Christmas Reading

One of the things I enjoy most about the festive season is selecting suitable fiction to read to get me into a Christmas mood. There are lots of old favourites to choose from as well as new titles to dip into. Every year I read a couple of chapters of Nicholas Nickleby - the ultimate Christmas book for me - as well as rereading many old faithfuls.

On my bedside table this year are:
Jane Shaw's No Trouble for Susan - skating, pantomime and carol singing - as well as some great characters and atmosphere.
Miss Read - Christmas at Thrush Green - although a newcomer to the Thrush Green novels and co-written with Miss Read - this novel is now a firm favourite.
Mary Gervaise - The Two Veronicas - wonderfully evocative of the 1930's Christmas.

Newcomers this year include:
Trisha Ashley's The Magic of Christmas
Marcia Willett's The Christmas Angel
Cally Taylor - Home for Christmas
I have finally got round to reading Jane Gordon Cumming's A Proper Family Christmas published by Transita and it's a really good read with a wonderful cast of dysfunctional families.

If I get time over the Christmas break I will definitely be dipping into some Malcolm Saville, maybe Strangers at Snowfell; a couple of Enid Blyton - the Rat a Tat Tat Mystery probably and Arthur Ransome's Winter Holiday. There is also the fabulous Marjorie Lloyd's Fell Farm Christmas as well as some Christmas cosy crime... The list just goes on and on.....

Finally, as an early Christmas present, my lovely husband bought me a year's subscription to Slightly Foxed - so this has found its way onto my reading pile too. It's full of fabulous festive treats. Which reminds me - where would this time of year be without the Girls' Own Annual and articles and stories from the twenties and thirties. More of this excellent publication in my next post.