On Holiday Reading

Anyone who has spent much time visiting this blog knows I’m a sucker for seasonal reading. I love matching some of my reading choices to the time of year, and of course Christmas begs for this sort of treatment. As an adult, my favorite reread in December is Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, but I’m also happy to cherry pick from a volume of Christmas stories or delve into something new. Romance readers know that this time of year brings a wealth of holiday-themed romances, both novels and anthologies, because romance goes so well with winter activities such as sleigh rides and ice skating and shopping for the perfect gift for that special someone. Young adult fiction has a handful of holiday choices, too, and of course, children’s books provide the most plentiful selection, with books about Santa Claus or Hanukkah traditions, holidays from different countries and cultures, or holiday mishaps.

Do you pick up something special to read this time of year? What are your holiday favorites?

Friday Links

TGIF! I hope you’ve all had a good week and have some wonderful plans for the weekend. Personally, I’m experiencing that summer drag, where I’m still quite busy but occasionally feel like the days have shifted into slow motion. Fewer people answering emails or their phones, more chatter about vacations on Twitter than usual, plus thoughts of things like outdoor concerts and sand in strange places. It’s the heart of the summer, at least here in the northern hemisphere, so I hope you’re taking a bit of time to enjoy it.

But you’re here for links, and so without further ado I offer you this week’s selection. Wishing you some excellent reading and writing time. Enjoy!

SF That Will Change Your Life – A great write up of the panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-con, with plenty of recommendations.

Where to Relive Your Favorite British Children’s Books – Travel ideas, with some lovely photos.

The Fantastically Normal Life of a Writer – A fun look at the writer’s day.

Dickens’s Marginalia Reveal Famous Contributors to His Journal – Dickens’s own copies of his magazine provide the names behind the anonymous contributions.

J.R.R. Tolkien on Fairy Tales, Language, the Psychology of Fantasy, and Why There’s No Such Things as “Writing for Children” – Some really interesting thoughts, backed up by a host of other well known authors.