Quirky Christmas Books

It's the holiday season. Time for cheer and warmth. And you know you can borrow all sorts of wonderful, cozy holiday books by just entering subjects in the catalog like Christmas, Christmas -Cookery, Christmas - Decorations, even Christmas -Fiction. Or maybe Hannakuh, Hannakuh - Fiction, or Kwanzaa, and even Kwanzaa - Fiction.

But suppose you want to curl up with a hot chocolate and read something quirky for Christmas? Here’s a few unusual holiday titles you might not have realized are also here in the library:

The physics of Christmas : from the aerodynamics of reindeer to the thermodynamics of turkey by Roger Highfield.

"Roger Highfield, science editor of London's Daily Telegraph and co-author of the highly acclaimed The Arrow of Time, has taken a long-overdue look at our most cherished holiday from the rigorous (but highly entertaining) viewpoint of a scientist." (Book summary)

An idiot girl's Christmas : true tales from the top of the naughty list by Laurie Notaro.

"Humorist Notaro takes on the standard fare of holiday horrors in this slim volume of essays, rejuvenating well-worn territory with gonzo humor and a few touches of sentiment. Notaro proffers up an ironic gift list." (Publishers Weekly)

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

"Holidays on Ice collects six of David Sedaris's most profound Christmas stories into one slender volume perfect for use as an emergency coaster or ice scraper. This drinking man's companion can be enjoyed by the warmth of a raging fire, in the glow of a brilliantly decorated tree, or even in the backseat of a van or police car. It should be read with your eyes, felt with your heart, and heard only when spoken to. It should, in short, behave much like a book. And oh, what a book it is!" (Book summary)

Christmas letters from hell : all the news we hate from the people we love by Michael Lent.

"This hilarious collection spoofs the obnoxious and ridiculous newsletters and cards that people send each Christmas telling of everything from family escapades to intimate details that should never be shared--especially during the holidays." (Book summary)

The Haunted tea-cosy : a dispirited and distasteful diversion for Christmas by Edward Gorey.

"In his Preface to "A Christmas Carol", Charles Dickens wrote that he tried "to raise the Ghost of an Idea" with readers and trusted that it would "haunt their house pleasantly". In December 1997, 154 Christmases later, the "New York Times Magazine" asked its own Edward Gorey to refurbish this enduring morality tale." (Book summary)

But you can still get back into a warm mood with a touch of both quirk and humor with this one:

Christmas at The New Yorker : stories, poems, humor, and art from the editors of The New Yorker ; foreword by John Updike.

"Vladimir Nabokov, John Cheever, E.B. White, and Alice Munro are just a sampling of the many impressive authors who have contributed holiday writing to The New Yorker over the past 75 years, and they are well represented in this collection of holiday stories, poems, and humor. Organized into eight sections covering topics like family matters, Christmas carols, and the spirit of giving, the diverse pieces range from Nabokov's "Christmas" to Garrison Keillor's "A Christmas Story" and reflect the various moods indicative of the season." (Book summary)