Books for the season

Winter wouldn't be winter at our house without a reading of Terry Pratchett's novel The Hogfather, a wise and profound satire about the way our culture handles the winter holidays, from decorating and gift-giving to over-indulging to confronting our deepest hopes and fears.

Pratchett, a highly regarded British novelist, writes mainstream adult and young adult fiction (and, come to thing of it, children's books) cleverly disguised as comedic fantasy. While he's a household name in Britain, he's more of a cult author in the US — often known for an early-career collaboration with Gothic/anime writer Neil Gaiman (Good Omens, 1990).

This winter we're starting early, with Pratchett's recent young adult book, Wintersmith — the story of an adventurous teenage girl who has leapt into a dance with the god of Winter, an act that threatens to derail the cycle of the seasons.