It’s that time of year again, time to burn the Yule goat and catch the Red Man in his flying troika! And also read, because every holiday includes reading when you’re me.
This year, I reread my all-time favourite Christmas book: Landline by Rainbow Rowell. (And if you need a refresher on the ingenious concept that is the RiRi’d Review, go to here).
Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble; it has been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems beside the point now.
Maybe that was always beside the point.
Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her.
When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.
That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts…
Is that what she’s supposed to do?
Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?
Robyn says…
My whole heart is full of CHRISTMAS EMOTION. Also, this entire book can be summarized (as so many great pieces of literature can be) in a single gif from The Office:
RiRi says…
This is exactly how this book makes me feel, too, Rihanna. In like, a Christmas-y way.
The RxR Rating…
10 our of 10, best Christmas book ever. Will reread every year on December 17th-25th. Magic. Fucking. Phone.
Merry Christmas, happy holidays, blessed solstice – whatever you’re celebrating, I hope it’s a wonderful end to this crazy year.
Back soon with my 2019 reading wrap-up.
– xo, R
The Reading Robyn 