So, I have to confess, I’m not much of one for holiday books. I certainly would struggle to pick a favorite.
Of course, I do have a deep fondness for A Christmas Carol. It’s a fantastic story, that’s at the same time deceptively simple in structure, yet rich and complex in execution. And I kind of love that it went from concept to in-stores in six weeks as a “damn I need some fast money” ploy. Which: mad respect.
On a simpler level, I love A Visit from St. Nicholas. It’s such a pure and delightful story of Christmas joy, and there was a time when I could recite it for memory. Now I might stop and stumble a bit if I tried. But as a story, as a piece of poetry, it’s a deep favorite for me.
I think both, for me, represent something fundamental and pure about my feelings of the season. Like: hey, here’s a little bit of the magic of Christmas, and maybe, just maybe, experiencing it will make you a slightly better person.
That’s how I like to think of it, at least.