December is here, and many of us are already so busy with wrapping up the year’s responsibilities and the Christmas gifts, we haven’t taken time for ourselves. Don’t get yourselves burnt out this season. Instead, make sure to find a good reading spot and escape into a good book, like these random classic tales I recommend for winter and/or Christmas:

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Ghost stories are something that was more closely associated with Christmas than Halloween back in the day. The days got colder and darker, and hanging out by the fireplace telling ghostly tales was as much a part of Christmas as watching The Grinch is for modern families. This short and spooky read by Susan Hill was written the early 80s, but takes place in around 1910-ish. There was some electricity and cars, but the old candlelit, horse-drawn world was still hanging on. A young lawyer is tasked with settling the estate details of an old widow who had lived along in remote marsh area for decades….and he encounters some horrifying things in the process. This includes, as per the title, a withered, and very, very angry woman in black. I starts on Christmas Eve as the family is telling ghost stories, but jumps back to when the main events took place in a cold November. No, I don’t know if the movie is any good. I haven’t seen it. But I do know the book will leave you in a freaky place, like good ghost stories are meant to do.

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie

A good Agatha Christie Poirot mystery is good choice for any time of year, and she even gave us one for Christmas time. A very wealthy and old man invites his nearly estranged family over for Christmas, and is found murdered in his bedroom on Christmas Eve. Hercule accompanies the police to investigate the death, which involves everything from family fighting over a will to diamond theft. Just because this takes place from Dec.22-28, does not mean it’s Christie’s version of a Hallmark Movie. It is intense. The first indication being Christie’s dedication to her brother-in-law, who complained her writing was getting too “anaemic” and wanted “a good violent murder with lots of blood.” She did just that and wrapped it up for all of us for Christmas. This is an easy book to find, and if you can’t it under this title, it has also been called Murder for Christmas or Holiday for Murder.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Have you read The Hobbit yet? I’m not talking about having seen the movies that should have just been one movie. I’m not asking is you’ve read famous lines or quotes. I’m not even talking about the classic 1970s ‘toon. I mean, have you really sat down and read, cover to cover, this classic tale. If not, you need to remedy that. The Hobbit is by far one of my favorite books, and I think I’ve read it at least three times. And, it is perfect for the Christmas season. The beautifully cozy description of the “Hole in the Ground” where Biblo Baggins lived to the silliness and chaos of his visit from dwarves, to his adventure There and Back again, some 60 years before the saga of Lord of the Rings.It is the best place to start, and it is a wonderful way to spend your Christmas reading. Scary forests, the world’s most famous dragon, the introduction of The One Ring and Gollum, and an epic five-army battle come to a close with a nice trip home, including a stop at Beorn’s for The Yule. It starts peaceful, and ends on a sort of satisfying calm, one in which Tolkien is setting up his best storm yet.

Some tales and characters just remain fresh and new, no matter how old they are. Wind down with some vintage tales this season, and escape for joy of the holidays…and the joy of reading.