From Gift Lists Galore to Guidance On Literary Citizenship
Plus a spooky look at the holidays
Is it me, or is December flying by? More importantly, have you gotten all your shopping done, or are you one of the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants shoppers who head bravely out on Christmas Eve to pick up some gifts?
My INFP self got all the shopping done at the very beginning of November because my anxiety and crowds do not mix. The bummer is I miss out on a lot of great sales, but c’est la vie.
This holiday is different for us this year. It’s the first in seventeen years that we haven’t had a cat clawing at the wrapped gifts under the tree or trying to paw chunks of sugar cookies off a plate. Still, I’m thankful for this year and the things I’ve learned about life and about myself.
How was 2024 for you?
And now, the links…
Still trying to find a gift for the special bookworm?
I recently published 9 Online Stores With Fun Gifts For Bookworms. In case you’re still stuck on what to give, here are some other bookish lists of gift ideas.
Manon Wogahn, author of the magnificent Cluesletter, has a fabulous lookbook of gifts on her site.
Over at Book Riot, Kelly Jensen has a list of the Best Bookish Gifts Under $30.
Crimereads and Olivia Rutigliano have released the Crimereads 2024 Holiday Gift Guide.
Eleanor Pilcher of That’s What We Read offers a list of Cosy Gifts For Book Lovers.
At FictionMatters, Sara Hildreth lists several thoughtful items in A Small Gift Guide For Big Readers.
And last but not least, Deedi Brown of Deedi Reads gifts us with the jam-packed Ultimate Bookish (Non-Book) Holiday Gift Guide.
No matter what kind of reader you’re shopping for this year, one of these lists has got to have something they’d love!
When in doubt, a gift card to a book store is a solid choice. Thinking of going rogue and getting your book lover a book not on their list? Peter Derk at LitReactor has some thoughts on that you might want to look over first.
Have Yourself A Spooky, Murdery Little Christmas
People regaled friends with spooky stories during the holidays long before Dickens’s A Christmas Carol was published. Grady Hendrix examines the origins of the Christmas ghost story in How The Holidays Became Haunted at Reactor.
Christmastime is for merriment and joyful spirits. So Why Do We Read Crime At Christmas? Fans chime in on the official Agatha Christie site.
Be A Better Reader In 2025
Claire Swinarski at Coffee With Claire shares How To Be A Good Literary Citizen In 2025.
On Reactor, Molly Templeton implores readers to get loud about the books they love. Now.
If you aren’t sure what to read next, Michelle Debczak at Mental Floss suggests trying out TheLibraryMap.
Just For Fun
Did you know you can vote for future Lego products at Lego Ideas? It’s not just all superheroes there, folks. Check out this pitch for an amazing Lego replica of the iconic Clue board. I’d absolutely buy this if it was released!
Curious about when a word was first used in print? Or what words were added to the dictionary, officially coming into existence, the year you were born? Check out Time Traveler on the Merriam-Webster site.
I just finished watching A Man On The Inside on Netflix and, oh my. It was so satisfying. Ted Danson’s character infiltrates a retirement home to discover who’s stealing items from the residents. This show is more about the characters than the mystery and it’s excellent. Amazing performances by everyone involved and a touching storyline that transcends the mystery subplot. 100% recommended.
I hope the end of 2024 finds all of you well, dear readers. Good luck to those of you still braving the shopping malls and navigating festive get-togethers. Happy holidays and happy New Year! See you in 2025.