Only five days to go . . .

In five days, it is Christmas Eve. And yes, I know most of the world is focussed on Christmas Day, but up here in Sweden, it’s Christmas Eve that is the BIG day. The 25^th is a day spent mooching about in pyjamas while eating leftovers…

When I was a child, my Christmases were spent in South America. No snow, no dark nights, no nippy chill. Instead, huge poinsettia bushes, sunny days and fireworks throughout the novena – the nine days leading up to the birth of the Holy Child. In Colombia, there was no Swedish herring, no Swedish ham—the centrepiece of the Christmas smorgasbord. Even more problematic—at least according to my mother—was how difficult it was to find a Christmas tree. For obvious reasons, Colombia doesn’t have huge plantations of spruce trees ready to be harvested for Christmas. Somehow, my father always managed to salvage the situation before Mamma went into crisis mode, but at great expense.

These days, I don’t put up a Christmas tree. But when our kids were small, we’d decorate the tree around the 21^st, and then the waiting began. Well, not for us, but for the kids. Would Tomten (our Santa) deliver presents or wouldn’t he? Serendipituously, he did! Every year, regular as clockwork, he’d arrive in the night between the 21^st and 22^nd and leave behind the presents under the tree. Then began another type of waiting—the one where the kids would carefully inspect the presents and count down hours until they could open them.

My favourite Christmas gifts—to give and receive—have always been books. The number of happy hours I have spent in bookshops selecting the right book for my children, my hubby, my friends, my co-workers are countless. One of the best memories I have is of snuggling up on the 25^th with a brand-new book to read—and watch the rest of my family do the same.

So, in view of the upcoming holidays, I thought it appropriate to share some reading tips with you – and my first category is called BINGE-READ SERIES.

Those who follow my blog will know I am a big, big fan of Alison Morton’s Roma Nova books. My single gripe is that Roma Nova doesn’t exist, but that’s par for the course given that Alison writes alt history. Roma Nova is a small country where the values, traditions and language of the Roman empire has survived through the centuries—well, bar that rather significant difference that Roma Nova is a matriarchy. A fascinating world-building coupled with tight, nail-biting plots and a set of well-depicted characters makes this series a fab read. Pick up the first book, INCEPTIO, here.

Right, that will keep you in reading matter for some days after which I recommend you leap on to Christina Courtenay’s Runes series. Christina excels at warping time, be it in dual timelines or in time travel books, and in this series her characters are dragged through time only to end up in the age of Vikings. Excellent research coupled with tantalizing time travel result in engaging and entertaining reads, offering quite some insight into what life was like for our Scandinavian forebears (I say our, because Christina has quite the dollop of Swedish blood) . Start at the beginning – pick up Echoes of the Runes!

Helen Hollick’s characters do not time travel. But her wonderful, wonderful Sea Witch Voyages series is full of magic, be it the recurring whispers from sea goddess Thetis, or Tiola’s white witch skills. Centred around erstwhile (hmm) pirate Jesamiah Acorne, his beloved ship Sea Witch and his equally beloved Tiola, the Sea Witch series is a delicious romp through the early 18^th century, complete with pirates, sinister spies, evil bastards and an assortment of larger-than-life characters. Take a deep breath and dive straight into Jesamiah’s world by buying the first book, Sea Witch!

I can hear some of you muttering something about wanting something more modern. Well, lovely peeps, I give you Clare Flynn and her Penang series. Few are as skilled as Clare is at portraying complex political situations, and in her Penang series we are offered a first row seat to WW II as it played out in the far east, including depictions of harrowing captivity and the civil unrest that followed the war. All this through the eyes of well-developed and so relatable characters! Start off with the first book, The Pearl of Penang.

Into crusades? Richard the Lionheart? A different take on Robin Hood? Look no further than Battle Scars by Char Newcomb. One of the best depictions I have ever read of the third crusade, and Henry and Stephan are very high on my list of most favourite characters ever. The research is meticulous but the narrative is never overburdened by historical detail—a hallmark of any good historical fiction! Pick up the first book, Men of the Cross,  here!

Before closing of this series section, I should probably remind you of my own series, right?

Like my acclaimed time-travelling series The Graham Saga, in which reluctant time traveller Alex lands at the feet of the very surprised Matthew Graham. And so starts a series of adventures through 17^th century  Scotland and the American Colonies… Life will never be the same for either of them!

Or my medieval series featuring Mortimer, Queen Isabella and Edward II. The King’s Greatest Enemy tells the story of Adam de Guirande and his wife, Kit, who are caught in a very sticky web of political intrigue

Or my other medieval series featuring Edward I, Eleanor of Castile and the conquest of Wales, The Castilian Saga. Say hello to Robert FitzStephan and his wife, Noor. They do not always see eye to eye on things (especially Edward I) but they always have each other’s backs.

And for time travel lovers, there is also The Time Locket, where Duncan Melville falls through time, meets the woman of his life, is yanked back with her to his time…Not, as Erin would put it, her most favourite scenario, seeing as it is hard to be a modern woman in an 18^th century world!

I’d like to round off by presenting my top three reads for 2025. Just for reference, I average about 120 – 150 books a year, most of them historical fiction.

The Ballad of Mary Kearney – Katherine Mezzacappa. A bit of a tough read to get into, but after the first few chapters I was utterly entranced by this beautifully written story of a young papist girl—Mary—and the Protestant Viscount James Kilkeel. An impossible union in 18^th century Ireland. . . Vivid, heart breaking and extremely educational!

Mistress of Dartington Hall – Rosemary Griggs. Welcome to Elizabethan England where the threat of the Spanish Armada looms large. Especially in Devon, where Roberda Champernowne does what she can to ensure her people are protected. Based on IRL people, this is a tour-de-force, depicting a woman who, despite living within the constraints imposed on her gender, somehow forges ahead.

Before he was Red – Christina Stahle. It is 1876 and an Ottoman prince meets a Belgian shopkeeper. He should not have been out of the palace—all Ottoman princes are effectively prisoners—but once he has met Marie, he cannot forget her. The Ottoman empire is convulsing, the present sultan is madder than a hatter, and everyone is vying for more power in this fascinating story about a trapped prince, his ambitious Mama and the woman who captures his heart.

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I hope the above will serve to give you some moments of relaxation over the holidays. You know, between gift wrapping, cooking, baking, cleaning the house, sorting the tree, the flowers, the wine, the beer. Phew! Seems to me we can all do with some relaxation – and some moments of distracting escapism!