Bookish Christmas Tag

Happy Boxing Day, bookish friends! Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope you had a lovely day and that your winter is filled with comfort and cheer. I was on my own this year, so I celebrated by reading romance novels, watching reruns of I Love Lucy, and working on this delightful Bookish Christmas Tag that I found over at Michaela’s Journey Into Books, which is always a good place to hang out and find reading recommendations. The tag was created by Callum McLaughlin.

QUESTIONS

Father Christmas: Name a book you received as a child that you treasure to this day.

When I was a kid, I fell in love with with Louisa May Alcott’s An Old-Fashioned Girl. My grandparents gave me my own copy, and I treasure it to this day. It’s not a particularly ornate edition, just a regular Puffin Classics paperback, but it’s one of a select few books I need with me, wherever I’m living, even if I’m only there for a few weeks and don’t have time to read. It’s a book that feels like home.

The ghost of Christmas past: Is there a book or series you like to revisit each year at Christmas time?

Many! But these past few years, it just isn’t Christmas if I don’t read Random Harvest by James Hilton. It’s not a Christmas story, but it’s perfect for winter reading — and I first read it around Christmas time, so my brain associates it with the season.

Christmas tree: Name a series that reaches new heights with every entry.

Hm… I tend to think series get worse with time, but Dorothy L. Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries certainly get better later in the series. And so far, Sherry Thomas’s Lady Sherlock books are progressing nicely, too.

Friends and family: Name a book with fantastic characters.

The characters of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society are genuinely some of my favorites. I want them to adopt me, just like they adopted Juliet.

Decorations: Name a book with a gorgeous cover you would proudly display on your shelves.

I really have to say the Peter Wimsey mysteries again because how gorgeous are these editions from Hodder & Stoughton? I have my favorites in these editions, and they sit in a place of honor, where I can see them from practically anywhere in my home.

Christmas cards: Name a book that carries a great message.

Oh, The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald! It’s couched in some old-fashioned rhetoric and traditional Christian values, but the core messages of faith, honor, and loyalty are universal. The sequel, The Princess and Curdie, takes it even further (and yes, darker), and provides great food for thought.

Ice and snow: Name a book that you were hoping to love but which ultimately left you feeling cold.

Hm… I think The Remains of the Day fits that description. I think Kazuo Ishiguro is an excellent craftsman, but it’s hard for me to connect to his work on an emotional level.

Christmas lunch: Name a book that was big and intimidating but oh so worth it in the end.

So many! Middlemarch by George Eliot, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, and Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell — to name a few!

Mince pies: Name a book you found sweet and satisfying.

Because I just read it (review coming SOON!), I have to say The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews. It was everything I wanted it to be and more, and I’m completely in love with the characters.

Presents: What book do you wish you could give everyone to read?

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. If you don’t like this book, I don’t trust you.

Spreading the festive cheer: Tag some friends to help spread the festive bookish love.

I tag… YOU. This was a lot of fun, so I want to share it with everyone. Please let me know if you do the tag, as I’d love to read your answers!

—b