This was my final read of 2025, and it was a really enjoyable one. This collection brings together a superb selection of classic ghost stories from writers such as E. Nesbit, Algernon Blackwood, E. F. Benson, Marjorie Bowen, J. B. Priestley, and others. These are the perfect fireside Christmas tales: the collection was really well put together and each story held its own.
The stories explore a wide range of ghostly experiences: memory, childhood, nature, cities, travel, and transport all feature prominently. Some stories are strongly rooted in festive celebrations, while others are only lightly touched by the season. Every single story felt strong, and I genuinely enjoyed all of them.
Reading this collection also made me feel nostalgic for a time when writers could make a living and build an audience by selling short stories to popular magazines. Stephen King touches on this in his writing book I recently finished. Many of the great novels we now love began life as short stories, and this collection is a beautiful reminder of the power of that form.
Although it has a festive theme, this is very much a book you could read all year round. That said, reading it over Christmas, while in the Highlands and later in Edinburgh, felt especially fitting. Both settings heightened the atmosphere and reminded me why seasonal ghost stories endure. There’s something deeply comforting about them: a sense of warmth and cosiness alongside shadows and darkness. They acknowledge that unsettling things exist even in times of light and celebration.
For me, that balance is the heart of Christmas ghost stories. They act almost like a gentle exorcism, while also reminding us that responsibility, memory, and the past can’t simply be ignored. Like the festive tree that’s cut down and revenges itself on the party, be careful what you bring inside.
One word: scintillating.
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