'Dickens and Christmas' by Lucinda Hawksley

Merry Christmas!  The decs are up, the gifts are wrapped and I have a mug of cocoa, so it must be time for a read!  Normally, I'd be diving into the absolute perfection that is 'A Christmas Carol' around about now, but this year, for a change, I decided to uncover the story of the author's relationship with Christmas by reading 'Dickens and Christmas' by Lucinda Hawksley.

'Downton Shabby' by Hopwood DePree

Ever dreamed of discovering that you're descended from aristocracy and that there's a family mansion out there somewhere?  The thought may have crossed your mind wandering around a stately home; tea in the library, croquet on the lawn, games in the billiard room...  Sounds irresistible, doesn't it?  Then you might enjoy my latest read, 'Downton Shabby: One American's Ultimate DIY Adventure Restoring His Family's English Castle' by the magnificently named Hopwood DePree.

Chain Reaction: Hereford Cathedral's Chained Library

Hereford might be a lovely city.  I have absolutely no idea.  When I visited recently, it was largely obscured by rolling clouds of fog, roaming the streets and disorienting unwary visitors like me.  Perhaps it was part of a plot by Worcester and Gloucester to stop people finding Hereford Cathedral.  If so, I'm glad to say it failed and I eventually made it to the home of the unique chained library.

'Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes' by Rob Wilkins

I've only read one Terry Pratchett novel - 'Good Omens', his collaboration with Neil Gaiman - so it might seem strange that I was so excited about his official biography, 'A Life with Footnotes' by Rob Wilkins.  After all, there are plenty of other authors I've not read, so what was it about Terry Pratchett that made him stand out?