Mystery Melange, Christmas Edition

This is a specially-themed holiday version of Mystery Melange for the week, and I hope everyone has a very happy holiday season!

In a letter to readers he posted on Facebook, legal thriller author John Grisham suggested "10 reasons why books make the best gifts."

Janet Rudolph has updated her listing of Christmas-themed or Christmas-set mysteries over at her blog Mystery Fanfare. The list has grown pretty large over the years, so she's subdivided it into four alphabetical sections with hundreds of offerings. Hopefully that will be plenty enough book fodder to help tide you through the stressful season and give you something to do while waiting for the guests to arrive.

For a real-life Christmas literary mystery, look no further than the famous poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas."  Almost 200 years after it was published in New York's Troy Sentinel, we still don't know who really wrote it.

The private investigator/attorney duo of Colleen Collins and Shaun Kaufman, who also operate the blog Writing PIs, remembered a few of their favorite investigation stories that occurred during the holidays, from the silly to the heartfelt.

The featured crime poem over at the 5-2 Weekly is an appropriate seasonal offering, "Depression Era Christmas Eve Bank Robbery" by Robert Cooperman.

Joining in the holiday spirit, author James Patterson donated $250,000 to indie bookstores, to be divided between 149 independent booksellers. (Full list here.)

Criminal Element wondered, "What’s Your Favorite Holiday Murder Weapon?" and offered up a poll.

Mystery Lovers Kitchen has several holiday-themed recipes for you, such as Holiday Pernil: Slow-Roasted Puerto Rican-Style Pork Shoulder from Cleo Coyle; Christmas Week butter cookie recipe from Daryl Wood Gerber a/k/a Avery Aames; and Dried Cherry and Candied Ginger Scones from LucyBurdette.

Think you know everything about the beloved Christmas special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? And How the Grinch Stole Christmas and A Christmas Story? TV Guide posted "5 Fun Facts" about all three holiday classics, and I'll bet there are a few there that may surprise you.

If you're in the mood for some different holiday fare, The Guardian compiled a list of "Best Christmas Films," including a few untraditional crime-themed choices, from violent heist films to lo-fi indies. The Guardian's John Mullan also focused on "Christmas Chaos in Literature," specifcally their movie versions, and how "the real Christmas classics tell stories of fraught family gatherings, orgies of consumption and festivities for one."

Charles Dickens' tale of a holiday change of heart, "A Christmas Carol" has endured as a Christmas classic for more than 200 years and been translated into dozens of languages. Now, it's getting a fresh translation — into emoji.

Writers Digest often features writing prompts for fun, and the latest is "Rudolph's Revenge": "After years of teasing and name-calling, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has finally had it. Write a strongly-worded letter to all the other reindeer from Rudolph, allowing him to air his grievances and announce that he is quitting to join (fill in the blank)." Might make a great party game!

And if you are true die-hard fan of Dickens' iconic story, check out this fan's supercut of 400 different versions of "A Christmas Carol" in one video.