The Christmas Books

It's the first week of December

And time for the Christmas books to make an appearance

They long ago got taken off of real book shelves

They took up too much valuable real estate

And so they were put away

To be brought out in December

Stacks of them

Big Stacks of Them!

With smaller books on the table between the chairs.

We've been buying Christmas books for a long time

Those annuals put out by Victoria (the first Victoria), Southern Living, 

and books by Martha Stewart and Mary Carol Garrity (Nell Hill's)

Cookbooks, Reading Books, Decorating Books

Full of new recipes to try

New ways to decorate a mantle

New Christmas crafts to pursue

And some are just for reading

even if they contain recipes, home decor or crafts.

Today the books came out . . .

And my favorite?

Christmas Memories with Recipes

I'm not sure of when it was published -- but Martha Stewart was just starting out -- she was billed as Martha Koystra Stewart.    

There are other well known to me now chefs as well

And I enjoy reading their Christmas stories and seeing their menus.

I read the stories over and over again!

It's like old friends come to visit me in December!

I leave the books upstairs in the sunroom,

and perhaps go upstairs a little early to read a book or two before bedtime.

Afternoon tea, too, is often taken in the sunroom

for when I'm alone, my afternoon tea companion is always a book.

Will I add a new one this year?

I'm not sure for I've looked at them

(and I did add Nigella's Christmas book last year)

but haven't found any yet that are as good as my old friends.

And if I buy any more books, the stack is really going to get teetery!

Their time is short but they are enjoyed the month 

that they are out.

And I don't feel that a pile of books by a chair in a room with bookcases is a "mess"

I think it's character!