How to survive Christmas if you are a reader.

Step One - Make sure you have a massive pile of books that you were intending to read all year. Like me. I have the most fantastic set of books ready to go for Christmas!

Wrath by John Gwynne is THE big finale in what has been a year of big finales. The Three Body Problem has had international acclaim and may just start off a new favourite series if it appeals to me as much as it has many others. Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancorft has been championed recently by Mark lawrence and his legion and has been widely applauded for its creativity and prose. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers because her first book was so good, Danse Macabre by Laura M Hughes, whose writing style has been compared to Rothfuss, for something short and spooky and finally In Calabria by Peter S. Beagle which I know nothing about but it's the Beagle so yeah.

Step Two - Wrap up some of your books and put them under the tree.

Step Three - Open them in front of other people. This is hugely important and instantly gives you the right to devote huge amounts of time to your favourite pastime plus lets people know what you want next year and every subsequent year for the rest of your life. Don't forget say they are from publishers/friends/Santa.