Merry Christmas, everyone! Here are just a few links from around the web.

This blog post from last December describes how Mary is almost always holding a book in medieval paintings of the Annunciation.

Ever wonder what the firm of Scrooge & Marley did? One of the Library of Congress blogs tackled the question last Christmas.

How would you like a volume of Shakespeare as a Christmas gift? Read about one of the Folger’s special books here.

Finally, the childhood home of Japanese Canadian writer Joy Kogawa is preserved as a historic landmark and writers’ retreat. (If you click on the link you can also watch an interview with her on George Stroumboulopolous.)

I hope you enjoy the holidays with friends, family, food, and some good reading!