Pre-Christmas Reading, 2016

I'm not sure if you've noticed the sidebar, but I've currently been rereading Rainbow Rowell's Landline, which I wrote about last year around this time. A wonderful book, highly recommended. It's escapist enough for these bad times, but still grounded in reality. Funny and thoughtful. Just a great, great book that's worth rereading. In fact, I just finished it last night and I think I may read it again, and I never do that.

But after I get done with Landline, I think I will get out Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising, which used to be my go-to Christmas reading. With a title like that, it's very timely.


And then I think I'll return to A Christmas Carol. Dickens nailed the essential problems of modern society, as made obvious once more in these times. Maybe you haven't heard about that book; it's a fantasy story where a rich jerk realizes the poor are more than "surplus population" who should hurry up and die.

I know just who should read it.