Day: February 1, 2024

Posted in Bookish Babble

Book Review – Krampus The Yule Lord

Posted on by Mama

I won’t spoil anything, but I have decided to make it a goal to read at least one book per month. If I so happen to read two, I’ll be very lucky and I have a few I want to get off my shelf. I prefer physical books myself; the smell and feel of a book in my hands reminds me of being a kid and getting books from the library. But I divulge.

Any who!

Krampus is one that I really couldn’t put down once I got into it. I needed to read more!

Krampus The Yule Lord by Brom

Genre: Horror, Dark Fantasy, Fiction, Mythology

Number of Pages: 357

My Rating: 💋💋💋💋💋

Favourite Excerpt: “Mankind has lost its connection to the land, to the earth, to the beasts and spirits. They gather their food not from the forest and fields, but from plastic bins and ice boxes. Their lives are no longer tied to the cycles of the seasons and the harvest, no longer do they need the Yule Lord to chase away the winter darkness and usher in the light of spring. Man has only himself to fear now…he has become his own worst devil.”

Book Summary:

One Christmas Eve in a small hollow in Boone County, West Virginia, struggling songwriter Jesse Walker witnesses a strange spectacle: seven devilish figures chasing a man in a red suit toward a sleigh and eight reindeer. When the reindeer leap skyward, taking the sleigh, devil men, and Santa into the clouds, screams follow. Moments later, a large sack plummets back to earth, a magical sack that thrusts the down-on-his-luck singer into the clutches of the terrifying Yule Lord, Krampus. But the lines between good and evil become blurred as Jesse’s new master reveals many dark secrets about the cherry-cheeked Santa Claus, including how half a millennium ago the jolly old saint imprisoned Krampus and usurped his magic.

Now Santa’s time is running short, for the Yule Lord is determined to have his retribution and reclaim Yuletide. If Jesse can survive this ancient feud, he might have the chance to redeem himself in his family’s eyes, to save his own broken dreams, . . . and to help bring the magic of Yule to the impoverished folk of Boone County.

My Thoughts:

The cover is what captivated me at first when I saw this posted a long time ago on a “book club” group on Facebook. Ever since I learned about Krampus years ago from a friend online, I was hooked, mesmerized if you will. How could a beautiful holiday like Christmas have a darker side? A dark Santa if you will, at least that’s how I kind of see him.

The book is a bit slow to start before you really get into character development and you truly get to meet Krampus and his Belsnickels. But I have to say; I fell in love with the diverse cast of misfits and the charismatic and vengeful Krampus. You begin to feel connected to the characters in some form or another and there are those you definitely hate, like Chief Dillard. I find you either love or hate Santa in this portrayal and to be quite honest, I was not a big fan. For myself, I connected most with Krampus and his realization of the ever changing world.

Jesse, the oddly lovable main character is a bit of a lost soul until he meets Krampus. Flipping his world upside down and then some. As I was reading, I thought I wouldn’t end up liking him, that he was the typical troubled main character you’ve read in books before. But the 180 degree he makes is remarkable and you begin to see a softer side to the bad boy musician Jesse. Even though he gets himself into heaps of trouble first!

I also loved the fact that it tied in Pagan traditions and Norse Mythology, which was an unexpected surprise that I quite enjoyed. I personally find both of those topics fascinating on their own, but to have them throw into one book was a bonus.

I don’t really want to give any spoilers, but this book is definitely not short of twists and turns that will keep you wanting more, I sure did! I think the author did a fabulous job on character development and story, making you cheer and feel sympathy for the poor Yule Lord all at the same time. I can honestly say near the end of the book, I shed a tear or two.

If you love dark fantasy, a lot of profanity and a bit of gore, this book is undoubtedly worth the read. But be fair warned, this one is not for the faint of heart.

Happy Yuletide!

Ciao!

Posted in Monthly Goals and Recaps

What? It’s February Already!?

Posted on by Mama

I can’t believe the month of January flew by that quickly. It feels like just yesterday we were celebrating the holidays. I guess time flies when you have kids.

Today was a pretty okay day, very gloomy and raining outside, frankly doesn’t even feel like winter now. This ever changing weather is driving me up the wall to be completely transparent. Nothing I can really do about it other then take it day by day and make the best of it.

Yesterday I tried my hand at a new dark rye bread recipe and it was good, but something seemed to be missing. Plus it was a really mushy dough, which I’m pretty positive that the dough is suppose to be firm before baking. I asked my cousin who works in a bakery and trained as a chef what I did wrong, she made some suggestions for next time so I will have to try them out. Sorry no picture this time around, but next time!

Today I got my new glasses, which I am pretty excited about. This new prescription is absolutely incredible and for the first time in a very long time, I feel like I’m not straining my eyes to see. My eyes adjusted easily to the change. Plus I adore these new frames! My sunglasses didn’t come in yet so I couldn’t pick them up, but I will take a picture once I do! Also, my cousin (the chef) has similar glasses, can you say two peas in a pod?

Exactly what I wanted! Perfection in frame form ❤

What else today…

Oh Valeria was a chatter box and seems to be dealing with her teething pretty well. Now that I say that, I’ve probably jinxed it. She has been very playful and laughing a lot more every day. It’s nice that’s she starting to find her little voice. I swear she understands everything I say to her or maybe I just like to think so. She smiles and laughs when I tell her I love her, coincidence? What about you guys, does your baby react to things you say or did they when they were babies? Also, I think she is going through a bit of a growth spurt, she is sleeping and eating like crazy. Oh sleep….I miss you…

I finally finished Krampus The Yule Lord by Brom, book review incoming for that today as well. And onto the next one: It Rides A Pale Horse by Andy Marino.

Now I’d like to discuss some goals and hopes for February. I try to set little tasks, hopeful to complete them in my time frame, so let’s make the list!

  • Go through my clothing and get rid of anything I no longer wear, fits or need – i.e. bring to consignment or donate
  • Clean up my desk – It’s a disaster!
  • Plan out blog posts on a weekly basis
  • Finish It Rides A Pale Horse by Andy Marino and write a book review
  • Organize: 1. Our food pantry/fridge, 2. Valeria’s clothing (by age), 3. My clothing (by season/active wear), 3. Get my husband to organize his clothing, 4. The living room and re-arrange
  • See my family on my dad’s side (nonna, zia & zio, my cousin) – They haven’t met Valeria in person yet
  • See my cousin on my mom’s side (I haven’t seen her in 10-15 years, we recently reconnected and talk every day)
  • Photograph Century Manor in Hamilton – Blog post to follow once photos are captured
  • Make a list of 3 places I’d like to visit with Valeria and my husband (day trips) and photograph our outing
  • Sell some household items on Facebook Market place – Trying to declutter. ‘I wonder if I could become a minimalist…’
  • Complete a few wood burning projects – one is currently in the works and the other is a gift idea
  • THOROUGHLY CLEAN – I need to do a deep clean of our living space. I mean scrub, dust, shine, etc. You name it, I’ll be doing it
  • Begin my Sourdough starter – YES! I am so excited for this you have no idea
  • Get back to the gym and keep working on my weight loss and nutrition

I think that’s everything I’d LIKE to accomplish this month. Not in any particular order either. But I will keep you posted on how I do! What are your February plans? Do you have any goals you would like to accomplish?

Ciao!