Fun
Knit to This: Seth’s Christmas Ghost Stories
In an effort to get people to revive the Victorian tradition of reading a ghost story on Christmas Eve, the good people at Biblioasis have spent the past few holiday seasons releasing handfuls of vintage titles. Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is probably the most famous example of stories from the tradition—and almost the only one carrying the torch these days—but there’s also Dickens’ The Signalman.
The Biblioasis series is made up of teeny tiny stocking-sized paperbacks that fit just about anywhere and are beautifully designed and illustrated by the artist Seth. Some are from long-forgotten authors but Shirley Jackson is in the mix, along with Edith Wharton and Daphne DuMaurier. There’s a wide range—some are genuinely spooky, some (when held to today’s horror movie standards) are borderline campy, but I’ve yet to read one that wasn’t genuinely entertaining.
They’re perfect for anyone in your life who likes a little vinegar dashed on the relentless Frosty the Snowman/Target endcap tweeness of the holiday season. Find that person and get them to read these stories to you as you knit. Win/win!
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Missed you DG! Glad you’re back!
I love to read aloud, but I have a hard time finding anyone to listen. Maybe this year I’ll just read to the dog…
And a brief Dickens mystery, maybe you know – I once read a creepy story by him about a man visited by a spirit, whom he asks to remove his memory so he can forget a lost love. But because he has no memories of love or loss, he loses all empathy for other people, and so everyone avoids him and he’s miserable. For the life of me I can’t find what story it was, ring any bells? It all ends happily somehow, the spirit returns his memories.
I think that’s The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain
Thank you!
Just finished a quilt for a voracious reader as a “snuggle up and read” Christmas gift. Tucking a few of Christmas tales of horror in as well. Thanks for the great suggestion, DG! Have missed seeing your name pop up on MDK!
Hi, DG! That’s all…just hi! Glad to read your thoughts again 🙂
Hi DG! Missed you a whole lot….everything you write is gold!
Love this – thanks for the heads-up! Ordered.
I guess my comment eaten every time your post appears is that you bring a wonderful exploration to my life. Thank you so very much.
Thanks DG, and very happy to see your not-quite-smiling face, really missed you!
Seriously DJ, you just came to the rescue in my house! Last year, we had a family wedding, blah, blah, new people, blah, blah, Christmas, blah, blah so I did the Icelandic tradition and everyone from both of the families got a book and chocolate for Christmas Eve. For each person, I picked a book that I love and thought the recipient would love. It was really, really fun. We also have a 1960s mystery novel in our family lore that is really fun but none of the new folks or the younguns knew about it so they each got one of those as well (which took some serious used book hunting). Add in a Tony Chocolonely bar and it was a fun gift. I just ordered four sets of these and this year’s Christmas Eve gift is done!
Been missing me some DG!
Welcome back, DG! I was worried you had slipped away from MDK. Hope you are well. Thanks for the book recommendations… they might be just the great surprise for our college-age daughter.
Yes, you have been missed!
You’ve been missed, DJ. So relieved to see your missive and finally get a chance to read it.
Funny – – true! I was thinking as I opened my Snippets, “Wonder if DG is going to have something to say?” So happy Yes!!