What books do you absolutely hate? What books have you pretended to have read? Which books are you ashamed of loving? This week, Stephanie, Michelle and Jimmy let the silly season go to their heads entirely and spill all their deepest, darkest secrets. Shh, don't tell anyone.

Christmas is a time for...escaping family by watching television and reading? This week, Stephanie, Michelle and Jimmy discuss their favourite Christmas books, films and tv shows, and Stephanie is mocked for liking Elf. Merry Christmas!
 
Show notes:
 
Goodreads Christmas book lists: https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/christmas
 
Best Christmas books of all time: https://medium.com/the-mission/the-30-best-christmas-books-of-all-time-c492c468051b
 
Connie Willis, A Lot Like Christmas: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/556033/a-lot-like-christmas-by-connie-willis/9780399182341/
 
Rotten Tomatoes' Best Christmas films: https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-christmas-movies/
 
Christmas episodes of television shows: http://www.indiewire.com/2017/11/best-christmas-episodes-tv-netflix-hbo-amazon-1201898749/
 
Christmas sitcom episodes: http://www.vulture.com/2016/12/great-christmas-sitcom-episodes-to-stream.html
 
Twas The Night Before Christmas 1933 animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX700xhQsbc

Jane Austen's novels Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published posthumously in December 1817. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of these novels that bookend Austen's career, Stephanie is joined by Dr Geoff Payne to discuss Anne Elliot, Catherine Morland, the novel, and the Navy.
 
Show notes:
 
Jane Austen's greatest novel turns 200: http://theconversation.com/persuasion-jane-austens-greatest-novel-turns-200-84174
 
Jocelyn Harris's book on Persuasion: https://library.udel.edu/udpress/titles/revolution/
 
Jane Austen's defence of the novel: http://www.pemberley.com/etext/NA/chapter5.htm
 
The Prince Regent: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/george_fourth_01.shtml
 
Background on the Napoleonic Wars: https://www.britannica.com/event/Napoleonic-Wars
 
Jane Austen biography: https://www.janeausten.org/jane-austen-biography.asp
 
Jane Austen Society of Australia: https://jasa.com.au/

Gladys Mitchell is one of the most entertaining of the Golden Age detective novelists. However, she's relatively little known today. This week, Stephanie and Jimmy discuss her first novel, Speedy Death, with Dr Lee O'Brien, and make the case that everybody should really be reading Gladys Mitchell. 
 
Show notes:
 
The Stone House: A Gladys Mitchell Tribute page https://www.gladysmitchell.com/
 
The Women of the Detection Club: http://margaretperry.org/the-women-of-the-london-detection-club-of-the-1930s-agatha-christie-dorothy-l-sayers-and-company/
 
Rediscovering Gladys Mitchell: http://www.bookslut.com/features/2012_01_018522.php