Ever wonder how some of the most familiar songs of Christmas were written? Or when? What inspired a song? And who wrote it? Ace Collins answers just such questions in his easy to read book The Stories Behind the Greatest Hits of Christmas.

For the more traditional carols, try Best Loved Christmas Carols: the Stories Behind Twenty-five Yuletide Favorites, by Ron Clancy. There's a detailed history and beautiful illustrations for each.

And, for a look at a personal favorite of mine there's White Christmas: the Story of An American Song, by Jody Rosen. Irving Berlin originally saw this as a 'throw away' song, but look what happened!

Finally today, so our canine friends are not overlooked ... Holiday Hounds: Traditional Songs for Festive Dogs, by Laurie Loughlin and illustrated by Mary Ross. Twenty songs are given a new twist, go ahead, try singing some of them, it's great fun. ;-)

Reading Hermit With Dog