Hi!

It appears that this year is hurtling toward its end at breakneck speed.

Every year I’m surprised by the way the last quarter of the year tilts downhill and sends us spinning faster and faster into the new year. It’s as though the years are only interested in having nine months, but since we insist they give us twelve, they just rush through the last three the way a student rushes through the end of their lunch so they can get to recess.

I guess that means that past years are all playing on some playground together somewhere. If they are, I hope 2007 has stopped being such a bully, and that 1988 finally got over the idea that perming her hair was a good idea. 

Since 2019 is inhaling it’s pudding, trying to finish up, I thought I’d point out that there’s a holiday coming up that has developed a bit of a connection with gift giving. You may not have noticed, but somewhere along the line Christmas became a time of giving presents to those we love. And sometimes random people we don’t really care about. 

In Iceland, there’s a national tradition called Jolabokaflod, or the “Christmas Book Flood.”

“The culture of giving books as presents is very deeply rooted in how families perceive Christmas as a holiday,” says Kristjan B. Jonasson, president of the Iceland Publishers Association. “Normally, we give the presents on the night of the 24th and people spend the night reading.” (link) 

This, of course, is a fantastic idea, and our family adopted it last year. We all exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve and spent time reading by the fire. It was lovely, and we plan to do it again this year.

In that spirit, I wanted to offer something:

If anyone purchases a paperback copy of one of my books between now and Christmas, I will send you a free signed bookplate to stick in it. 

(For those of you, who like my daughter just said, “What’s a bookplate?”, it’s a small, printed label that you can stick on the title page of the book.) (Note to self – talk about cool bookplates in future email.)

Just contact me with which book/s you bought and who you’d like the bookplate/s made out to.

I will point out that it’s completely acceptable to get yourself a Christmas present. Just call it “Practicing Self Care” and it’s suddenly healthy instead of selfish. 

Cue that fast-talking guy who reads the limitations at the end of commercials: This offer is good for anyone in the US, or Canada, or any of the other countries that happen to be on planet Earth. Internationally traveling bookplates can not be guaranteed to be delivered by Christmas, but the author will do her best.

I hope the end of your year is flying in a good direction!

Happy Reading!

Janice