Christmas Day is now just ten days away, prompting me to reconsider just how much time I have to do all my holiday shopping. I mean, even if I had the money to buy thoughtful presents, everything’s pretty much coming from Target at this point. If only there were a cost-effective, homemade gift I couldContinue reading

Today we have the story “House Tour” from Lee Smith‘s most recent collection, Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger. In this brilliant gem of a story, a woman is completely unaware that her house is part of a Christmas House Tour. Smith was inspired by a similar experience, when she became an inadvertent participant inContinue reading

Today we have the story “House Tour” from Lee Smith‘s most recent collection, Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger. In this brilliant gem of a story, a woman is completely unaware that her house is part of a Christmas House Tour. Smith was inspired by a similar experience, when she became an inadvertent participant inContinue reading

On the Second Day of Merry Christmas Week we’re giving you a short story by Larry Brown. “Merry Christmas, Scotty” is about that holiday you spend alone–for this guy, that means a tent pitched in a motel parking lot (don’t worry, he has a TV), the ardent pursuit of eggnog, and the inevitability of ChristmasContinue reading

Welcome to Merry Christmas Week on the Algonquin Books Blog! To prepare you for all your holiday festivities, we’ve got decadent recipes and seasonal drinks and Christmassy stories from Algonquin authors, all week long! And whether you’re celebrating Christmas, or just enjoying the holiday season, we wish you all ten extra pounds and plenty ofContinue reading

December is one of my favorite times of year. For many of us, it means time to bring out the Bing Crosby songbook, time to unearth the scary Christmas napkins that look as if Santa’s had one too many eggnog. . . Time to break out the leggings and the dresses to go with theContinue reading