6 Page-Turners For the Holiday Season

By Blake Levario and Neha Mulay

I’m sitting in my apartment in San Antonio watching cars pile up during rush hour. The sound of emergency sirens have been constant all day—a reminder that this world is still begging to be saved. From my window I can see the Children’s Hospital across the street. For the third time today, a medical helicopter is landing on top of it.

It’s been a difficult year—and usually, books can help: to my left are a coffee table book titled Art That Changed The World, K-Ming Chang’s Bestiary, and Heather Christle’s What is Amazing. But these books haven’t held my attention more than half-an-hour today. Instead I’ve been engrossed in page-turning engaging reads: some classic, some wholesome, some not so wholesome. 

Follow me down the rabbit hole. Let me give you some recommendations to brighten your Christmas season. 

I Love Dick by Chris Kraus

I Love Dick is a classic for modern times. The book subverts traditional notions of the muse as well as desire and gender. Chris Kraus, an academic, develops a psycho-sexual obsession with Dick, leading to a complex triage of dynamics between Chris, Dick, and Chris’ husband. The infatuation eventually turns into a vehicle for the creation of art, sexual pleasure, and Kraus turns the mode itself into an exploration. This is decadent, wild, and revolutionary reading, perfect to immerse yourself in for the holiday season.

Will Santa Stop Here? A Quarantine Christmas Carol by Christy Garnhart

I stayed up six consecutive days at the beginning of December—one thought kept punching my brain: Is this the year Santa finally stops invading homes? Are the youths of the world okay if that is the case?

Christy Garnhart’s book grabbed me, looked me dead in the eyes and said, “No.” And yet, I wasn’t hurt by this “No,”—Garnhart’s book managed to say this gracefully. This rendition of the night before Christmas was full of reassuring words wielded with gentle precision: Santa uses a mask, uses sanitizer before placing presents under the tree, and even has a sleeve tattoo! The illustrations provided by Nicole Roberts only enhance the narrative. 

This book made me want Santa to invade my apartment—in fact, by the end of the book I was nearly compelled to go to a hardware store and install a fireplace of my own. 

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

This book is a classic, so I figure it doesn’t need much of an introduction.

Ebenezer Scrooge is a dirty capitalist—will the Christmas spirit be enough to turn him into a socialist? A group of friends and I gathered on Zoom to discuss and dissect this book. I recommend it as a great way to keep that feeling of solidarity with your friends strong. And anyway, what is a consumerist holiday without a story that explicitly states and explains the woes of capitalism? 

‘Tis: A Memoir by Frank McCourt

It’s not often that a voice seamlessly combines wit, insight, and a childlike honesty that becomes a hilarious commentary on immigration, love, and art. Frank McCourt’s memoir is a raw and hilarious telling of the author’s life. Filled with nuance and references to “crusty eyes” and “the drink,” the memoir is as devastating in its absurdity. This blend of artistry, humor, and darkness may be the perfect antidote and conclusion to 2020.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

The rise of the eccentric protagonist has led to the creation of novels which explore modes of being beyond normalcy and its sometimes limited depictions. Eleanor Oliphant is an isolated character with a dark past who is set in her routines. The strangely jarring yet captivating perception of Eleanor Olihant drives the novel and--the book is a bittersweet, quirky, and heartwarming read that will catapult you into a different nexus. Another great way to immerse, laugh, and escape!

The Woman in the Moonlight by Patricia Morrisroe

Set in 19th Century Vienna, the novel centers on a fictional Beethoven, revolving around the story of how he composed The Moonlight Sonata. Countess Julie Guicciardi, Beethoven’s student, and Beethoven fall passionately in love, a romance that spans their varied lifetimes. The novel is a luminous testament to muses and inspiration. It combines with historical elements and makes for great holiday reading. 

Even after diving into these books, I came back to the world. No form of media can provide a permanent, blissful departure from reality—especially now, when most of us can look out of our windows and see everything degrading. In a way, the fact that we are able to find pleasure in books that challenge sexuality, that present us with eccentric characters. It’s an author and their audience saying, Yes, we can still adapt to this world and make it beautiful and make it work.

I hope we are able to hold on to that idea, even after such a horrific year.