[Ad-gifted] Today I will be sharing the review of A Collection of Christmas Stories by Brendan Nugent which consists of five short ghost stories for Christmas. The book is aimed at teens aged fifteen to eighteen but adults will also enjoy reading these stories.
The five short stories featured are The Unwitting Sin-Eater which is a short Christmas ghost story centred around a young man, Samuel James. He is fresh out of university and looking for an easy interim job, before starting work as an assistant solicitor. He finds a job called a Moirologist, a one-off, highly paid position. It sounds too good to be true but what’s the catch?
Next, Kallikantzaroi, features Brian and Judy who believe that they have purchased a bargain dream home in a beautiful location in Greece. Until their first Christmas, when supernatural figures from Greek folklore decide to spend the holiday season with them. The Cursed Christmas Tree is about Brian, a loner, who enjoys Christmas time by himself. He’s also a miser and when a free Christmas tree is on offer, it’s just too good to ignore. Unfortunately, he begins to wish that he had ignored it, as a curse is released upon him, but with good reason.
The Christmas Cows is set in Ireland and tales the tale of a farmer who hates his cows and mistreats them. One Christmas Eve at midnight everything changes, as an old folk tale comes true. Lastly, A Doll’s House at Christmas is a story is set in London and includes a ghost, creepy dolls and a doll’s house, all set in Victorian times.
What did I think of the Ghost Stories for Christmas?
Brendan Nugent’s A Collection of Christmas Ghost Stories is a wonderfully atmospheric tribute to the classic holiday-haunting tradition. Each story feels distinct, yet the book maintains a cohesive tone built on chilly settings and the sense that the veil between worlds thins as the nights grow longer. The characters in the book, often ordinary people encountering the uncanny, feel grounded and relatable, which heightens the impact when the supernatural intrudes.
Personally, I was surprised to come across a book featuring Christmas themed ghost stories as I am used to reading feel-good Christmas love stories just before Christmas so this book was something unexpected and refreshing.
The book is relatively thin with around 90 pages hence the stories are quick and easy to read. I found the book small enough to tuck into my handbag and carry with me and read whilst I waited for my children as they did their after school clubs. The book is also light enough to take with you if you are going away on holiday without taking too much baggage space.
I do like the idea of the five short stories as each story was unique and different to the other. While some stories deliver a sharper twist or more memorable apparition than others, the overall quality is consistent and the variety ensures there’s something for every ghost-story enthusiast. Nugent captures both the warmth and the eeriness of the season, making this book a welcome addition to modern Christmas ghost lore.
The five stories in the book are The Unwitting Sin-Eater, Kallikantzaroi, The Cursed Christmas Tree, The Christmas Cows and A Doll’s House at Christmas. Some stories are set locally whilst others abroad and I love the idea that each story will get the reader thinking about them. I found myself googling sin-eater, to find out if such a thing was real and found out that it was an old tradition in Scotland. The story of Kallikantzaroi also intrigued me and I found out that although this was a myth, it is widely believed that the Greek goblins did come out during Christmas time.
Nugent is local to Stoke-on-Trent and has written the book in a speaking tone, as if he was reading it out like an audio book. The book is self-published and does need a little refinement as you may come across some grammar and spelling mistakes in the book. But I am sure these will be rectified in the next print, otherwise the book is a breath of fresh air and the stories are unique and interesting. I would say this makes an interesting and unexpected gift for a friend or yourself if you are looking for a different sort of Christmas read this year.
Where you can get your copy of A Collection of Ghost Stories for Christmas and how much it costs?
A Collection of Christmas Ghost Stories is Independently Published and a copy of the paperback book is available from Amazon for £4.99.
About the Book
ASIN: B0DK6WS8FC
Language : Independently published
Hardcover : 91 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-8343419214
Reading age : 15 – 18 years
Dimensions : 15.24 x 0.53 x 22.86 cm
About the Author
Brenden Nugent is a working-class writer from the North. His Dad was a Builders’ Labourer and his mum a Cleaner. He works as a Care Assistant and part-time author. He is self-educated, having left school with no formal qualifications. However, he attended night school and got a grade A in ‘A’ level Psychology. Then a Psychology (Hons) Degree with the Open University. He has written two novels, the first titled The Sentient Ones followed by A Collection of Christmas Ghost Stories. He is currently writing the sequel to The Sentient Ones.
You May also want to read this:
Book Review: The Kew Garden’s Christmas Book by Jenny Linford
Christmas Gift Guide – Books for Adults Gift Idea
Book Review: A Perfect Paris Christmas by Mandy Baggot
* We were sent a copy of the book in return for a feature. All opinions are our own.
16 comments
This book is definitely not for me, but I do know a couple of people who would love this book who I still have to buy for. Thank you for the inspiration
I love ghost stories, I find them very entertaining and super exciting. I will try to get it, it’s 90 pages, I will read it in a couple of days.
This is definitely a different story to check out during the holidays. Nice to read something different every so often. Thanks for sharing your review.
That is so much fun! I love injecting a little holiday spookiness into the season. I have to grab this.
This sounds like such a fun and spooky twist on holiday reading. I love the mix of folklore and Christmas vibes.
I prefer cozy romance for Christmas reading, but mixing ghosts with the holiday is a fun, different idea.
This looks like a unique idea. I’ve always associated the holiday season with warm feel good stories instead of ghost stories but that contrast itself does make me curious about the book. I like the idea of short stories built around the same theme for a quick read.
OMG, that book sounds fantastic. My eldest and I love reading books and watching programmes that involve the super natural. This sounds like it would make the perfect Christmas gift addition for her!!!
It’s definitely different to have spooky Christmas stories. You usually only get fluffy silly stories about Christmas. Sounds like an interesting book x
I’ve been trying to find a Christmas book but with a bit of spooky to it , this looks right up my street
This sounds like such an intriguing read! I love Christmas stories with a darker twist, and it’s fun discovering something different from the usual holiday books.
The cover of this book LOOKS haunting! What an interesting take on a Christmas story to read.
This is a great gift idea and I personally would love this! I like scary stories and this sounds fun!
It is a lovely collection of stories as its spooky but not massively scary
I am not sure if I am up for this, but it’s giving me the Nightmare Before Christmas vibes. Anyway, thank you for sharing this review. I guess we would have to wait for the reprints to make sure the minor errors have been rectified already.
Yes hoping the reprints are done but its not too bad when it comes to the horror part as its quite humorous