‘Tis the season for ghost stories…
Gathering round the fire to share spine-tingling tales — a winter tradition popularized in Victorian England — is a seasonal staple at House at Leaves.
As a wee thank you for being part of our Undead Community during the past year, we’ve compiled some of our favorite winter ghost stories for your listening pleasure…
We hope you’ll enjoy them as part of a magical Jólabókaflóð (‘Yule book flood’); this Icelandic tradition, which involves exchanging books on Christmas Eve before sharing stories, space, and sweets with loved ones, is a beautiful continuation of this communal custom — a celebration of companionship, (horror) books, and the joy and restorative power of reading.
(Read our previous Jólabókaflóð blog posts for tips on how to celebrate on any budget (including none!), how to wrap bookish gifts like a pro, and how to curate the perfect reading experience!)
And in the spirit of giving books, we’re donating 20% of all sales from the month of December (which will be matched by our founders — the final amount will be donated when our shop closes on Thursday 19 December) to the charity BookTrust — the UK's largest children's reading charity, whose mission is to get children from low-income and vulnerable family backgrounds reading regularly and by choice.
As a small business, we couldn’t have done this without you: your support has meant that we are able to pass on the magic of reading to vulnerable children, a gift that lasts beyond the holidays as many children will be able to call a book their own for the first time.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. We look forward to 2025 and the next chapter of HoL…
Until then, we hope you have a restful and restorative holiday — as always, take care out there and stay spooky!
Rebecca, Valeska, Jessica & Ryan
