One of the scariest things about a contemporary Christmas, if you ask us, is how sickeningly sweet it's often depicted. For those of us who remember Christmas and the darkest nights of the year being a time for ghost stories and mystery, well, we have the book for you. The Fright Before Christmas takes a close look at the darker mythological figures that, for centuries, have accompanied Christmas: Krampus, Belsnickel, the Tomten, and Zwarte Piet, just to name a few, plus, of course, La Befana. It looks, too, into Scrooge & Marley (lest we forget that perhaps the most famous ghost story of them all is a tale for the Yuletide season by Charles Dickens called A Christmas Carol). The book is illustrated throughout with vintage illustrations. Quite charming.

While there's plenty to fear during this dark and cold time of year, at the heart of that fear lies hope that, like Scrooge, we can all change in a single night if given the right motivation. If you can't find it in your heart to be kind and charitable for its own sake... then allow me to introduce you to some hordes of Yuletide beasts who are ready to set you straight by any means necessary during a dark and frightening time fraught with danger.  –– Jeff Belanger, from The Fright Before Christmas

Hardcover, with a red ribbon bookmark, 2023.