Christmas reading?

I don't know about you, but I'm always a little nonplussed when people talk about the perfect book to read on the beach, or in autumn, or when it's cold, etc. etc. I tend simply to read the book I want or need to read next, with little consideration for the temperature, season, or day of the week.

But this year, I'm embracing it - I've lined up a couple of books which I think are perfect for long winter evenings. Why does winter suit long books in my head? I baulk at the idea of fluffy fiction on beaches - surely uninterrupted time on the beach is perfect for long, complex novels? - but chunky novels for winter seem to work. And I've got a couple lined up - Great Expectations by one Mr. C. Dickens, and Sarah Waters' The Night Watch. You know my feelings about long books, but I'm going to put the winter evenings to good use.

I'm about 50 pages into Great Expectations and loving it. How have I not read any Dickens since 2004? I've read Hard Times, David Copperfield, and Our Mutual Friend and either loved or very much liked them all. And I'm loving this one - Dickens' way with dialogue is unparalleled.

But I'll write about it properly when I'm finished - this post is just to ask whether or not you have any Christmas/winter reading planned, and whether or not you plan your reading by season etc.? Let me know!