"December's red jewel"

December review of great reading, writing, listening, and watching

“The year dwindles and glows
to December's red jewel…”

‘December’ by Carol-Ann Duffy

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

December is always a tricky one for a reading and writing life, I find.  Busy schedules as both the party season starts and the end of the year winds down can mean school events if you have kids (or are teaching), work events, gift buying or making, family gatherings…

As someone who gets easily overwhelmed, especially at this time of year, I tend to try and be sensitive to my needs in December, taking time whenever possible to stay cosy and warm with a good book, a warm beverage, and the odd treat to go with it!  I also try to counter all this sitting down with bracing walks and yoga classes!!

We have had some of the most beautiful sunrise and sunsets this December here in the UK, with the fading light streaking the skies at around 3pm, making a winter’s afternoon walk or cosy window gazing a real treat as we headed into the winter solstice.

Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash

I do often find myself indulging in re-reading books from my own bookshelves in December, as I often receive books as gifts from family for Christmas.

Book Reading this month…

This month, my book reading has taken the form of re-reading Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout, who is one of my favourite contemporary writers.  It seemed fitting to end the year with this, as I started out the year with her newest book, Lucy by the Sea, the fourth book to feature the character of Lucy Barton.  In Anything is Possible, Lucy is mentioned in most of the stories but only actually appears in one of them.  All of Strout’s books are worth a read for her ear for dialogue and the nuances of character.

Substack posts I’ve enjoyed this month…

This post on Animated which reminded me of my love of the magical story of Peter Pan as a child; Jenna Park’s piece on quitting and returning to something you love (in this case, art) on Everything is Liminal; and Victoria K Walker’s essay exploring the love and friendship of Vita Sackville-West on Beyond Bloomsbury.   

Articles I’ve enjoyed this month…

I was sad to hear of the death of Benjamin Zephaniah this month.  His words will continue to inspire generations.  I read a couple of tributes to the inspirational poet that you might enjoy, if you missed them.

A new poem has been unveiled dedicated to the women of British football by former poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy.

I was over the moon to read that the release of the 5th volume of the LGBTQ+ series of graphic novels, Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, became the UK’s fastest selling graphic novel ever!  My teenager has read and enjoyed the first four, and one of my best memories of the past year was watching the Netflix production of the first series with them.  If you haven’t caught it (perhaps because you don’t have a teenager in your household) it is well worth a watch. 

Finally, I enjoyed this piece around joy in literature - a welcome respite from the darkness of recent times. 

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

What I’ve enjoyed listening to this month… 

This podcast with author Joanna Wolfarth on her first book: Milk: An Intimate History of Breast Feeding.  Wolfarth's book sounds fascinating and blends cultural and art history with her personal experience of early motherhood and feeding her son.  Just the kind of thing I like to get into! 

What I’ve enjoyed watching this month…

We have just finished watching the final series of Ghosts (the original UK version), which is a brilliant concept featuring characters from different historical periods living together in the afterlife, alongside a young couple who inherit the estate where they all died.  I know - it doesn’t sound as good as it is!  But the cast write the episodes (formerly the cast of the Horrible Histories children’s TV show), the characters are so well drawn, and the comedy is very much up to date.  If you haven’t caught it, all episodes are on BBCiPlayer and are a light relief from the troubles of the world.

That’s it for now, other than to say: I hope you have a wonderful, peaceful holiday season (whether you celebrate or not) and to thank you for your reading, subscribing, sharing, and commenting on my work this year. Your support means so much!

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