Christmas usually is a quiet affair at home. We’ve never lived near extended family, so we don’t ever have big celebrations. Still, we’ve always set up a Christmas tree and since I learnt to bake when I was 16, I’ve been baking goodies every year.

The funny thing about me is that I don’t like using my favourite bookmarks. I still like using nice one but the nicest ones stay tucked away in my drawers. This Korean embroidered bookmark is a prime example. It looks so pretty and I find it too exquisite to use. See, I’m always afraid of losing them. I already lost one bookmark that I particularly loved between the pages of a library book. Sadly, I only realised this when I returned home from dropping my books at the library.

With the monsoon season in full swing, December’s filled with the coldness of stormy days. It’s not as cold as icy winter days but for the tropics, these are our dreary days. During this time of the year, I like to grab my favourite sweater, brew a cup of tea in a Christmassy mug and curl up with a book befitting of the season.

The moon never fails to mesmerise me. The shimmering beauty at night borders so much on mysticism, I can’t look away. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor enamoured me in the same way. The words portray such beauty and the setting is so magical, I still dream about it sometimes.

Wistfulness and dreams for me go hand in hand. That’s why Dreamfire by Kit Alloway came to mind. I have yet to read it and I have no idea if there’s anything wistful about the story. Still, the synopsis does talk about the entering of other people’s dreams, so there’s that — reaching for something that is bygone or isn’t even yours is the epitome of wistfulness. That vague dreamy cover of someone seemingly freefalling just adds to the whole vibe, so there we go.