I'll start with The Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore today. My copy is illustrated by Florence Sarah Winship (and cost, are you ready, a quarter!), but there are lots and lots of versions available from many different artists. There used to be a dad in the neighborhood that read this to any of us who (of all ages) would listen every year.

I reread Miracle on 34th Street, by Valentine Davies every other year or so. I watch the movie every year. The original, not the dreadful remake. I loved learning if Santa sleeps with his whiskers on the inside or outside of the blankets. :-)

A young pilot is on his way home for Christmas eve when everything goes wrong, the compass fails, as do the engines, and then fog surrounds the plane. Lost and alone, he is facing a certain death when a plane of WWII vintage shows up beside him. The author of The Shepherd, Frederick Forsyth, was a pilot with the Royal Air Force, and I've read that aviators like this book. Even for a non-pilot such as myself, this is a proper Christmas miracle read.

I both read, and saw, a wonderful version of The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry in the same year. It was an immediate favorite and I have a small book of just this one O. Henry story that I pull off the shelf every December. A sweet, simple tale of gift giving.

A cozy mystery from my 'favorites' shelf: The Christmas Quilt, by Jennifer Chiaverini. The discovery of an unfinished quilt spanning several generations of Bergstrom quilters sparks memories of times past (something this author does very well).

And of course, there's the ubiquitous A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Versions of this have been seen in everything from sitcoms, to modern movies, to ads and commercials. There's even a musical called 'Scrooge' that I rather enjoyed many years ago. For me, reading it is still the best way to go. (I know someone that reads it to the chickens every December) :-)

A late entry this ... from the title I was thinking it would make a great addition to an upcoming blog about tea, but it will actually fit better here. The Haunted Tea-Cosy: a Dispirited and Distasteful Diversion for Christmas is yet another take on Christmas Carol. The twist here is that it is by Edward Gorey! The 'host' is none other than Bahhum Bug. Subtle and witty.

Enjoy the season!

Reading Hermit With Dog