Moving on to Christmas from Halloween

BBC Radio shares a press release about its Christmas programmes. On BBC Radio 3:

Words & Music: Seasons Greetings

Monday 25 December, 5pm – 6.15pm 

In this festive edition of Words & Music, actors Dominic West and Gemma Whelan read poetry and prose exploring everything that makes for a magical Christmas: family and friends, festive food, the giving of gifts, wintery weather, angels, shepherds, and three wise men.

With texts by C.S Lewis, Anne Brontë, Charles Dickens, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Laura Ingalls Wilder, and a feast of seasonal music from classical to contemporary.

More Christmassy news items as Yorkshire Evening Post recommends 'The 12 best nearby [from Leeds] towns, villages, and other spots for a December day trip' including

3. Haworth

The literary allure of Haworth is a constant draw for book-lovers in Leeds, but it's even more special at this time of year. Nestled in Yorkshire's rugged moorland, it's just a short train ride away from the city. Famously, it's the home of the Brontë sisters. Fans of the iconic tale Wuthering Heights will have read about Christmas in the fictional lodgings Thrushcross Grange and the Heights itself. This could be the perfect opportunity to escape into your favourite novel. On a dedicated Brontë bus, you'll be able to witness the landscapes that directly inspired Charlotte, Emily, and Anne, which are even more magical at Christmas. (James Connolly)

The Yorkshire Post also lists 'Christmas day trips in Yorkshire: 10 of the prettiest villages, towns and cities in the region to visit in December'.

2. Haworth

The home of the Brontë sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne is always beautiful during the Christmas season. The rough, moody moorland surrounds the village, home to the Brontë Parsonage Museum, the former home of the Brontës. Haworth hosts a magical festive experience, which takes place across the four weekends leading up to Christmas. The village is lit by twinkling fairy lights and beautiful shop windows and the event includes traders, choirs, carol singers, processions and parades. (Liana Jacob)

For those clinging on to Halloween, The Review Geek recommends '10 Underrated Vampire Books' including

Reluctant Immortals by Gwendolyn Kiste

This vampire book explores the story of two women, Bertha Mason (from Jane Eyre) and Lucy Westenra (from Dracula), who are now undead immortals residing in Los Angeles in the 1960s, after surviving encounters with two classic literary characters: Dracula and Mr. Rochester. The novel delves into their lives when Dracula and Rochester unexpectedly return to the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, creating a shocking turn of events.  

Praised for its exploration of the two women put to the side in their original works, Reluctant Immortals puts these two forgotten women at the forefront, allowing them to explore and tell their own stories. (Kennie M)

Yesterday marked the anniversary of the death of Ellen Nussey in 1897 and AnneBrontë.org had a post in her honour.