Seasonal Reading

I read, a lot - it's a good way to keep me out of trouble and give my brain a different kind of exercise than quilt math or trying to mix colours. I read new works on a fairly regular basis, but I have dozens of old standbys to get me through the year. Some of which I read when the moment strikes - I just finished Monica Sheridan's 'The ARt of Irish Cooking' because, well, it's winter and I wanted to read about stews and potatoes and colcannon, all the comfort foods that keep us going through the long days.

This is also about the time of year when I pull out 'All the Blue Moons at the Wallace Hotel' by Phoebe Stone. It's sadly out of print, and I say sadly because it strikes me as one of the most worthwhile modern books for girls 8-12. I didn't grow up with a sister and didn't suffer bankruptcy and the death of my father as a young girl, but the lessons of family, friendship, and functioning in the world under the weight of great sadness still ring true for me. You can find used copies at the linked image.

Sometime on Christmas Eve I will break out Marcus Sedgwick's 'The Book of Dead Days.' I'm tempted to pull it out after the Yule celebration, but force myself to wait those extra few days. Last year I didn't make it past my morning cup of tea before I was back in the rotten stinking City, greatful for the snow that temporarily covered up the smell of something much worse than horses or people and wondered what secret canals The Phantom would spring from next. Boy is my hero and Willow my little stalwart. Although the book tracks the days from Christmas to New Year's, I don't have that kind of willpower and generally finish it by Boxing Day. It's rapidly followed by the sequel, 'The Dark Flight Down', for which I have no pretense of waiting until January 3rd to begin.

It dawned on me as I pulled out my stack of 'winter classics' that I only have one for summer - David Grann's 'The Lost City of Z.' Perhaps that's because the days are longer and there's always something else to do in the summer.

And it makes me wonder - does any one else do this, does any one else pull out books the way they do decorations?