I have no Nordic roots that I know of, but I feel like one holiday ritual in particular speaks to my DNA: In Iceland, the Christmas tradition of Jolabokaflod—the Christmas book flood—entails curling up on Christmas Eve with chocolate and a new book.
I feel this more than ever: To be the fullest, most humane and functional version of a human we can be, we need to read, dream, question, learn, relate and disappear within the pages of a book; the chocolate sidekick just sweetens an already delicious proposition.
My picks? Crow & Moss, a Petoskey-based chocolatier, makes a to-die-for apple and honey-oat crumble chocolate bar, paired with I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger. The author of Peace Like a River crafts his latest story set in a not-to-distant future America, with a bereaved sailor navigating Lake Superior on a grief-stricken quest for the love of his life in the midst of a world that feels increasingly desperate, yet still flickers with hope, natural beauty and humanity. Tidings of comfort and joy.
You can shop local independent bookstores online such as Brilliant Books, Horizon Books and McLean & Eakin.
Read Next: The North’s Wonka: Meet Mike Davies of Crow & Moss Chocolate
Photo by Danielle Charles-Davies
