ghost named Fenny who sits in the snow. I seriously have no idea.

★★☆☆☆ Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Pena

Another boring one. Shy is cat sitting for his boss over Christmas, when the lovely neighbor, Haley, stops by to use the shower because her pipes are frozen (or something). Of course, the two get to know each other and there’s some kissing. There’s also a lot of Shy complaining about starving, and being too proud to accept nice, homemade muffins from Haley. I didn’t particularly care.

★★☆☆☆ Polaris is Where You’ll Find Me by Jenny Han

This is the shortest story of the bunch, which is unfortunate, because it has the best premise, but doesn’t take it anywhere! Natalie is pretty much the Rudolph among the elves. She doesn’t have a red nose; she’s human. They also don’t like her because they think she makes up stories for attention, the latest being about a boy named Lars she met on a present delivery trip with Santa. She also has a crush on another elf, Flynn, but knows it can never happen. And that’s basically it. I was so sad! I wanted to love this one so much! It definitely would have made an amazing longer story or full-length novel!

★★★☆☆ It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins

I really liked this one for the most part! Marigold and North are so sweet together! I loved how he helped her with the apartment without even knowing her, and of course getting to know her while they clean. However, I could have done with Marigold’s animation project, which prompts her to seek out North. It didn’t add anything to the story, but felt like a forced way to make her even more quirky. I would have preferred if she just went looking for a tree, and then him helping her with it.

★★★★☆ Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan

Finally, I felt the holiday cheer! Well, kind of, since this story is actually kind of sad but sweet. It’s the night of Christmas Eve, and Connor has asked his boyfriend to dress up as Santa for his little sister, so she’ll keep believing. He (I don’t know his name!) goes through with it, but Connor’s older-younger sister, Lana, confronts him, because she’s not happy about what he’s doing. It was quite an emotional scene, but I do think he was doing the right thing. Very sweet.

★★☆☆☆ Krampuslauf by Holly Black

That was just super bizarre. I liked it at first because the whole Krampus thing is pretty awesome, but then it turned into annoying teenage drama. But the kind of drama that I don’t like. Then it got weird, yet kind of interesting and magical, but mostly just weird. This story definitely stood out from the rest, but not in a good way. It was like the author was trying too hard to set her story apart, and yet still fit within the holiday theme.

★★★★☆ What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman

I really liked this one! It was sweet and funny, and had an interracial romance! Sophie is Jewish, Russell is black, and neither feels like they fit in at their rural college. They bond over cynical comments in regards to the campus caroling concert, and then go out for pie. Russell also helps Sophie have a kind of makeshift Hanukkah since she’s stuck on campus for the time being. It was all just very sweet and I believed it, and I wanted more!

★★★★☆ Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire

That was so fun! I feel like this one would make a hilarious made for TV holiday movie! Vaughn is a prankster. His latest one has gone wrong and very well may have set off a snowball effect that ruins Christmas. Basically, he burned down the set of the church’s nativity play, and the new location accidentally double booked, so it’s a scramble to set everything up somewhere else and make sure the audience knows where to go. Of course, Vaugn is recruited to do all of the dirty work, since it’s his fault, but there’s also a girl he wants to impress. It was all just very Christmas hijinks and good times.

★★★★☆ Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White

It’s like Chocolat, but with teenagers, and a diner! And better! Cuter! And should also be a cutesy TV movie! Maria lives in Christmas, a small, not-even town in California, and works at a diner that serves holiday themed dishes. Then they get a new chef, and he doesn’t exactly follow the menu or the recipes. He has some uncanny ability to know just what each customer needs to eat. It’s all super sweet and magical, and I even enjoyed Maria’s relationship with her mom’s boyfriend.

★★☆☆☆ Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter

Another good premise that didn’t work as a short story. Lydia is at the airport, sees a girl who desperately wants to change her flight but has a nonexchangeable ticket. Lydia happens to be heading to New York where the girl wants to go, so she trades with her. New York is the last place Lydia wants to be, so she doesn’t even know where the other girl’s ticket is for until she gets there. Turns out she was a foreign exchange student heading to stay with her boyfriend’s family. I absolutely loved this set up, until we learn who Lydia is and then things get rushed and just end. I did like the twist, but everything that quickly followed made me roll my eyes. This would have been super fun and enjoyable as a more fleshed out story.

★★★☆☆ The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

I was most excited for this one, but I’m a bit disappointed. There’s definitely some really imaginative ideas here, but I felt like it barely skimmed the surface of those ideas. Creepy old priest who wants a 17 year old girl as his fourth wife, and magic? Awesome! Unfortunately, it all just wasn’t developed enough, so the magic of the Dreamer came across as just strange.

*Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley for review. No compensation was offered or accepted.

Only in a short story anthology can organization, elves, the holiday season, and some other things besides come together to create a delightfully seasonal assortment of stories. My True Love Gave to Me, edited by Stephanie Perkins, brings together YA authors at the top of their game in this festive collection of romantic stories set during the best time of year.

If you enjoy Christmas, especially the decorating and the food look no further than Stephanie Perkins' "It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown" for a story that combines the wonders of home organization with a first encounter that might lead to something more. "Welcome to Christmas, CA" by Kiersten White is a sentimental story about finding home with some delectable food thrown in to taste.

Not a fan of Christmas? That's okay too. "Midnights" by Rainbow Rowell is a heartfelt New Years' story while "Krampuslauf" by Holly Black and "The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor are fantasies set in December without being Christmas specific. Although Kelly Link centers her story around annual Christmas parties, "The Lady and the Fox" is more a Tam Lin style story than a specifically holiday story.

Don't celebrate Christmas? Gayle Forman's "What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?" and David Levithan's "Your Temporary Santa" both offer a look at the season from a Jewish perspective.

Humor is also prevalent in many of these stories, none more so than "Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus" by Myra McEntire.

Themes of family are just as prevalent in this collection as romance which can be seen in "Angels in the Snow" by Matt de la Pena and Ally Carter's "Star of Bethlehem" both of which offer very different (but true) takes on what it means to find or just think about the importance of family over the holiday season.

The story I have thought about most since finishing this story is by Jenny Han. "Polaris is Where You'll Find Me" offers a tantalizing look at what life might be like on the North Pole for Santa's daughter in a story that I can only hope will one day become a full-length novel.

Considering the range of authors and writing styles in this anthology, My True Love Gave to Me is a stunningly solid collection with a high quality of writing that spans every genre and story presented. This is a delightfully festive (and often secular) assortment of stories with something that will appeal to everyone. Perkins has done an admirable job of editing and organizing this anthology where whole exceeds the sum of its parts and is sure to leave every reader with a smile on their face.

(Careful readers may also want to examine the cover to find their favorite couple on the ice rink. The ARC I read also promises interior illustrations which I can't wait to see.)

Possible Pairings: Ex-Mas by Kate Brian, Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan; To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han, Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones, Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle; Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of holiday short stories. From Rainbow Rowell to Ally Carter to Kiersten White, I have several favorites among these authors, but a few I haven't read anything by--yet. With most anthologies, I sometimes lose interest in some stories, as they just aren't my cup of tea. Across the board, all of these, even in genres I don't normally gravitate toward, I found I really enjoyed all of these short works. They're mostly contemporary, realistic style pieces, with a few edgier bits thrown in. A couple may register a little more paranormal for some, actually seemed to be based in various fairytale/folklore roots, which I found especially interesting. This was a well put together, well edited selection of holiday tales that won't go out of style anytime soon.

I really enjoy these short stories. I know they're not for everyone, but I really enjoy getting to sit and read a short story beginning to end. As a rather slow reader who doesn't have much time on her hands, getting to read an entire story in one sitting is nearly impossible. So anthologies like this let me get to do that, as well as bring our the Holiday Spirit within me through the adorableness of these holiday stories. This is one of those reread-every-year type of reads.

Technically speaking, I did the averaging of the stories' ratings and got a 3.7. So let's just call it a four, shall we?

I picked this book up for a few reasons. I am a sucker for anthologies and Christmas, for one, so the pairing of the two seemed like a no brainer. I also recognized almost all of the author names, although I hadn't read many of them before. I see authors like Stephanie Perkins, Rainbow Rowell, and Laini Taylor (to name a few) plastered all over the interwebs, and I thought this anthology would be a nice way to get a first taste of some of these bestsellers. Overall, I'll say I was pleased.

One thing I really liked about this collection of Christmassy stories is that there is a lot of diversity. Because you have twelve different voices offering their own twist on a holiday tale, there are so many character groups being addressed. There are black characters and Asian characters and gay characters and Hispanic characters and boys and girls and hell, even paranormal characters. I really, really give props to the editing on this one- there's a great amount of voices being penned here.

I'm not going to go down and review each and every story, namely because I hate making authors stick out in anthologies as the one I liked the least. However, I will highlight my top three favorite stories from My True Love Gave to Me, in no particular order.

The first story that stood out to me was What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman. In this story, a Jewish "big city" girl, Sophie Roth, comes to a university in the middle of nowhere on a scholarship. She thought she'd fit in but she doesn't, not the way she'd expect. She finds that she keeps saying or doing the wrong things here. That is, until she starts talking with one of the few black boys on campus, and she realizes that maybe she just needs one special person to get along with. This was such a cute story that blended together Hanukkah and Christmas, races, and big city vs. small town. It makes you feel good and honestly I wish I could have read more of it. It definitely put a smile on my face.

The second story that got my attention was Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White. The lead character hates her job and the holidays. Everything around her is Christmas themed, her family is getting more and more strange to her as the days pass, and she just wants to get out of Christmas as fast as she possibly can. The cafe where she works gets a new cook, Ben, who has a gift for making the perfect foods- not just the ones that taste the best, but that will make people feel better. Maria starts to see that maybe Christmas isn't quite as bad as she thought. This is another one I wish I could have read more of. This book has a really cool blend of realism and holiday magic. Ben almost seems like he should be a holiday elf or something, and that makes it all the more adorable to me.

The final of the three that I'll be highlighting is the last story in this anthology, The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. Holy ever-green holly. I have never read Laini Taylor's work before now, but I will definitely be reading her books in the near future. A short story was not nearly enough for the amazingness (is that a word? It is now.) of this plot. It was written with this dreamy, magical tone to it and I love the traditions and world-building that managed to be squeezed into such a small space. It was stellar, and I loved it. This story made the whole anthology end on a positive note.

As with all anthologies, there were stories that I really loved (like the three aforementioned) and ones that I didn't care for at all. Such is the way collections tend to work. Overall, I liked more stories than I disliked, and to me this is a book worth buying for that little dash of Christmas spirit.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by twelve awesome Young Adult authors is the perfect treat for readers who love the holidays, YA stories and love.

I’ve had the pleasure of reading this early and it’s put me in the holiday spirit! To say that I love the holidays is an understatement and while savoring the stories I also couldn’t want to see what each author was going to write about for their festive story.

I haven’t read them ALL, but I have read most and so far my favorites have been by Holly Black – her story is as creepy as it is beautiful. I LOVED it! David Levithan – His story was sweet yet heartbreaking and heart healing all wrapped up into one. Rainbow Rowell – I loved how this story is presented, jumping back and forth between the past and the present was awesome for these characters. Stephanie Perkins – had me smiling from beginning to end! And Gayle Forman – She has out done herself with such an amazing story. I’m in the process of reading Kiersten White’s story but stopped to write this quick review and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s going to happen in the second half of it!

They are each so well written and I didn’t want these short stories to end. If any of these authors (that I’ve read within this title so far) we’re to write a fill book about these characters I’d have no problem with reading more. Heck! I’d welcome it!!

I’d like to commend these authors for packing a serious punch within such a short amount of pages. Making me fall in love with their characters’ so quickly yet making me feel like I’ve read the full story from beginning to end, yet again in such a short amount of pages. And I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the stories from the remaining authors – Ally Carter, Matt de La Pena, Jenny Han, Kelly Link and Laini Tayler.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this title – even with reading only half of the stories/half the book and that’s saying something. Without a doubt this is a favorite for me and I’ll more than enjoy reading these titles on throughout many holiday seasons to come.

Important Note: Since I haven’t read them all, I will be updating this review once I’ve finished.

As in most anthologies, you get a collection of stories you'll think are "ok" and others you'll love. I guess it's a bit up to your personal taste: I'm not necessarily a fan of romance, but I do appreciate a good winter/Christmas tale. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised and this definitely a great holiday read!

I generally love anthologies, but this one was difficult for me to rate, because I absolutely loved about half of the stories, and could barely finish the other half. I decided on a solid 3/5, but want to throw in a disclaimer that there are a few titles (like the ones contributed by Rainbow Rowell and Stephanie Perkins) that are so enjoyable on their own that I'd still urge anyone to check the collection out.

My average rating is actually three stars, but the overall impression I’m left with is favorable so it gets bumped up a star. I think this is because the strong ones were really strong. I think this is a perfect holiday anthology.

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell
4/5 stars
An adorable best friends to something more story spread out over four New Year’s Eve parties.

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link
3/5 stars
A sweet story, but it also left me with a lot of questions. Definitely something I would have loved to see more of.

Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Pena
1/5 stars
Honestly I found this one to be dull. And I wasn’t a fan of either Shy or Haley.

Polaris is Where You’ll Find Me by Jenny Han
2/5 stars
The story was kind of cute but it had an abrupt ending and I think it would have done better if it had been longer.

It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins
5/5 stars
This was a seriously cute and heartwarming story that made me desperately wish it was longer. Marigold and North were adorable together and I love this sweet and perfect story.

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan
1/5 stars
This story really didn’t do anything for me. I found it to be incredibly uninteresting and dull.

Krampuslauf by Holly Black
5/5 stars
Probably my favorite story in the anthology. I’m sure that has a lot to do with its oddness. It’s a magical story in more ways than one.

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gale Forman
5/5 stars
An incredibly sweet story. Russell was a wonderful guy and Sophie learned some things along the way. And they were cute together.

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire
1/5 stars
Another story that I found to be incredibly boring and uninteresting.

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White
4/5 stars
Another sweet story. Ben was wonderful and I loved how he knew the foods that everyone wanted to eat and really helped bring Christmas cheer to this town. I wasn’t a fan of Maria though.

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter
4/5 stars
An impulsive decision to switch plane tickets with a girl desperate to get to New York leaves another girl finding a home, happiness, and love.

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
2/5 stars
I liked the Dreamer and his courting but I guess maybe I just didn’t enjoy the overall story? I can’t really explain what went wrong for me in this story, but I just didn’t enjoy it all that much.

This was such a fantastic read! I read this anthology for Ally Carter's, Laini Taylor's, Kiersten White, and Holly Black's short stories. Welcome to Christmas, Ca by Kiersten White was my favorite- she cracked me up with this line: "the animatronic Santa insults my moral virtue three times. Ho, ho, ho." Laini's story was so artistic and beautiful it was exactly the level of warm fuzzies I needed at the moment. Ally's story was funny and entertaining, and Holly's Krampuslauf was deliciously naughty. This is a definite must read!

3.5 stars. This has a great selection of popular YA authors and will give teens a tantalizing taste of their work, hopefully leading to a discovery of new authors. The stories were uneven for me.; some I really liked and others were not as good a fit. The collection as a whole was enjoyable with some very touching and engaging moments. I think that there is something here for every taste.

A copy of this title was provided to me by the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest, unbiased opinion of the work.

This is an overall cute and fun collection of holiday stories. There's a little bit of pretty much everything, from Levithan's LGBT addition to Forman's story that blends Jewish and racial elements. While there were a few stories that didn't engage me as much, this is still a really solid collection. I actually didn't read it in order, I skipped around, wanting to read the stories by my favorite authors in the collection first.

While this is a different sort of endeavor for pretty much all these authors, there was still certain features of each of their styles worked into their individual stories. This is probably my favorite part of this collection. I got to fall back into what I love about the way so many of these contributors write, while still getting something new but also quick to read.

If I had to pick a favorite story out of this, it'd be a toss up between Myra McEntire's Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus or Rainbow Rowell's Midnights. While I didn't read Rainbow's story first, it's what opens the book and certainly does justice to kicking things off. McEntire's was actually the second one I read, after I devoured Gayle Forman's addition. Though I haven't read any of Laini Taylor's books, her addition to this collection is truly stunning. I've heard people talk about what incredible writing talent she has, and man did she showcase that here!

The same goes for all these authors, really. Short stories can be incredibly difficult to write, but I think each of these authors did a good job. While some of the stories didn't grab me as much as others, there is still so much to love about this book. There are varying degrees of romance, and some take place in just a few short hours while others are about couples with years of history. From Christmas to Kwanzaa, everything winter holiday is included in her.

Definitely a great holiday gift for any fans of YA or those who just like a quick, romantic read.

This book is a collection of winter/holiday themed short stories (generally about 30 pages each) by different young adult authors. I really enjoyed the stories, and whether you like all of them or not, you will definitely find at least one that you will enjoy.

Many of the stories are love stories, but a few are about family, friendship and other heartwarming themes. I enjoyed reading from different authors so that I could get to know other authors and decide if I want to read more for them.

These are geared for modern readers, especially for teens and young adults. You won't find so much of the traditional, but you will find light hearted, humorous, romantic stories that are Christmas themed and make a great gift for the season. For me, the collection starts with the very best short story of the book, Midnights. However, there are only two or three sub par ones and those are so according to the reader's taste. If you enjoy short stories and Christmas, you'll like these.

Originally posted at http://readrunstudy.wordpress.com/

Thoughts on the Individual Stories:
1. Midnights by Rainbow Rowell: 4 stars
I was confused by the start of the story (I didn't expect to start with a New Year's story), but I adjusted quickly and ended up really enjoying it. I fell for Rainbow Rowell's characters because she did what she does best - she made them real. Despite the short length of the story (a mere 23 pages), I felt like Noel and Mags came alive - I knew who they were and what they wanted in life.

2. The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link: 1.5 stars
I barely finished this one. I'm okay with a little (or a lot of) weird in the stories I read, but I just wasn't connecting with this one. It felt wordy and inconsistent at times and I felt myself wanting to skim instead of read. Additionally, I'm never fond of the normalization of alcohol and drug use among teenagers in literature.

3. Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Pena: 3.5 stars
Maybe it is just me, but this felt like two different stories were smashed together. I wasn't sure where the first half was trying to go - I think it was intended to provide background for the character, but it seemed mostly unnecessary. However, I enjoyed the second half of the story. The characters were cute together and it was a situation I could see happening.

4. Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han: 2 stars
This one was cute and festive, but not particularly memorable and could have benefited from a more concrete ending.

5. It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins: 5 stars
My favorite so far! I easily connected to the characters and felt like I knew where they were coming from. Their interactions were believable and adorable. While I didn't love Anna and the French Kiss, this renewed my interest in exploring more of Stephanie Perkins' writing.

6. Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan: 4 stars
My main complaint here was that it felt too short. This was the first story where the main characters were already in a relationship at the start. I really liked that because it allowed for the exploration of a different aspect of the relationship. I liked the interaction between the main character and his boyfriend's family - it was very sweet and understanding. However, I think it needed a few more pages of story because it felt like it ended at a weird place.

7. Krampuslauf by Holly Black: 1 star
I didn't enjoy this one and had trouble finishing it. The tone was too negative and didn't seem to fit with the rest of the collection. This was my first experience with Holly Black and I can't say it left me wanting more.

At this point, I actually took a long break from the anthology because I wasn't feeling it anymore.

8. What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth by Gayle Forman:3.5 stars
I had trouble connecting to Sophie at first because she came across like a self-centered brat and spent too much time knocking her rural classmates (she is from the "big city"). However, I found myself liking her (and the story) more and more as it went on and she started to acknowledge her own biases. I particularly liked Russell and how he played off of Sophie. In the end, it was a fun little story.

9. Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire: 4 stars
I had no preconceived notions going into this one because I've never even heard of Myra McEntire (If you haven't either - she wrote the Hourglass trilogy), but I have to say I really enjoyed this one. It provided enough back story for me to connect to the characters and their situation and I enjoyed the contrast between prankster Vaughn and pastor's daughter Gracie.

10. Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White: 4.5 stars
This is another where I wasn't familiar with the author (she wrote the Paranormalcy trilogy, the Mind Games duology, and a few standalones). I really enjoyed the story - I loved the dynamic between Maria and Ben, and I liked seeing Maria's relationship with her family. The magical realism aspect was seamlessly incorporated and I found myself wondering if there really is a Christmas, CA.

11. Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter: 3 stars
This one was cute and I liked the family togetherness aspect. However, it was too far fetched for me, especially once the narrator's identity was revealed. And it left too much unresolved for me.

12. The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor: 5 stars
As a fan of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, I expected to love this and I wasn't disappointed. The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer is an ambitious story set in a different time and place. Laini Taylor uses every inch of this story to weave a spellbinding tale and showcase her lyrical prose. While I understand this story won't be for everyone, and may not fit perfectly within the collection, it renewed my interest in exploring Laini Taylor's other works.

Thoughts on the Collection:
I don't usually pick up short story collections and I can take or leave holiday stories, but I couldn't ignore the buzz about My True Love Gave to Me. Everyone seemed to be talking about it and it included a couple of my favorite authors (Rainbow Rowell & Laini Taylor), so I decided to give it a chance. As with most story story collections, this one is a mixed bag. There were a few gems, a few duds, and a several in between.

Overall, I liked this cute collection of holiday romances and loved the diversity of characters (these stories were filled with people from a variety of races, ethnicities, religions, and sexualities), but I think it will work better for someone who likes contemporary YA more than I do.

-Tanya Read (Read. Run. Study.)

This was a book full of cutesy wootsy holiday stories with the happiest of endings. Some were a little boring, some were original, one stood out. I loved Laini Taylor's story, which happened to be the last in the book. Save the best for last! I was enchanted by the story and cannot wait to read her Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy!

Holiday stories about loss, hope, and love, some quirky, some heartfelt.

5 Stars to "It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown" and "Welcome to Christmas, CA."

4 Stars to "Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus" and "Angels in the Snow."

3-3.5 Stars to the rest.

An enjoyable read, especially if you are familiar with the contributors. And just in time for the holidays.

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As with any collection of short stories, My True Love Gave to Me has its hits and misses. The collective power of the authors included will no doubt drive sales of the book and their are a few, when added together, certainly make this collection worth considering. There truly is a nice mix of issues and character backgrounds to say that this is pretty inclusive with something to appeal to most if not all readers. To review this properly, I'm including a one sentence summary of each story along with some of my thoughts about each.

"Midnights" by Rainbow Rowell
The story of Mags and Noel over the course of four New Year's Eves as well as some tree nuts, strawberries, and allergies. I can see why people love Rainbow Rowell's YA so much through this story. Good, not quite great in my opinion, but just because I figured out where it was going halfway through.

"The Lady and the Fox" by Kelly Link
A mysterious man who only appears when it snows at Christmas catches Miranda's attention. Bit of a bore, this one, in my opinion as it seemed more old-timey but was supposed to be newer-timey. The interesting bits got lost in the underdeveloped ones. Might make for a better novella if drawn out properly.

"Angels in the Snow" by Matt de la Pena
Shy and Haley come from very different backgrounds, but they find something in common when everyone in a New York City apartment complex has left for the holidays except them. I've admired how de la Pena expresses the in-between of the Mexican American experience in other books and this story really follows in that vain. I enjoyed it a lot even if I was a bit annoyed at the ending.

"Polaris Is Where You'll Find Me" by Jenny Han
Natalie learns that being the adopted Asian daughter of Santa is even more difficult when her crush on elf Flynn becomes a bit more public than she would have liked. Short, so it gets out of the way quickly, but not a highlight for me. I did like how it ended, but I felt like plot b was underdeveloped.

"It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown" by Stephanie Perkins
Marigold and North discover that there is more to appearances courtesy of his voice, her cluttered apartment and a Christmas tree. This is a story worth the price of admission. Perkins crafts some truly intriguing characters and finds a way of drawing them unexpectedly. I have to admit, kinda got a crush on North and his, I guess, hipsterishness.

"Your Temporary Santa" by David Levithan
After being talked into playing Santa for his boyfriend, the unnamed narrator makes some unexpected and grown up realizations about his relationships. Levithan has the most grown up of the stories included. The denseness of the prose just falls flat. And though I don't doubt the unnamed narrator would do anything for his boyfriend, I just never felt the connection between them. Feels oddly forced.

"Krampuslauf" by Holly Black
A New Year's party has some unexpected guests and happenings - and magic. This qualifies as the weirdest story in the collection. Not my favorite though Black has written some truly wonderful shorts in the past. There are some nice unexpected moments but this one flounders a lot before finding its way.

"What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth" by Gayle Forman
College freshman Sophie feels out of place until she meets the equally different but in different ways Russell while attending a caroling concert. Another fish out of water tale, of which there seem quite a few in this book, but still good. I had doubts at the start of the story, but, like Perkins, Forman finds ways of making the characters unexpected and gives them a place and situation in which to grow and learn while also being relatable.

"Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus" by Myra McEntire
Troublemaker Vaughn learns the meaning of Christmas and second chances while helping with the church Christmas Pageant as part of his community service after accidentally burning down the church's barn. McEntire's story could be hit or miss depending on how you look at it, but it really comes down to the ability to look for the good in people, so it fits the holiday message quite well. I enjoyed it more than I thought and the end of the story was pitch perfect.

"Welcome to Christmas, CA" by Kiersten White
Maria wants desperately to leave the tiny "census-designated place" she lives until Ben, the cook with the uncanny ability to guess what food will make people happy, helps her realize all the good things in her life. Hit or miss here again. Spent much of the first half of the story trying to get my bearings and then had to make a quick turnaround by the end. I like the message if not always the getting there.

"Star of Bethlehem" by Ally Carter
A case of switched and mistaken identities helps Liddy rediscover her voice and the importance of families. My least favorite story in the collection by far. The only interesting character gets tossed in the first several pages never to really be seen again. I can appreciate what Carter was going for (If you read the story title and think of stars in a more celebrity sense, you'll figure it out), but the relationships between characters never come off as believable.

"The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
To escape an unwanted courtship, Neve summons the spirit of an ancient god. Well, we've started on a good note, had some really good in the middle, and now we end strong. I think the title is one of the best in the book as well as the premise and it was executed as well as could be hoped. This one feels truly original and really is the kicker of the book.

The fish out of water type stories are common along with a general theme of being happy with what you have or finding that thing that makes you truly happy. My True Love Gave to Me is a pretty solid collection. Some stories just never really come together. This book sort of feels like a teenager. Clunky at times, totally with it at others, and full of surprises, some good and some bad. Try it or don't.

Note: Free copy obtained via the store Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

Twelve Holiday Stories written by some of YA's most amazing authors. I mean, can it get better than that (I'm thinking... no)?! It feels a little weird reviewing this when I should be reading Halloween themed books but this has made me so excited for the holiday season!

I will definitely be re-reading this come December!

Loved loved loved this!! I usually only like a few stories in an anthology, but with this one I loved every single one of them! The line up of authors that contributed is insane and are all ones that I absolutely adore! I am also a huge lover of holiday romance reads so this of course spoke to me from the get go. I think my favorite would have to be Laini Taylors story. She is one of my must read authors and her story The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer was just amazing. Her writing is just undescribable and always takes me to a new world that is beyond beautiful.

I adored the rest of the anthology as well and each author crafted a fun story to add to their own collection. Stephanie Perkins is of course a huge hit as well. She is the YA master of romance and I loved her story so much. She has been gone from the YA community for too long!

If you are looking for a fun holiday read this is for you. Even if you don't love them all with this line up of authors I can guarantee you will find at least one story that sparks that holiday spirit!

A nice collection of Christmas themed short stories from some of today's popular Young Adult writers. As with all anthologies, there's some good ones and a few stinkers, but overall it was a fun read with more enjoyable and interesting stories that I would recommend.