Jólabókaflóðið may look like a pretty stabby word, but it’s actually a delightful compound that literally means “Yule book flood.” It refers to an Icelandic tradition that makes books a traditional gift around the December holidays, and we’re all for instituting it more widely. Here are the books we read that we’re recommending for giving this year, …

Imagine you’ve lived in the same house for the past 20 years. You know where the creaky floorboard is and how to pull that door just right so it closes properly. You know every room intimately, and you have treasured memories in each from different stages of your life.  Now imagine one day in this …