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Mistletoe Malice
Mistletoe Malice | Kathleen Farrell
8 posts | 6 read | 11 to read
A dysfunctional family reunites for the Christmas holiday from hell in this rediscovered festive classic with fangs: 'literary comfort and joy' (Meg Mason, author of Sorrow and Bliss) for fans of Barbara Pym, Elizabeth Taylor and Stella Gibbons.A dysfunctional family reunites for the Christmas holiday from hell in this rediscovered festive classic with fangs for fans of Barbara Pym, Elizabeth Taylor and Stella Gibbons. 'Literary comfort and joy. It got me out of mourning for the Cazelet Chronicles.'Meg Mason (author of Sorrow and Bliss) 'A stylish and penetrating comedy of manners. My favourite Christmas book by far - and you can read it all year round.'Rachel Joyce (author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry) 'A horribly delicious snapshot of post-war family life, in which tensions ensnare the reader in tinsel-covered barbed wire.'Janice Hallett (author of The Appeal) The fire is on, sherry poured, presents wrapped, and claws are being sharpened. In a seaside cottage perched on a cliff, one family reunites for Christmas. While snow falls, a tyrannical widowed matriarch presides over her unruly brood. Her niece tends to her whims, but fantasises about eloping; and as more guests arrive, each bringing their secret truths and dreams, the Christmas tree explodes, a brawl erupts, an escape occurs - and their 'midwinter madness' climaxes . . .
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blurb
Cathythoughts
Mistletoe Malice | Kathleen Farrell
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The fire is lit; sherry poured; claws are being sharpened. In a seaside cottage perched on a cliff, one family reunites for Christmas.

I received this lovely book today! Thankyou Leah, you are such a kind person.
I‘m thrilled with the book. Christmas can be a loaded time ( especially perched on a cliff 😳) I think this book will address that.
Thankyou my lovely friend 🩷
Im looking forward to reading this one 🥰😘
Thankyou XXX

Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Thankyou so much X. I‘m having a Baileys ( sadly no sherry in the house … 🩷🩷🩷 I must get some though. 😋 10mo
Tamra That sounds like a fun ride! 10mo
batsy Lovely. I've heard good things about this one! 10mo
See All 9 Comments
Cathythoughts @Tamra It does ! 😂 looking forward to it. 10mo
Cathythoughts @batsy It sounds really good 👍🏻 🩷 10mo
LeahBergen It FINALLY arrived? 😂 You‘re so welcome, my friend; I hope we like it! 😘 10mo
LeahBergen And I need to buy a bottle of sherry, too! 👍 10mo
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Thanks so much Leah , it‘s a lovely gift. Yes , let‘s both get a bottle of sherry and let‘s toast to the New Year 😘😘 10mo
LeahBergen Cheers! 🥂 10mo
61 likes9 comments
review
quietjenn
Mistletoe Malice | Kathleen Farrell
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Pickpick

Nothing brings out the dysfunction like the holidays! I don't think it quite reaches the heights of Pym, etc., but it's still pretty great and Farrell seems like a fascinating person.

56 likes1 stack add
review
Jas16
Mistletoe Malice | Kathleen Farrell
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Pickpick

I picked this book up when I was in London because everything written on the cover screamed that it was meant to be mine. A dysfunctional family at Christmas perfect for fans of Barbara Pym?! Yes please! And it delivered all of that and more. Unhappy people making each other miserable full of cutting barbs, relationships frazzling, people walking off in a huff, and a servant who hates them all. This might be my favorite Christmas book ever.

LeahBergen Yes! I have this waiting on my shelves! 👏👏 10mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Merry Christmas 🎄 ❤️ 10mo
Ruthiella You had me at “Barbara Pym”! 👍 10mo
47 likes2 stack adds3 comments
review
AnneCecilie
Mistletoe Malice | Kathleen Farrell
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Pickpick

A novel about a dysfunctional family so after reading this every other family looks great in comparison.

The matriarch of the family is gathering her children, niece and nephew for a Christmas celebration. This family brings out the worst in each other and some haven‘t been seen in years.

#DoubleSpin @TheAromaofBooks
#1951 #192025 @Librarybelle
#Adventathon @BookmarkTavern
#RushAThon @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES

BookmarkTavern Love the cover! 10mo
Librarybelle Sounds fun! 10mo
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 10mo
Andrew65 Brilliant 🎄🎅🏼🎄 10mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 10mo
59 likes5 comments
blurb
Jess_Read_This
Mistletoe Malice | Kathleen Farrell
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“A stylish and penetrating comedy of manners: Chekhov with more cigarettes and English emotional frigidity..”

I happily was influenced by bookstagram to buy this one. But the book blurb on the back cover has me sold! Slipping in a holiday read under the wire it feels like. Where has December gone? And still, I‘ve managed to find the time to eat far too many Christmas cookies. 🎄

batsy That is an enticing blurb! 11mo
Tamra Yes, where has it gone? 11mo
Ruthiella Oh yeah! “English emotional fragility” would grab me too! 11mo
42 likes3 comments
blurb
RaeLovesToRead
Mistletoe Malice | Kathleen Farrell
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Tomorrow I will be a reformed character.

No more shopping.

No more chocolate for breakfast.

Tidy room...

To do list...

💃💃

AmyG But chocolate for breakfast sounds so wonderful. 11mo
PathfinderNicole I wish I could do gifs on Litsy because I feel like this deserves the Treat Yo Self one from Parks and Rec 😂 11mo
batsy What fun covers! The Book Tour is a graphic novel, I'm guessing 😍 11mo
See All 12 Comments
RaeLovesToRead @AmyG My poor diet choices have gone too far... I pretty much subsist only on chocolate haha 😅 11mo
RaeLovesToRead @PathfinderNicole I don't know the show, but I certainly did treat myself 😁 11mo
RaeLovesToRead @batsy Book Tour, Mexikid and the online dating ones are all graphic novels / comics! 🥰 11mo
AnneCecilie All those things are overrated. We only live once. Book shopping and chocolate for breakfast are some of life greatest things. 11mo
Amiable Wrap the chocolate in pastry and call it a croissant! Heck, it‘s acceptable in France. 😀 11mo
RaeLovesToRead @AnneCecilie Haha, true! But I want to be able to afford Xmas presents for my family 😅 Me: I'm sorry it's been a tough year... oh those? Don't know how they got there 😇😁 11mo
RaeLovesToRead @Amiable Yes! My two-Wagon-wheels-to-start-the-day is actually just super continental and fancy! 😁😁 11mo
AnneCecilie I can see that, but presents for yourself is important too 😊 11mo
RaeLovesToRead @AnneCecilie 💯💕💕 11mo
53 likes12 comments
blurb
LeahBergen
Mistletoe Malice | Kathleen Farrell
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I was just looking through some options for @Ruthiella ‘s #CloakandDaggerChristmas and realized I hadn‘t posted about this eagerly awaited and recently republished 1951 novel.

It‘s blurbed as “a darkly witty portrait of a dysfunctional post-war English family‘s festivities for fans of Barbara Pym, Stella Gibbons, Nancy Mitford and Elizabeth Taylor.”

Doesn‘t it sound great? Too bad it‘s not a mystery and doesn‘t fit any of the prompts. 😆

HardcoverHearts I haven‘t stacked something this fast ever!! 12mo
LeahBergen @HardcoverHearts 😆😆 It just ticks all the boxes, doesn‘t it? 12mo
Amiable I don‘t know what the prompts entail but it has the word “malice” in it so I‘d rule in your favor. Tell the judges. 👍🏼👍🏼😀 12mo
See All 16 Comments
jlhammar Sounds fantastic! 12mo
Tamra That sounds like fun! 12mo
MaureenMc I love all of those authors listed, so *stack*. 😁 12mo
Aimeesue Oooooh! Right up my alley! 12mo
Ruthiella That does sound intriguing! 😮 12mo
quietjenn I got this too and am really looking forward to reading it in December! 12mo
LeahBergen @Amiable And holidays can make you feel a little murderous, too, so … 😆 12mo
LeahBergen @jlhammar @Tamra @MaureenMc @Aimeesue @Ruthiella Right?? I‘m hoping it lives up to its great blurb. 12mo
LeahBergen @quietjenn Me, too! 👏 12mo
batsy Oh gosh, that sounds great! Immediate stack 😆 12mo
Amiable @LeahBergen I see you‘ve met my family… 😖😀 12mo
LeahBergen @batsy Right? 👏 12mo
76 likes5 stack adds16 comments