The boy’s birthday weekend is over, and it was lovely. He liked his presents, we met up with loads of friends and family and watched a few movies. I fell behind a little on work, hence a hellish number of pages to get through at the beginning of this week, but everything should be back on an even keel soon. And there’s something to look forward too – all that extra reading you get to do over Christmas!
When I was young and completely unable to sleep, I went through a phase of reading the whole of a Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve. I think that only lasted for about three years, but it was a good time while it lasted, and it’s a book that now has a particularly special place in my heart.
Now, I still sometimes find it hard to sleep before Christmas (so grown up), so I need to make sure I have an extra interesting book in my pile to keep me quiet while I’m back in the family home and everyone else is sleeping. Then there’s Christmas day itself, where I’m bound to get at least one or two books, and even if I don’t I can guarantee someone in my family will, taking care of spare hours on the day itself and boxing day. And the quiet day where you go back to your own home after being caught up in a whirlwind of family? Perfect time to snuggle in with yet another book.
I’ve just finished re-reading The Stone Diaries and Zoe Heller’s Everything You Know (rewards because I read a few books I didn’t enjoy so much recently) and Jennifer Egan’s Goon Squad blew me away. Now I have a stack of books donated by Fin’s folks to get stuck into but I’m definitely taking Anton Chekhov’s A Russian Affair with me for the night before Christmas in all of its Penguin Great Loves beauty. What are you reading? Do you have a traditional ‘Christmas Book’?
Lynsey May 
I’ve just started reading the new printing of MR James ghost stories. One story a night, just before going to bed. Excellent stuff. And it’s annotated so you get all the interesting notes about all the stories. Wonderfully spooky stuff for Christmas nights.
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Sounds perfect, although would probably keep me awake even longer!
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My mum knew it was pretty much essential to pack my stocking with books to keep me quiet from my excited wake-up at around 4AM until the more reasonable family presents opening hour of 9AM. They were usually books about dinosaurs…
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I hope you have a book about dinos in your bag right now.
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I don’t have a Christmas book as such, films and music, yes. Kids enjoy the Snowman though. I am also reading Chekhov – The Lady with the Little Dog and Other Stories. Been on a bit of a Russian tip lately.
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I love that story! I saw somewhere that they are making another snowman film for next year, maybe a new one for the Christmas traditions.
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Angela Carter’s ‘The Bloody Chamber’ without a doubt – utterly delicious! followed by watching Neil Jordan’s ‘The Company of Wolves’.
I’ve never read Dickens. I know. I shouldn’t even be admitting that. Well, now I have a New Year resolution at least…
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Hehe, sounds like a good resolution. I got a lovely looking autobiography about him for my Christmas so I’ll be getting stuck into that. I do love me a bit of Angela Carter too, maybe for new year!
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