Jolabokaflod

Christmas Book Flood • Reading for Pleasure


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DAY 14 — The Reading-for-Pleasure Manifesto

Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar 2025

Somewhere along the way, many adults learned to apologise for reading.

We justify it as research.
We frame it as self-improvement.
We explain that it’s useful, educational, good for us.

And while all of those things may be true, they quietly miss the point.

Reading for pleasure does not need permission.

I’ve noticed how often people lower their voices when they talk about reading something “just because they love it”. As if enjoyment alone were somehow insufficient. As if delight needed a measurable outcome to earn its place in a busy life.

But reading has always been more than a means to an end. Long before productivity metrics and optimisation culture, stories existed to comfort, entertain, distract, provoke and keep people company. Pleasure was never a side effect. It was the point.

This is what winter reminds us of.

In December, reading slips back into its most natural shape. It happens slowly. It happens indoors. It happens without urgency. A few pages before bed. A chapter while the kettle boils. A story revisited simply because it feels familiar and safe.

Reading for pleasure is not laziness.

It is rest for the mind.

It allows thoughts to wander without being managed. It creates private spaces untouched by obligation. It reconnects us with curiosity — not because curiosity is useful, but because it feels good to follow it.

Today, on Day 14 of our Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar, I want to offer a simple manifesto. Not rules. Not targets. Just a reminder of what reading is allowed to be.

📜 A Reading-for-Pleasure Manifesto

You are allowed to:

  • Read slowly
  • Re-read favourites
  • Abandon books that don’t feel right
  • Choose comfort over challenge
  • Read without learning anything new
  • Read purely because you want to

And you do not owe anyone an explanation.

📚 Today’s Reading Picks — “Reading-for-Pleasure Essentials”

Books that celebrate reading as joy, refuge and companionship:

These are books that understand reading as a lived experience, not a performance.

You can explore the full Advent Calendar titles here:
👉 Visit the “Advent Calendar” collection on Bookshop.org

And if you’d like to continue browsing gently:
👉 Visit the Reading-for-Pleasure Starter Shelf

This winter, you don’t need to read better.
You don’t need to read more.

You only need to read for yourself.

And that is more than enough.


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DAY 13 — Cosy Classics Everyone Should Try

Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar 2025

For many adults, the word classic carries a quiet sense of obligation.

We imagine heavy spines. Dense language. The feeling that we should admire these books more than we enjoy them. Somewhere along the way, classics became associated with effort rather than comfort — something to conquer rather than curl up with.

But winter tells a different story.

I’ve noticed that when the days shorten and the evenings stretch, classics begin to feel less intimidating and more inviting. Read slowly, in the right season, they soften. Their rhythms settle. Their worlds unfold with a patience that feels perfectly matched to December.

The truth is this:

Many classics were never meant to be rushed.

They were written for long evenings, repeated visits, and readers who were allowed to linger. They reward attention, yes — but not strain. They offer companionship rather than challenge. Familiar human emotions. Small domestic dramas. Quiet humour. Moral questions that feel strangely comforting when revisited across generations.

One winter, I picked up a novel I’d once been assigned at school — a book I remembered as worthy but distant. Reading it again by lamplight, without deadlines or exams, it felt like an entirely different work. Warmer. Funnier. More alive. The problem had never been the book. It had been the context.

Today, on Day 13 of our Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar, I invite you to rethink what a classic can be. Not a test of endurance, but a source of deep seasonal pleasure. A book that has lasted not because it is difficult, but because it understands people.

📜 Today’s Reading Picks — “Cosy Classics”

Timeless stories that feel especially at home in winter:

These are books that meet you halfway. They don’t demand expertise — only presence.

You can explore the full Advent Calendar titles here:
👉 Visit the “Advent Calendar” collection on Bookshop.org

And if you’d like to keep wandering among the shelves:
👉 Visit the Jolabokafloð Classics Shelf

This winter, you don’t need to tackle a classic.
You can simply invite one in.

Read it slowly.
Read it warmly.
And let it show you why it has stayed so long.


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DAY 12 — Letters to Santa About Books

Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar 2025

At some point in adulthood, many of us quietly stop making wish lists.

We become practical. Sensible. Self-reliant. We buy what we need, make do with what we have, and reserve longing for things that feel more justifiable than desire. But winter — especially December — has a way of loosening that restraint.

And books, perhaps more than anything else, invite us back into wishing.

I like to imagine what an adult letter to Santa about books might look like. Not the breathless lists of childhood, but something softer. Slower. A note written by someone who knows themselves a little better now.

It might say:

Dear Santa,
This year, I’d love a book that makes me feel less rushed.
Or one that reminds me who I was before life got so loud.
Something beautiful enough to keep, not just read.

Books make perfect wishes because they are allowed to be unnecessary. They don’t have to improve us, optimise us, or solve anything. They are permitted to exist purely for delight — for the pleasure of weight in the hands, paper under the fingers, words waiting patiently inside.

That’s why gift-worthy books matter. Not just because they look beautiful under the tree, but because they send a message:

You are allowed to want something gentle.

Today, on Day 12 of our Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar, I invite you to indulge in a little imaginative generosity — whether for yourself or for someone else. Write a mental letter to Santa. What kind of book would you ask for if practicality weren’t in charge?

🎅 Today’s Reading Picks — “Letters to Santa” Books

Beautiful, comforting, wish-worthy books that feel special to receive:

These are books that feel like they’ve been chosen with care — because they have been.

You can explore the full Advent Calendar titles here:
👉 Visit the “Advent Calendar” collection on Bookshop.org

And if you’re gathering ideas for thoughtful gifts:
👉 Visit the Giftable Hardbacks Shelf

  1. Journey — Dorling Kindersley: An illustrated history of the world’s greatest travels
  2. Jurassic World: The Ultimate Visual History — James Mottram: Definitive collector’s book, a must-have for fans of the action-packed dinosaur saga
  3. National Geographic Ultimate Visual History of the World — Jean-Pierre Isbouts: Here, in vivid colour and crisp narrative, is the sweeping story of the history of civilisation
  4. The Wonder of Life on Earth — Henry Gee: Astonishing and readable natural history giving an accessible introduction to the topic of life.
  5. The Illustrated World of Tolkien — David Day: Exquisite reference guide to Tolkien’s world and the artists his vision inspired.
  6. The Work of Art — Adam Moss: Guided tour of what goes on inside an artist’s head.
  7. The Natural History Book — Dorling Kindersley: Beautiful guide to Earth’s wildlife and natural history, including its rocks, minerals, animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms.
  8. Information is Beautiful — David McCandless: Visual guide to how the world really works, through stunning infographics and data visualisations
  9. Animalium — Jenny Broom: Rich, informative and truly wonderful cabinet of curiosities beautifully displayed in this imaginative book
  10. The Book of Symbols. Reflections on Archetypal Images — Taschen: Sets new standards for thoughtful exploration of symbols and their meanings
  11. The Illustrated Brief History Of Time — Stephen Hawking: Bring theories to life in a clear, captivating and visually engaging way
  12. The Secret Lives of Colour — Kassia St Clair: Excellent, innovative and idiosyncratic cultural history that will colour your thinking
  13. Atlas of the Invisible — James Cheshire and Oliver Uberti: Discover the hidden patterns in human society as you have never seen them before — through the world of data
  14. The Book of Trees: Visualising Branches of Knowledge — Manuel Lima: Stunning visual maps showing how humans organise knowledge.
  15. The Planets — Andrew Cohen and Brian Cox: Visually striking and intellectually generous.

This season, you don’t have to justify your wishes.
You don’t have to explain why a book feels necessary.

Sometimes, it’s enough to say:
I would love this.

And let the rest take care of itself.


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DAY 11 — The Winter Non-fiction List

Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar 2025

Winter has a way of sharpening our curiosity.

As the world outside grows quieter, many of us feel an unexpected pull inward — toward ideas, questions, and reflections that don’t compete for attention, but reward it patiently. This is often when non-fiction finds us.

I used to think of non-fiction as something best suited to brighter months: train journeys, summer mornings, purposeful reading time. But over the years, I’ve noticed something different. In winter, non-fiction feels less like work and more like companionship.

Perhaps it’s the slower pace. Perhaps it’s the long evenings. Or perhaps it’s simply that winter gives us permission to think more deeply without having to hurry toward conclusions.

Winter nonfiction does not shout.
It speaks quietly and stays awhile.

These are the books that sit comfortably beside a lamp and a warm drink. They don’t demand that you read quickly or remember everything. They allow for pauses. They welcome re-reading. They are perfectly content to be dipped into and returned to over days or weeks.

Today, on Day 11 of our Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar, I invite you to choose a non-fiction book not because you should read it — but because you want to keep it close this season. Something thoughtful. Something nourishing. Something that feels like a winter conversation rather than a lecture.

📚 Today’s Reading Picks — “The Winter Non-fiction List”

Reflective, accessible non-fiction for quiet days:

These books don’t rush you. They meet you where you are.

You can explore the full Advent Calendar titles here:
👉 Explore the Advent Calendar collection on Bookshop.org

And if you’d like to continue gently into the season:
👉 Visit the Reading-for-Pleasure Starter Shelf

This winter, let your curiosity wander slowly.
Let ideas unfold at their own pace.
And let nonfiction become a place of warmth, not effort.


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DAY 10 — Gifts for People Who Don’t Read… Yet

Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar 2025

Almost everyone says the same thing at some point:
“I wish I read more.”

It’s rarely a lack of intelligence or curiosity that keeps people from reading. More often, it’s memory. Or intimidation. Or the quiet belief that books require more time, effort, or stamina than modern life seems willing to give.

Many so-called “non-readers” are not anti-books at all. They are simply waiting for the right doorway.

I was reminded of this one Christmas when I gave a book to someone who insisted they “never finished novels.” I chose carefully — something short, welcoming, lightly paced, and emotionally generous. Months later, they mentioned it casually. They’d read it in two sittings. Then another. Then another. The problem had never been reading. It had been entry.

That’s the gift-giver’s quiet power:

Choosing a book that lowers the threshold.

Books for hesitant readers do a few things exceptionally well. They begin quickly. They speak clearly. They reward attention early. They don’t demand patience before offering pleasure. And most importantly, they don’t make the reader feel inadequate for not already being “a reader”.

Today, on Day 10 of our Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar, I invite you to think about the people in your life who might secretly want to read more — and to give them a book that says, gently:

You’re welcome here.

🎁 Today’s Reading Picks — “Books for Non-Readers (Yet)”

Friendly, inviting books that often spark a reading habit:

These books don’t overwhelm. They open doors.

Explore today’s curated shelf here:
👉 Visit the “Books for Non-Readers (Yet)” collection on Bookshop.org

And if you’d like even more gentle starting points:
👉 Visit the Reading-for-Pleasure Starter Shelf

This Christmas, you might not just be giving a gift.
You might be giving someone their first real reading memory.

And that can change more than we realise.


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DAY 9 — Slow Down, You’re Reading Too Fast

Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar 2025

Somewhere along the way, many of us learned to read as if we were rushing through an airport.

Eyes scanning. Pages turning quickly. A quiet pressure to keep moving, to finish, to extract something useful before the next demand arrives. Even our reading — the very thing meant to slow us down — has learned to hurry.

Winter invites us to do the opposite.

I noticed this one December evening when I realised I had read several chapters without truly being in them. The words were familiar. The story was fine. But my attention was already halfway elsewhere. So I stopped. I went back a page. And this time, I read as if I had nowhere else to be.

The difference was immediate.

Sentences stretched. Images sharpened. Silence gathered between paragraphs. The book had not changed — my pace had.

Slow reading is not about difficulty or effort. It is about permission. Permission to linger on a line. To reread a paragraph because it felt good rather than because it was confusing. To let language work on you gently, instead of trying to work through it.

In a culture obsessed with speed, slow reading becomes a quiet act of resistance.

It says: I am allowed to take my time.
It says: This moment does not need to perform.
It says: Reading is not a race.

Today, on Day 9 of our Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar, I invite you to experiment. Choose a book that welcomes slowness. Read fewer pages than usual — but notice more. Let the rhythm of the words set the pace rather than your habit.

⏳ Today’s Reading Picks — “Slow Reading Essentials”

Books that reward patience, attention, and gentle presence:

These are not books to rush through. They are books to keep company with.

You can explore the full Advent Calendar titles here:
👉 Visit the “Advent Calendar” collection on Bookshop.org

And if you’d like to stay in this slower rhythm:
👉 Visit the Reading-for-Pleasure Starter Shelf

Tonight, try reading less.
But notice more.
And let slowness return reading to what it was always meant to be: a place to rest.


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DAY 8 — Fireplace Fiction Night

Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar 2025

There is a particular kind of reading that belongs to firelight.

Even if you don’t have a real fireplace, you know the feeling. A single lamp turned low. Shadows moving softly across the room. The sense that the day has finally loosened its grip. Fireplace fiction is not about flames — it’s about atmosphere.

I discovered this kind of reading one winter evening when the house felt unusually quiet. The lamp was warm rather than bright. Outside, the night pressed close to the windows. I opened a book almost absent-mindedly — and found myself reading more slowly than usual, lingering over sentences, letting the mood seep in before the plot did.

That is the magic of fireplace fiction:

It invites immersion rather than momentum.

These are the stories that glow rather than dazzle. The ones where place matters deeply. Where weather, interiors, and silence play supporting roles. They are books that seem to say, Stay here. There’s no need to rush.

Fireplace fiction pairs beautifully with winter because both ask the same thing of us: attention. Not frantic focus, but gentle presence. The kind that notices how the room feels. How the language sounds. How time stretches when we stop trying to fill it.

Today, on Day Eight of our Jolabokafloð Advent Calendar, I invite you to create your own Fireplace Fiction Night. Light a candle. Lower the lights. Let the outside world fall back just a little — and step into a story that knows how to glow.

🔥 Today’s Reading Picks — “Fireplace Fiction”

Atmospheric stories best enjoyed by lamplight:

These are books that reward slow reading and quiet rooms.

You can explore the full Advent Calendar titles here:
👉 Visit the “Advent Calendar” collection on Bookshop.org

And if you’d like to stay in this mood a little longer:
👉 Visit the Cosy Winter Fiction Shelf

Tonight, don’t aim to read far.
Aim to read deeply.
And let the story glow long after you close the book.


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Gleðileg jól

Christmas Greetings — Jólakveðja

Merry Christmas, one and all – and Gleðileg jól to all my Icelandic friends and readers.

I apologise for the hiatus in the Advent Calendar messages this year. I got sidetracked by urgent Jolabokaflod business that I shall reveal over the coming weeks in the New Year.

I shall continue the sequence today – Christmas Day – so that the posts are available for posterity and that the content and sentiments build towards my exciting plans for 2026.

Now back to Day 8…

Christopher Norris
Founder: Jolabokaflod CIC


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DAY 7 — The Joy of Re-reading

Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar 2025

There are some books that arrive in our lives once.
And there are others that stay.

They wait patiently on the shelf. They age with us. And when we return, they somehow know exactly who we have become since the last time we met. Re-reading is not repetition. It is reunion.

I used to think that re-reading meant I was avoiding the unknown. That I should always be pushing forwards into something new. But one winter, almost by accident, I opened a novel I had loved years earlier. The story was the same. I was not. And in that quiet difference between then and now, the book revealed entirely new truths to me.

That is the hidden gift of re-reading:

The story stays still so we can see how we have changed.

When December grows busy and the world pulls at us from every direction, returning to a familiar book can be an act of deep self-kindness. There is no pressure to keep up. No anxiety about comprehension. No need to prove anything. You already belong to the story — and it belongs to you.

Re-reading is also a way of reclaiming time. In a culture that constantly urges forward momentum, choosing to go back is quietly revolutionary. It says: this mattered once, and it matters still.

Today, on Day 7 of our Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar, I invite you to revisit a book that once felt like home. It does not have to be profound. It only has to be yours.

📖 Today’s Reading Picks — “Books Worth Re-reading”

Comforting companions that reward every return:

Each of these reads a little differently every time — because we read them differently every time.

You can explore the full Advent Calendar titles here:
👉 Visit the “Advent Calendar” collection on Bookshop.org

And for more timeless companions:
👉 Visit the Jolabokafloð Classics Shelf

Tonight, choose a book you already know.
Let it meet you where you are now.
And discover how familiar stories still know how to surprise us.


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DAY 6 — The Cosy Mystery Sampler

Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar 2025

There is something about winter that sharpens our appetite for mystery.

Perhaps it is the darkness arriving early. The windows glowing against the cold. The quiet suspense of footsteps on frosted pavements. Or perhaps it is simply the pleasure of solving a puzzle while the rest of the world sleeps.

Cosy mysteries offer all the intrigue of the unknown without the harshness that so often accompanies crime. They give us riddles without brutality. Tension without terror. They invite us to lean forward rather than brace ourselves.

I first fell for the cosy mystery on a December evening when the house was silent and the wind seemed determined to tell its own story against the glass. I expected to read a chapter. Instead, I followed clues through an entire village, all the way into the small hours. And when the final truth was revealed, I felt not shaken—but satisfied.

That is the particular magic of the cosy mystery:

It restores order in a world that often feels disordered.

The settings themselves become characters—quiet bookshops, seaside towns, bakeries, libraries, snow-covered streets. Even when something has gone wrong, we feel held by community, familiarity, and the promise that clarity will return.

Today, on Day 6 of our Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar, I invite you to dip into a mystery that warms as it intrigues. Let the puzzle unfold at the same gentle pace as the falling dark outside.

🔍 Today’s Reading Picks — “Cosy Mysteries for Winter Nights”

Inviting mysteries that glow warmly in the cold:

Each of these offers a world where curiosity is rewarded, community matters, and every question eventually finds its answer.

You can explore the full Advent Calendar titles here:
👉 Visit the “Advent Calendar” collection on Bookshop.org

And if you’d like more atmospheric winter reading:
👉 Visit the Cosy Winter Fiction Shelf

Tonight, let the world grow quiet.
Let the clues gather softly.
And let a gentle mystery keep you warm.