We are now exactly three weeks away from Christmas day! Ahhh!!  I’m so excited, but honestly, time needs to slow down – it’s all coming so fast! lol

Anyway, here we are with my third Countdown to Christmas for 2016. Countdown to Christmas is a weekly feature where I recommend a different Christmas-y book each week to read during this holiday season, which was inspired by Kourtni Reads‘ Christmas countdown!

This week’s pick is The Gift by Cecelia Ahern.

Step into the magical world of Cecelia Ahern.

If you could wish for one gift this Christmas, what would it be?

Everyday Lou Suffern battled with the clock. He always had two places to be at the same time. He always had two things to do at once. When asleep he dreamed. In between dreams, he ran through the events of the day while making plans for the next. When at home with his wife and family, his mind was always someplace else.

On his way into work one early winter morning, Lou meets Gabe, a homeless man sitting outside the office building. Intrigued by him and on discovering that he could also be very useful to have around, Lou gets Gabe a job in the post room.

But soon Lou begins to regret helping Gabe. His very presence unsettles Lou and how does Gabe appear to be in two places at the same time?

As Christmas draws closer, Lou starts to understand the value of time. He sees what is truly important in life yet at the same time he learns the harshest lesson of all.

This is a story about people who not unlike parcels, hide secrets.They cover themselves in layers until the right person unwraps them and discovers what’s inside. Sometimes you have to be unravelled in order to find out who you really are. For Lou Suffern, that took time.

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I really ended up enjoying The Gift more than I thought I would!  I figured it would be a very typical Hallmark-y type Christmas book, but it ended up being so much more.  I could really see it becoming a movie someday, though!  The Gift is one of those books that makes you slow down and really think about the things that truly matter in this life – a good reminder all year, but especially at Christmastime.  Be forewarned though, I did shed a few tears while reading this one!

Have any of you read this book? Let me know what you thought!

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