Greenport Librarian: Nothing Beats 'A Christmas Carol' Amongst Today's Titles

In the world of modern literature, holiday titles come and go. And though the librarians at Floyd Memorial Library in Greenport have a bunch of recent Christmas-themed books on display through the month, library director Lisa Richland says she still prefers the classics.

"I find it interesting that holiday themed fiction books are published year after year, when you really can't top Clement Moore's 'The Night Before Christmas' or Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' or 'A Child's Christmas in Wales' by Dylan Thomas," she said. "Some popular authors have written holiday themed books, like Anne Perry, who usually writes Victorian mystery and detective novels, and RIchard Paul Evans, who can be relied on to pen a holiday themed-story each year. James Patterson writes detective novels in different series, and brings out a holiday themed book every year now. But they aren't classics, and they will be forgotten by Jan. 15."

Well, if you're feeling modern despite the pull of Dickens, here are a few titles to check out at Floyd Memorial Library through Christmas:

"The Nine Lives of Christmas" — Sheila Roberts: A cat pleads to the Creator for a nice long final life during the holidays.

"Six Geese A-Slaying" — Donna Andrews: A very Christmas-y murder mystery.

"Christmas on Jane Street" — Billy Romp, Wanda Urbanska: This is a true heartwarmer about a part-time Manhattan merchant and his family selling Christmas trees on a street corner in the city.

"The Winter Solstice: The Sacred Traditions of Christmas" — John Matthews: Christmas doesn't have to be overspending on material things you don't need. Flip through this comprehensive history of folklore, songs, recipes, and other activities people have practiced through the ages to commemorate Christmas.

And now ... for something completely different!

"Monty Python's Flying Circus: Complete and Annotated ... All the Bits" — Luke Dempsey: That's right, read every single script from the "Flying Circus" over Christmas break. And be sure not to be confused about your favorite color ...

What are you reading this holiday season? Tell us in the comments.

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