It's December, so I have decreed that it is now ok to discuss holiday stuff. One of my favorite things to do at this time of year is read old Christmas favorites as I gear up for Yule. These books are always on my December reading list.
Chris Moore's The Stupidest Angel is one of the funniest, most ridiculous, and yet most delightful books you'll ever read. Moore is a favorite of mine, though not always an auto-buy. I'd say 85% of his stuff is genius. The rest is sort of... all over the map. But The Stupidest Angel is just an absolute romp... yes, I said ROMP. Trust me. You don't often get angels, dead-zombie-Santas, and labradors packaged quite like this.
My absolute favorite author of all time is Terry Pratchett. Hogfather is a brilliant look at the origins of Christmas and/or Yule. It challenges our notions of belief while, in typical Pratchett style, reinforcing them at the same time. If you have never read Pratchett's Discworld novels you may get a teenie bit lost, but it is more likely to hold up as a single read than most of the others. One of my all time favorites.
If classics are your game, there isn't anything more Yuletidey Yummy than Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I think most women who write are all secretly channeling Jo, one of the first role models for us. It is a beautiful novel for almost all ages... and can touch even the coldest heart. Hey, Joey Tribiani had to put it in the freezer!
So those are my favorites. What books do you reach for at this time of year? Dickens? Or something I may not know and want to add to my own list?
