40. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

So, umm, I kind of think I read these last two books in reverse order. Should have started with the hopeful Christmas tale then gone into the less than hopeful We Need to Talk about Kevin. Although I suppose that would be more predictable and less interesting.

I always find it a little bit hard to read a book after I have seen the movie (and vice versa really). I find that as I am reading the images from the film keep playing in my head and I have a hard time coming up with my own images and pictures. Sometimes that is a good thing because I don't always have a point of reference but most of the time I find it a little bit frustrating. In this case it made me giggle a lot because I kept getting snippets of the Muppets and snippets of Mickey Mouse all confused and intertwined and it wasn't so much any clear images as a big schmozzle of cartoon character voices. (And might I add that I really like both of those versions of this story.)

A Christmas Carol is such a hopeful story. It always reminds me that it is never too late to make changes, it is never too late to be a better person, it is never too late to learn something new and to succeed if you put your mind and spirit and heart into life. It is a message I think I was desperately in need of this holiday season. It is a message that is inspiring as we start this new year.