This year, I'll be spending Christmas day with family (well, in-laws if you want to be technical). I'm reminded, though, of all of the years when I've spent Christmas alone. America, at least, is set up with the idea that being alone is somehow fundamentally wrong--and in some ways, it is. People, like ants and apes, are social animals. Trying to survive as a pure individual is challenging, indeed, might lead to insanity. Still, hooking up with someone just because you're lonely can't be the right answer, either.

The answer that I found during those years when I was alone is--drumroll--books. That's right. It's cool to think that no matter where you are, no matter how far from your family and loved ones, there are peple anxious to share their lives with you--in the form of the novel.

There's a blog post over at Teleread (www.teleread.org/blog) arguing against giving books to children--take them to the library instead, the poster argues. I don't think I would have survived childhood without the neighborhood library. Still, some of the most wonderful books I read were given to me by family who couldn't be there--The Wind in the Willows, Winnie the Pooh, Tom Sawyer, Macbeth--all nicely wrapped and beautiful. These books stay with me today, years later, and bind me to the gift-givers--who are now, sadly, departed.

I hope everyone out there is able to spend this holiday time with your families and loved ones. If not, I hope that you find the joy in books that I have always found. In fiction, oddly enough, we can find the real and deeper truths. You don't have to buy books from www.BooksForABuck.com. Go ahead and visit your public library or the many free book sites (I've got some of my favorites listed here): http://www.booksforabuck.com/general/pubsources.html. I also review many free books on the BooksForABuck.com website.

Again, happy holidays

rob