Twelve authors and twelve illustrators combined their skills to create twelve stories about the twelve Doctors in Doctor Who: Twelve Doctors of Christmas. It'd be fun to say I read this in the twelfth month, but I actually read it in the ninth. Still, I am posting it in the twelfth month ... I sometimes read holiday books early so I have them ready to go when the actual season comes. ;-) What does the Doctor do on Christmas? Where (and when) is he? A delightful collection, one for each Doctor.

Out door lighting at this time of year has gone from the simple to the extreme. There are over the top displays that include one house to an entire neighborhood. In fact, when a house is sold in one of these neighborhoods, it's often part of the sale that the new owner will continue with the display. Merry Christmas America! Megawatt Displays Across the U.S.A., by Bruce Littlefield is a rather nice 'tour' of many of these homes, what their display is like, how they got started and so forth. It came out in 2007 so be thinking as you read (and look at the pictures) there are some now even more ... megawatt than these!

I read this clear back in May but decided to wait and include it here, for obvious reasons. ;-) God Rest Ye Grumpy Scroogymen: New Traditions for Comfort and Joy at Christmas, by Laura Jensen Walker and Michael K. Walker is a nice collection of ideas for making the holidays less stressful, whether you are on your own, or part of a large family. You should find yourself laughing as the authors share stories of their holidays ... good and bad.

Here's a book from the old series Christmas Around the World put out by World Book: Christmas in Canada. While dated (published in 1994) I am hoping that many of these traditions continue to today, especially the Christmas Lights Across Canada ceremony! Here, on the first Thursday in December the lights on the government buildings across Canada are all turned on at the same time! (A quick search tells me that yes, this amazing tradition will happen this year on December 7th). A nice read that includes a great variety of traditions, crafts, recipes, and carols.

Reading Hermit With Dog