Must be Santa

This is as festive as I plan to get, so far anyway (though I'll admit I was tempted by the Twelve Gays of Christmas). It's Dylan, who can (almost) do no wrong, and I think it's played straight, because otherwise it would be plain silly.

A Christmas suggestion

Books. Because a scented candle never changed anybody's life......

Remember: no Salt, no flavour

Dithering about what to buy people for Christmas? I know times are hard, but, let's face it, what are friends and family worth? Something between a fiver and £14.99, with a 33% discount? I guessed as much.

So all you need to do is click here and buy your loved ones, and their loved ones, one or - why not? - two or three of the fabulous books produced by Salt. I'm assuming you've got a copy of The Scent of Cinnamon. What do you mean, you haven't! Shame! Order one this minute! You'll be doing yourself a favour. More to the point, you'll be helping one of the bravest, most adventurous presses around at the moment, in the UK or anywhere else, to continue to produce books that don't just look good, very good, but actually do you good. (I have a medical certificate to prove this.)

I won't make any recommendations, but these are just some of the Salt books I've read - and loved - this year, in no particular order:

Elizabath Baines: Balancing on the Edge of the World

Simon Barraclough: Los Alamos Mon Amour (shortlisted for the Forward Prize)

Katy Evans-Bush: Me and the Dead

John Wilkinson: Down to Earth

Vanessa Gebbie: Words from a Glass Bubble

Isobel Dixon: A Fold in the Map

Douglas Oliver: Arrondissements

David Gaffney: Aromabingo

Tania Hershman: The White Road

And just to show that I've put my money where my mouth is, I've ordered and can't wait to receive:

Jay Merill: Astral Bodies (I read with Jay earlier this year and she was wonderful!)

Matthew Licht: The Moose Show (I'm intrigued, and slightly turned on, by his podcast)

Andrew Duncan: Origins of the Underground (I'm in the introduction to this, by the way, and Andrew didn't even tell me! This is your chance to explain yourself, Andrew...)

Lest we forget...

... the true meaning of Christmas. This authentic mooning elf, and other festive delights, including a rabbit nativity, Mother Teresa breath spray and the world's grossest cooking tool, can all be found here.