There’s something special about the days between Christmas and New Year. For me, they’ve always been days that seem to exist outside of reality, in their own strange little bubble. There should be no work, no homework, just a week filled with books, good food and playing with the toys you got for Christmas.
Speaking of which, did you ever play Super Mario Bros?
I got a Nintendo for Christmas in 1990 and spent all of Christmas Day shut in my room, alternatively playing Mario and reading Room 13, the book my godmother had sent me. Incidentally, that book is available on the shelves, so if you’re a twelve-year-old looking to read a story about children fighting vampires on their school trip, it’s definitely worth a read.
But in Super Mario Bros, you occasionally get the option to disappear down a pipe into a slightly alternate world. There are no goombas, no koopas, and the only way you can die is if the clock runs out. All you have to do is collect coins to give you more energy. That’s how the days between Christmas and New Year feel to me. A welcome respite, unlike any other days of the year.
I’m not sure why these particular days feel so different to me, but they always have done. They’re a time to gather strength, to plan for the year ahead. I do miss the Christmases when people would give me almost nothing but books, and I could spend those days curled up reading. Luckily I own a bookshop, so I have an almost endless supply on hand.
Soon it will be time to climb out of the pipe and go back to normality. Looking at the world, I have absolutely no idea what 2026 will bring us. But I do know that it’s now six months since I opened The Story Cellar. I think that’s worth raising a glass to. And also giving a big thank you to everyone who has supported this project. All of those people who donated books, browsed for new stories, bought books … I could not have done this without all of you. I’ll enjoy thinking back on that while I’m still in the pipe, and emerge with lots more plans for next year.
The Story Cellar 