Ratings by story:

Midnights: by Rainbow Rowell 5/5
Before now, my only Rainbow Rowell experience was Fangirl, which I (mostly) liked.
I will definitely read more of her work in the future.
This was my favorite story in the entire anthology. I honestly feel like it was a mistake to start with this story, because it set my expectations for the rest of the book very high, and I ended up feeling slightly underwhelmed in the end.

The friendship/romance was sweet and relatable. Noel and Mags were flawed and interesting.

I loved the structure showing the growth of their relationship in terms of New Years Eve and the holidays.

My heart wanted this to be a full-length novel so I could have more of these characters. But in my head I feel like this was a perfect length for this narrative. That being said, if Rowell ever adapted this into a novel, I would totally be here for it.



The Lady and the Fox: by Kelly Link 1/5
I really hated this story. I didn't like the writing style at all. It felt like I was dropped in the middle of a full-length book with events being mentioned off-the-cuff without any context. The main character casually talks about her mother being in a Thai prison for years (I think at one point she says that she's in for life, but I could be mistaken.) like it's no big deal. She might as well be talking about the weather. Her mother was a personal assistant (a dresser) for the woman who takes Miranda in every Christmas.

How on Earth does a wardrobe person end up in a Thai prison for life?! This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Later in the story she goes to Thailand to try to visit her mother and ends up leaving after being turned away a couple of times. Again, like it's no big deal. Her reactions are not normal. And it's not like she goes home. She jets off to Japan to hang out for a few months.

I didn't like any of the characters, I didn't like the 'romance', and I didn't like the magical realism elements of the story in the way it was executed by this author.

Needless to say, I will not pursue any of this author's other works.



Angels in the Snow: by Matt de la Peña 3.5-4/5
This is my first experience reading a story by this author. I really ended up enjoying it. I liked that the main character was a male, and a minority at that. His culture influenced his decisions and actions in a way that felt totally authentic to me.
I liked the romance aspect, but I didn't love it. I kind of wish it had just been a friendship kind of connection rather than a romantic one. I'm not even sure why, but it felt a little forced.



Polaris is Where You'll Find Me: by Jenny Han 3/5
This story was okay. I've read several Jenny Han books and feel the same way about this that I feel about most of her work. It's cute, fluffy, but not really substantive.

Since it took place at the North Pole and had elves as major characters (not to mention Santa Claus), I was expecting it to be a little more magical. But I didn't really like the main character...which is another thing this has in common with other Jenny Han books I've read.

The main character Natalie is a Korean-born human who is adopted by Santa when she is abandoned. She grows up feeling (understandably so) like an outsider in the midst of all these elves. She makes up stories and everyone knows she is lying (so is she getting coal in her stocking? Because last I checked, lying should land you right on the naughty list)...
It also ends very abruptly. I get that this is a short story, but this needed another couple of pages to really feel complete.
This story was fine. I just didn't love it.



It's a Yuletide a Miracle, Charlie Brown: by Stephanie Perkins 4.5/5
I really enjoyed this story. It was cute and sweet, with some real moments of feeling that convinced me of its authenticity. My one real issue with this would be that the romance is a little more 'insta-lovey' than I would normally like, but I can chalk that up to Christmas magic doing its thing :)



Your Temporary Santa: by David Levithan 2.5-3/5
I haven't read any David Levithan before this. I've heard a lot of great things about him so I was really excited to read this.

It was just okay for me. I liked the diversity present in this story, but I didn't really connect to any of the characters. I feel like this the way I felt about the Lady and the Fox. It felt like I was dropped into the middle of a longer story without the context necessary to understand the motivations and actions of different characters.

The main character (whose name I can't remember) has this fear that his boyfriend is going to break up with him, but it's never explained why. The boyfriend's sister has this weird territorial attitude toward her brother which struck me as slightly toxic, to be honest. And again, it's never explained why she acts the way she does. The mom apparently is a real winner who routinely pops tranquilizers before bed, to the point where she wouldn't hear someone breaking into and lurking around her house in the middle of the night...

I still want to check out some other David Levithan, but I don't have as urgent a desire to do it at this point in time.



Krampuslauf: by Holly Black 2/5
I've never read this author, and I have no urge to in the future. I didn't like this story. I didn't connect to the characters, the setting, the writing...I didn't hate it as much as the Lady and the Fox, and there was a little more of a connection with this story, but not much.



What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?: by Gayle Forman 4-4.5/5 stars
I really liked this. I liked that the main character was Jewish, and I liked the love interest quite a bit. I liked that Forman explored the idea of feeling like an outsider and realizing that you really do have a place.


Will update with the rest of my thoughts shortly.