​I enter my reading books into Goodreads and each December look forward to the end of year-round-up delivered by the app. Well, there were no surprises for me in this year’s review. I have had an utterly rubbish year regards reading. I read 15 books! A grand total of 4,350 pages. I can’t remember a previous year when the number has been so low, but then my mind and energy has been spent elsewhere.
 
I could have skipped this blog post. My reading review could have been forgotten but I wanted to share as it acts as accountability for me. My intention is for 2026 to be very different. I want next year’s Goodreads reading review to reflect a healthy reading habit, not the dismal efforts of 2025.   

Recent weeks have been busy, busy, busy - so I intend to chill this Christmas and thoroughly enjoy the festive season. Below is a previous blog post outlining my Christmas traditions, including my reading habits during the festive period. This year, I won't be waiting till Christmas Eve but instead starting today, 23rd December! I wish you all the merriest of Christmases filled with love, life and laughter! 

​For me, Christmas officially begins at home on Christmas Eve. All preparations such as gift wrapping, delivery drop-offs to friends, food shopping or last-minute bulk buying of big bottles of Bailey’s liqueur has to be completed by the 23rd. If it hasn’t crossed the doorstep by that date - I can live without it!
   Such measures came into play after ‘lockdown’, when I admitted that my love of Christmas was being ruined by the corporate marketing teams and their seasonal guilt-tripping. I refused to buy into their reinvention of my Christmas. I was happy with my tried and trusted family traditions, so I made a stance! I stole back my Christmas from the corporate Grinches – along with one additional tradition especially for Christmas Eve! 
   Three years ago, I’d learnt about the Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod (meaning the Christmas Book Flood) where families present each other with a festive book and spend the evening embracing the ‘togetherness’ of reading whilst cosy and warm, accompanied by lashings of hot chocolate! I have whole heartedly nabbed and extended this tradition to fill the entire day! 
   Christmas Eve in my house is now a snuggly reading day, of self-care and seasonal pampering, in preparation for the big day. It’s no coincidence that I feast entirely on mince pies, stollen, Turkish delight and the big Bailey’s gets cracked open! 
Let’s be honest, some Christmas books are simply ‘December books’ where the setting coincides with Christmas time, and nothing more. I like genuine Christmas books where the story starts a day or two before December 25th and ends near New Year. I need to ‘meet and greet’ a cast of characters who remind me of love ones, with their quirky mannerisms, their bizarre yet unfunny jokes and their numerous allergies to turkey, plum pudding or Brussel sprouts.  
   When I dive into the pages of festive mayhem, I wish for a cosy, idyllic setting, waist-high snow drifts and unfinished arguments from yesteryear simmering beneath the festive smiles and threatening to erupt during the King’s speech. I need secret desires, mountains of chocolate treats and characters who plan to return and exchange their unwanted gifts for store vouchers. I want to read about complicated heart break, New year fears and witness gut-wrenching tears beneath or beside a real Norwegian spruce.
   This festive reading confession probably explains the reasoning behind the plot twists and seasonal ingredients crafted within my own Christmas books. My aim is to provide my readers with a traditional family Christmas, as outlined above. Sadly, I always ruin my characters’ festive break by crafting numerous trials and tribulations that ignite conflict and calamities that aren’t welcome anywhere near my own doorstep during my twelve days. Call me ‘festive-selfish’ but I want the best of both worlds! To indulge in a great Christmas book filled with chaos, mayhem and possible romance whilst experiencing a memorable yet peaceful Christmas of the Dickens variety, whilst counting my blessings, albeit with a festive coffee or three! This year, I’ve selected two classic Christmas books ready for my ‘Jolabokaflod’ reading fest.
     Wishing each and every reader, the Christmas of your dreams overflowing with festive ingredients and traditions of your choosing!

I've been off-grid for a week or so, due to moving house but I can now reveal my new writing room. I've upgraded to a downstairs office, which is helpful for both myself and my aged dog. Another advantage is being able to enjoy a view of the garden plus, I'm nearer the kettle! It hasn't been an easy few weeks, I wouldn't advise anyone to move house just before Christmas but I'm winning in the battle of the packing boxes, so can joke about it now. 

My writing desk is positioned in the nook of an old fireplace, which seems the obvious place and hopefully my stories will add to those previously told around this hearth in days gone by! The room is vast with plenty of floor space for a second larger desk, which I can use for my other pursuits. And for the first time ever, I'm surrounded by the majority of my favourite reading books. Not all but the majority! There was a moment whilst unpacking when I did wonder 'do I have too many books?' But that crazy question was answered in a heart beat so I let it pass as a moment of madness! 

The only thing I haven't got in this writing room, and am missing from my previous one, is my wild birds. I've set my bird feeders and tables in the garden so finger crossed, I attract some wildlife but at present not a single bird has been spotted. I visited my old house to collect a few forgotten bits and my beautiful doves were lining the roof, the only thing I had to hand was a box of Weetabix so I crumbled and scattered several of those - which they flew down for. I'm not sure of the intelligence of birds but I'd like to think they have missed our feeding routine.

Anyway, having been without broadband for days, I managed to join London Writers' Salon first thing this morning so my usual routine can resume, yeah! I've broken up for the holiday from my college role so I can indulge my creativity in the coming weeks. 

I wish you all a happy and healthy festive holiday filled with love, life and laughter!