There are some festive books that are all-singing, all-dancing gliterry extravaganzas, that pack tinsel and mince pies into every page. Don’t get me wrong, I love them! But I also adore the gentle, genuinely warm tales that sit in your heart, and this story was certainly one of them.

If ever there was a book to compare to Love Actually, it would be this one. Except instead of creating the perfect Christmas for each individual, this festive season changes their lives for good. Six strangers, who are nominated by their loved ones to receive a book from the local bookshop, unaware of the implications a simple delivery will bring.

Books are central to this novel, and as someone who works in the publishing industry, having independent bookshops on our high streets and access to literature is something that is very close to my heart. I could also tell almost straight away this was written by someone in the industry! The accurate information on booksellers, the all-too-familiar consumer move to Amazon once taking advantage of local bookseller, and even the fact that the right person (a publicity executive) turned up to the book launch. This is probably a very nerdy thing to say, but it is so exciting to see our industry represented properly (and not some Bridget Jones-esque plot where an assistant can afford a flat in central London).

Nora and Simon have owned the Stowford independent bookshop for years, but they are falling on hard times. Inspired by an old gentleman to whom they sell their favourite book to, they decide to ask for nominations on their social channels for six individuals to send Christmas books to this winter to cheer them up. Little do they know how much of their recipient’s lives they are about to change, from inspiring changes in careers, new loves and even saving a life.

We meet each character for a little while, living in their shoes for a few chapters. Usually I wouldn’t remember each character, and would find the moving around confusing, but I thought it was done extremely well. The characters were memorable, we spent just enough time with them and seeing them come together at the Christmas Eve party was lovely.

This is truly the perfect gift for yourself if you love books and Christmas. It’s the perfect reminder, especially at a time when you can’t get to your own local bookshop, of the magic of books and their power to inspire and change lives through words that someone might have written hundreds of years ago. The publishing industry can feel overwhelming to exist in at the best of times, but this reminded me why I work in it, to bring stories to people who want and need them to remind them of the magic in their own lives.

If Love Actually is fuelled by celebrity appearances and a nativity with an Octopus in it, this book is fuelled by love: love of books, love of each other and love for strangers that just about saves them this Christmas. So come in to the Stowford bookshop, have a sit on the squishy sofa, treat yourself to one of Nora’s gingerbread biscuits and stay for a little while.

This was a pleasant little story. Even though I did guess what was going to happen, it didn’t spoil it and it was nice seeing it all pan out. I enjoyed all the characters coming together and seeing how the 6 tales impacted everyone. Will definitely read another book by this author.

The bookshop in the pretty Cotswold village of Stowford is right at the heart of the community and the owners Nora and Simon Walden are doing everything they can to make the book shop succeed in a world where online sales and cut prices supermarkets are taking the heart out of book selling. With sales diminishing this would appear to be the last Christmas for the book shop, but determined to bring a bit of cheer into lives which need a bit of a boost, Nora and Simon send out six very different books to six recipients, quite unprepared for the effect that their thoughtfulness will have on the lives of these six quite different people.

What this story does so cleverly is highlight the plight of independent book shops and shows how they can be the heart and soul of a community, not just by selling books which is, of course, their raison d'etre, but also sharing in the lives of those for whom the book shop is a real lifeline. I liked Nora immediately, she's a real softy, and genuinely cares for her customers who she considers to be her friends, however, her infectious enthusiasm for books is what really makes the story come alive.

The Six Tales of Christmas is a lovely festive feel-good story which focuses on some pretty tough issues, especially about the decline of the independent book store, not just in small villages but also in our major towns and cities. It also highlights the importance of having friends and family around us in difficult times.

A great festive read.

Nora and Simon own a struggling bookshop, but despite that they are still trying to help everyone else this Christmas.

I liked how it is told from the different points of view.

An enjoyable book to read over the Christmas period.
I love a happy ending as much as the next reader, the same with Christmas magic. However, I did find the whole premise a little too unbelievable and far-fetched. A book can indeed make a difference to someone; however, for it to make a difference to the extent it did for each of the six people who receive a random act of kindness from Nora & Simon’s book shop, along with a white Christmas, was a little too much for me to believe. However, in the spirit of Christmas I accepted this as the magic of Christmas & did enjoy the book, just not to the extent I usually do.

Wow, wow, wow. What an awesome debut novel, (Anne Marie Ryan has previously written children’s books). I absolutely loved this book, the story is set in a beautiful Cotswolds village. It’s filled with friend, good wine, books, happiness, snow, Christmas, families and love. It had me sobbing near the end which is rare that a book gets me this way. I even had to slow my reading down as I didn’t want it to end.
I want to be friends with Nora and Simon and curl up by their roaring open fire with Merry their dog on my lap devouring Anne Marie Ryan’s next book.

I really enjoyed this book from the start. When it began I thought it was going to be another “fluffy” Christmas tale but it is so much more. For a start it is set around a bookshop in a small town which is always a good thing. The lives of the locals are played out throughout the book and how they are all brought together through random acts of kindness. The book has many good message behind the story, not least to be kind.

Nora and Simon are having trouble making ends meet in their bookshop in the Cotswolds, with most people buying their books online these days. They really shouldn't be giving books away. But with the holidays fast approaching, and after Nora finally sells a book they've had in their shop for twenty years, they decide to perform a few acts of kindness: they ask their community to nominate people who could do with some cheering up in the form of a book. After reading through all the submissions, they pick out six people and six random books to send them anonymously. The books starts changing people's lives, but Nora and Simon sink deeper into debt. Without a Christmas miracle, the shop's yearly Christmas party might become a farewell party instead.

This is the perfect Christmas story for a book lover. As owners of a bookshop, Nora and Simon are obviously well-read and there are lots of references to other authors and books throughout the story. Meanwhile, the cosy atmosphere lures the reader into daydreaming about curling up in front of the fire with a warm blanket, a plate of Nora's biscuits and a book Simon has picked out especially for you.

While the story is mainly told from Nora and Simon's perspectives, occasionally the six recipients of the books pop up to provide some insight into their lives. These chapters serve as little reminders that people are complex and that appearances don't tell the whole story. The characters in this book are dealing with a lot (depression, loss of a loved one, divorce, etc.), but they remain multidimensional throughout. Every character can be someone you actually know in real life, a living and breathing person, which gives this story an extra boost of Christmas magic.

I loved it! Loved the bookish setting and the relatable characters. It was really exciting to see how a random act of kindness (and the right book) can change people's lives. It is a very enjoyable introduction to the Christmas mood. I can recommend it to evryone who wants to escape from the present gloom and doom.

This is a beautifully written heart warming Christmas story. Set in a book shop in the amazingly picturesque Cotswolds. A lovely way to spend a few hours curled up in front of the fire.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

Just finished Six Tales of Christmas by Anne Marie Ryan. Such a heart warming story about the power of books and the joy and comfort they bring. Loved reading about the struggles of an independent bookstore in the beautiful Cotswold setting and the magic of books bringing people together.

This was such an original idea for a Christmas book and completely encapsulated the spirit of Christmas giving, sharing and including people who would otherwise be feeling alone or sad.

I loved that Nora and Simon, the bookshop owners, chose six of their favourite Christmas Tales to share with the village in the Cotswolds (and I have added their choices to my reading list), and randomly sent them out to the people that others had nominated needed an injection of joy in their lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and has been my favourite Christmas read this year, thanks NetGalley and Anne Marie Ryan too, of course.

I loved this book! Seeing as its December I thought I needed a nice cozy Christmas tale and I’m so glad I chose this one.

The story centres on a married couple who own a bookstore in a Cotswold village, however with modern times and buying books online the store has started to come under financial difficulty until they start doing a secret Santa type experiment to multiple members in their community with hopes of the bookshop being able to get back on its feet.

It’s such a warm, cozy read and immediately gets you in the festive mood. I would highly recommend this book, and think this will be on my Christmas reads year in, year out now 😁

A very good festive and heartwarming story. It made me smile and root for the characters.
Good storytelling and character development, festive atmosphere and lovely setting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is hands down by far the best Christmas novel I've read so far this year. What a truly beautiful story!

Set in her Mother's failing bookshop, Nora & Simon try to make the most of what they have by responding to an online plea, sending 6 Christmas books anonymously to members of the community. I loved seeing how the recipients connected & related to the characters in their books.

Covering several aspects of mental health including depression & grief, this beauty is full of love, emotion & festive feels.
Can books really change people & their outlooks on life? Will the bookshop be saved?

The perfect festive read nit has it all likeable characters a book shop abd plenty of heartwarming fun x

Can books save lives? Change them? Or bring people together?

If you've ever thought about this, you're going to love The Six Tales of Christmas written by Anne Marie Ryan. You'll get to see what happens when Nora and Simon, bookshop owners living in Cotswold, do random acts of literary kindness and anonymously send 6 Christmas books to 6 strangers who are in need of a boost. Books that could be looked at as beacons of hope.

This is a book about love, family, friendship, dealing with moments of hardship, but also a BOOK ABOUT BOOKS. You're going to gobble it up.

We follow the story mostly from Simon's and Nora's POV, but we also get little insight from all the six people who received these books. In the end, they all come together at a bookshop Christmas party thrown by their mystery book givers.

The author includes a lot of references to books and literature, and of course, when she mentioned Matt Haig I was like OKAY, I LOVE YOU.

The book covers several themes, from dealing with depression, divorce, loss of a family member, struggling to find love, difficult family relationships, etc. You will probably find yourself in one of our main characters.

I loved the main characters Nora and Simon. They felt so multidimensional and real. Very humble, kind, real people, with real lives and more than real troubles.

''The six strangers they sent books to were all her friends now and - inextricably bound by their shared story - would be for life. That was the REAL magic of books. They brought people together.''

Who would like this: People who love stories about books, set in bookshops, in small communities, set around Christmas time and most of all, people who love books that give them hope.

I highlighted many parts of this book, so I wanted to include my favourites too:

''As the shy, only child of a single mum, Nora had learned from a young age that as long as you a good book for company, you never needed to feel lonely.''

''Like food and shelter, friendship was a basic human need defying borders and language barriers.''

''Books bring people together and make us stronger. How even the loneliest and most difficult times in our lives, books give us hope and remind us that we're not alone.''

I requested this as reviews are so good, but this book was sadly not for me.

I didn't enjoy the writing style and there was too many if buts and maybes for me.

Sorry! And thanks you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

started my Christmas reading in early October this year because let's face it after the year we all have had, and continue to do, I will grab any chance for some light relief and getting away from things at every available opportunity. Another reason is I often leave it too late to start my Christmas reading and I know I am missing out on so many wonderful books but I am so glad that I bit the bullet and dove straight into the Christmas selection of books I have acquired, even though at the time of reading this there was all talk of Halloween. This fantastic, feel good book has to be one of my reading highlights of 2020 and I can’t say enough good things about it.

Anne Marie Ryan’s fantastic story The Six Tales of Christmas was just the tonic I needed and should be top of everyone’s festive reading list. It just oozes magic, charm, warmth, friendship and the feel good factor is abundant in spades. There is not one fault I could find with any aspect of the book and I really didn’t want it to end. The author has created a marvellous setting with a cast of characters that are all going through issues and struggles set amidst what is supposed to be the most happiest time of the year. Some characters are trying to hide what is going on in their lives but with a touch of Christmas cheer and a clever idea from the main character Nora, hopefully the most wonderful time of the year will truly turn out that way for the residents of Stowford in particular six special people.

Nora Walden is married to Simon and together they run the Stowford Bookshop which until now has had success but with the advent of shopping online things are not going as smoothly for them as they would wish nor does it help that the business rates seem to be increasing on a regular basis. Nora is a worrier through and through and she keeps her problems close to her chest not even sharing the harsh realities with Simon for fear the pressure will cause him more heart trouble. Nora is shouldering a burden and sees no way out of it.

The bookshop is in dire financial straits and things are looking bleaker by the day. She chooses to bury her head in the sand and ignore the demanding letters that are arriving on a regular basis. If the bookshop doesn’t start to make money fast then they will be forced to close. After all the years they have spent building it up not to mention the flat above is where they call home Nora can’t bear that her life could soon come crashing down. The building itself needs work with the roof constantly leaking but there is not enough money to do the repairs that are needed. A local estate agent keeps putting pressure on her to sell but she just can’t even contemplate that this is the road she will be forced to venture down.

Poor Nora was in a desperate state but she always put on a brave face in front of everybody else. She also desperately misses her daughter who has gone away travelling on a gap year. Nora wants as little stress for Simon and her family as possible but it seems that stress is knocking at her door and will not go away in a hurry. I really couldn’t fathom why Nora was putting herself through all this worry and anguish on her own and not telling anyone how bad things really were. I understood she was conscious as to what the effects of stress could potentially do to Simon with regards to his health but keeping things secret so much so that they were getting out of hand would only cause more problems in the long term. After all they do say that a problem shared is a problem halved. Nora feels that giving up the bookshop means she is a complete failure and it would be like giving up everything she had valued in life. The town as well as herself and Simon really need the bookshop not to mention the connection to her mother that she feels as it was her beloved mother who first started the shop.

Perhaps up until this point I have made it out that it’s all doom and gloom for Nora and her future but really this is just the background to her and her family when we first meet them. The entire plot does not solely focus on Nora trying to solve her problems and make the bookshop a success. I’ve read heaps of books in the past with this as the running theme i.e. trying to make a go of a café or a shop etc. and yes this problem does need to be solved but the author does allow several other very worthwhile and interesting and emotional stories to also come to the forefront. Nora uses books as a tonic to help those who can’t reach out when they need to. Nora had learnt from a young age that as long as you had a good book for company you never needed to feel lonely. She loves matching the perfect book to the right person and this genuine kindness and passion for her profession will see her come up with a very good idea that might just help her with her long term goal whilst at the same time help some other residents in the village.

I love nothing more than a book about books so to speak. It’s a bookworms dream and even more so when a bookshop is the primary setting and all the talk of books and what they can do for people was so uplifting and there were books I hadn’t come across that were mentioned that now I actually want to go and read. Nora knows a Christmas miracle is needed to save the shop and as she cares about the people around her and their stories a brilliant idea comes to mind. Simon appeals to the shops online following to nominate people that for one reason or another may need some Christmas cheer or just a little guidance in life. Nora carefully selects six books from the shop and wraps them and delivers them anonymously to the people she had chosen and so sets in motion a whole barrel of events that will see six people’s lives transformed and hopefully by doing this maybe the long term future of the bookshop may be changed for the better as well.

The selected few who receive the books are surprised by their arrival but I thought it was such a clever thing to do. I hoped through reading them the people would find what they were looking for in life or else were provided with the courage to take that next step that deep down they knew they needed to take. Olywn really misses teaching, it had been her entire life and she doesn’t know what to do anymore. She has lost her purpose in life. Might the book she receives point her in a new positive direction? Will lost his wife and is busy raising his children Adam and Julia. Money is tight and he feels he can never do enough to provide them with everything they want and need. He feels like a loser and avoids seeing people in the village. Perhaps what he reads between the covers of his book will give him some inspiration and maybe connecting with Nora and the bookshop some significant avenues may open up for him?

Matteo is an American actor whose dreams of making it big in the Royal Shakespeare company have not materialised. He is struggling to find any roles and working in the local pub to make ends meet is just not what he wants to be doing. David Langdon is the local MP hiding a secret that seems to be weighing him down and his daughter is trying her best to help him as she can see he is struggling. Might he find what he has been searching for to give him a much needed lift if he reads his book which will allow him to see the light amongst the ever encroaching darkness?

Harry is a young boy mired in grief having lost his sister. Guilt eats away at him and he doesn’t express it in the best way possible. He is the recipient of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Might it work its magic on him as it has done for countless other readers? Sam is the final person selected. She is a management consultant and works herself to the bone with little time for anything else other than work and all that it entails. She will not rest until she is made partner in the business. A Christmas Carol is given to her and maybe if she can make the time to read it she will learn a few life lessons and make some changes?

Books have the power to transform lives and with the kindness of Nora despite all she has going on she really does demonstrate this. In times of trouble help comes in many different ways. ’Never lose hope, because happy endings are possible and the next chapter of your life might turn out to be the best’. I really fell for the cover of this book the minute I first saw it online. It’s what attracted me to the title and I never even bothered reading the blurb. I just knew I wanted to read it and then to begin it and discover a bookshop featured heavily was even better and from the moment I started to read I just fell deeper and deeper under it’s spell and I couldn’t bare to leave it down. It really epitomises the spirit, meaning and message of Christmas and I when I finished it I just wanted to go online and rave about this fantastic read and make sure everyone would get their hands on it and read it as soon as possible.

Ann Marie Ryan is a really talented author and If I could give this book more than five stars I would it’s just pure perfection from beginning to end and it will cheer people up and provide some hope in the darkest of times as it proves random acts of kindness do work and that ‘Books bring people together and make us stronger. How even at the loneliest and most difficult of times in our lives books give us hope and remind us that we’re not alone’ and that truly is such an important message and it was conveyed with genuine sentiment and it is a message I will carry with me for a long time. Do yourself a favour and read this brilliant book as soon as you possibly can. You really won’t regret it.

Nora and Simons bookshop is struggling and they may be forced to give up their business. They come up with an idea to send 6 books out in response to an online appeal. They are sent out at random- and it is lovely to read how each recipient reacts when they get a christmas book.
This really is the perfect book for a book lover. You feel as though you could curl up in the bookshop , enjoying looking for the perfect book and try to encourage all the passing people to rush in and spend lots of money, to secure its future.
The characters are so well drawn and you really feel like you are in the middle of trying to sort all of their problems.
I loved this one.