Ally reads the short story "Christmas Eve" by Washington Irving, which appeared in The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, along with Rip Van Winkle and Sleep Hollow. Irving's portrayal of Christmas in England was very influential in the development of American Christmas traditions.

This is Ally signing off for the year. Mary will pick up next week with a few more Christmas short stories and then we will begin a new novel in January. Merry Christmas!

Ally reads the essay "Christmas" by Washington Irving, which appeared in The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, along with Rip Van Winkle and Sleep Hollow. Irving's portrayal of Christmas in England was very influential in the development of American Christmas traditions.

We'll have another one of his Christmas stories tomorrow.

Ally reads the novella Told After Supper by Jerome K. Jerome, which was published in 1891.

Part 3 of 3.

This is a funny one.

Ally reads the novella Told After Supper by Jerome K. Jerome, which was published in 1891.

Part 2 of 3.

This is a funny one.

Ally reads the novella Told After Supper by Jerome K. Jerome, which was published in 1891.

Part 1 of 3.

This is a funny one.

Ally reads The Red Room, a short story by HG Wells, which was published in 1896.

This isn't technically a Christmas story, but Wells didn't write any Christmas-themed stories (that we could find), so we are substituting a ghost story. Apparently telling ghost stories around the fire was a British Christmas Eve tradition. 

Ally reads Christmas Storms and Sunshine by Elizabeth Gaskell, a Christmas short story which was published in 1848.

Ally and Mary stay up late to share their thoughts on O Pioneers! by Willa Cather.

Mary reads the concluding chapters of O Pioneers! by Willa Cather (1913). 

Read along here.

Mary reads a few chapters a day of O Pioneers! by Willa Cather (1913). 

Read along here.