Did you know that Iceland has a tradition of giving books on Christmas Eve? Called Jolabokaflod – literally “Christmas book flood” – this tradition dates back to World War II, and results in cozy nights, when families and friends gather for peaceful evenings by the fire, books in hand…. sound nice? We think so too.

(and if you want to be extra nice, buy your book gifts from an indie bookseller! (We recommend Harvard Book Store, Porter Square Books, and Brookline Booksmith, up here in the Boston area, in part because they have signed copies of all my books. Yes, they ship!)