December Book of the Month:The Stupidest Angel, A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror, Version 2.0 by Christopher Moore

After nearly 8 years, we have never had a unanimous vote on a book pick.  Until now.  Bryan S. embraced last year's challenge to select only holiday-themed books for the December pick (which how Candy Cane Murder came into our lives),   All three book options were great, but as soon as we saw a Christopher Moore book in the line-up, a collective gasp of approval circled the table. Lamb was a favorite many years ago; we still talk about it.  So with another Moore book on the list, Skipping Christmas and The Christmas Carol did not stand a chance.

From Goodreads:

"'Twas the night (okay, more like the week) before Christmas, and all through the tiny community of Pine Cove, California, people are busy buying, wrapping, packing, and generally getting into the holiday spirit.

But not everybody is feeling the joy. Little Joshua Barker is in desperate need of a holiday miracle. No, he's not on his deathbed; no, his dog hasn't run away from home. But Josh is sure that he saw Santa take a shovel to the head, and now the seven-year-old has only one prayer: Please, Santa, come back from the dead.

But hold on! There's an angel waiting in the wings. (Wings, get it?) It's none other than the Archangel Raziel come to Earth seeking a small child with a wish that needs granting. Unfortunately, our angel's not sporting the brightest halo in the bunch, and before you can say "Kris Kringle," he's botched his sacred mission and sent the residents of Pine Cove headlong into Christmas chaos, culminating in the most hilarious and horrifying holiday party the town has ever seen.

Move over, Charles Dickens -- it's Christopher Moore time."

Stupidest Angel is the third book in the Pine Cove Series by Christopher Moore.  The first is Practical Demonkeeping and the second is Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove.

The (Other) Book Thief

Right in our own backyard, a Bay Area book thief has been cleverly at work since the late 1990s, using stolen credit card information to trick rare book dealers out of their precious first editions.

The story, researched and told by Criminal podcast's Phoebe Judge is not your ordinary tale of a thief. Featuring local Bay Area bookstores and a clever use of the internet in its early days.

Check it out: Criminal Episode 22: Ex Libris