As we enter the season of festivities and cheer, there are plenty of novels to add to your reading list before the end of the year.
From classic tales of ghostly warnings regarding bad behaviour, to a cosy crime mystery at a family reunion and a funny, grumpy green creature who wants to steal Christmas, here are The National’s pick of festive stories to read this holiday season.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
One of the most well-known, beloved and influential Christmas novels of all time is also a story about changing for the better. First published in 1843, Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol follows the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a cold-hearted older man who despises Christmas.
Ebenezer is visited by three other ghosts that night, each representing a different facet of time – the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Each presents a vision to Ebenezer that makes him rethink his actions and attitude, forcing him to reflect on how he wants to live out the rest of his life.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The classic coming-of-age story may not seem like the typical festive read, but Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is considered a novel for the holidays because it begins and ends with Christmas scenes. This focus on themes of family, generosity, and the spirit of the festive season is experienced throughout the novel, which delves into the lives of the four March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy –against the backdrop of the American Civil War.
The plot sees the family face financial difficulties as their father serves away in the Union Army. The sisters, along with their mother, attempt to navigate the challenges of poverty while still holding true to their hopes and values, despite their very different personalities, as they grow from adolescence into adulthood.
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
From the author of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood comes one of the most nostalgic stories of the festive season.
The semi-autobiographical short story by Truman Capote, set in rural Alabama in the 1930s, is a peek into his childhood through the friendship between a boy named Buddy, seven, and his older eccentric cousin during the last Christmas before he is sent off to military school.
Since its publication in 1956, the story has touched many readers because of its deep nostalgia and ability to bring to life the joy of giving during the Christmas season.
Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle by Arthur Conan Doyle
One of the 56 short Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes short story collection, this tale of mystery sees the detective solving a strange crime during Christmas in London.
The story begins when Mr Peterson, a commissionaire, brings Holmes a battered hat and a Christmas goose found during a fight on the street, asking him to find the owners. It seems like a silly case until a priceless blue carbuncle hidden inside the goose is found.
This is the same gemstone the newspapers have reported missing from the Countess of Morcar's hotel suite and a plumber at the hotel had been accused and arrested for stealing. Now it’s up to Holmes to find out who the real thief is and free John Horner before it’s too late.
The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories: From Hans Christian Andersen to Angela Carter
Perfect for a festive read or to be given as a gift, this anthology includes a diverse selection of Christmas-themed short stories from various renowned authors around the world. Featuring 32 short stories – from classic tales to contemporary stories – this collection showcases the many themes, tropes and emotions connected to the holiday season.
Stories include The Fir Tree by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, A Christmas Party and a Wedding by Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky, One Christmas Eve by the American poet and writer Langston Hughes, The Christmas Turkey by the Brazilian poet and novelist Mario de Andrade, and many more.
Christmas Holiday by W Somerset Maugham
For Christmas, a young Englishman, Charley Mason, has been gifted an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris by his father. With plans to spend the holiday season in the most romantic city in the world, Charley’s life takes a strange turn when, on his first night in Paris, he meets Lydia, whose story will change him forever.
Lydia is homeless and displaced by the Russian Revolution, and for reasons Charley cannot understand, she is in love with a murderer and drug dealer whom she believes she can change, even if it means hurting herself in the process.
Set in the years between the two World Wars, Charley becomes more entranced by Lydia as he seeks to save her during the festive season.
Nutcracker and Mouse King by ETA Hoffmann
One of the world’s most famous ballets was inspired by the endearing story of Marie Stahlbaum and her adventures.
On Christmas Eve, seven-year-old Marie receives a nutcracker as a gift from her eccentric godfather, Drosselmeyer, a clockmaker and inventor. Marie is incredibly fond of the Nutcracker and is shocked to see that he comes to life that very night. Maria is then swept up in a world of fantasy where there is an ongoing war between the nutcracker, leading an army of toys, and the seven-headed Mouse King and his mouse arm.
The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen
Part fairy tale, part social commentary, The Little Match Girl is a poignant story by Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, first published in 1845.
The story follows a young girl who attempts to sell matches in the streets. But when no one buys any matches, she's too afraid to go home and face her abusive father. As she huddles between two houses in order to stay warm, she lights one by one to warm herself and starts to see a series of comforting images that change her.
Hercule Poirot's Christmas: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie
First published in 1938, Agatha Christie’s classic locked-room mystery with her famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, is a cosy crime novel to delve into this season.
Simeon Lee is a cruel and tyrannical millionaire who has demanded that his four sons and their families return home for Christmas, where he announces that they will be cut off from his will. Soon after, Simeon is found dead in a locked room.
Poirot is then called to investigate the family and find out why and how they committed the murder on Christmas.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss
One of the world’s most popular and loved children’s stories, How the Grinch Stole Christmas explores themes of redemption, community and the spirit of Christmas.
The story centres around the Grinch, a green, furry creature who lives in a cave overlooking the cheerful town of Whoville. The town is inhabited by people called The Whos, who love preparing for and celebrating Christmas. The Grinch, who hates the holiday, sets out with a plan to stop Christmas from happening.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: Barack Beach, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Way Of Wisdom, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Woodditton, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Secret Trade, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Mark Of Approval, Antonio Fresu, Mahmood Hussain.
9.25pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Tradesman, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
More on Quran memorisation:
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
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How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
