Review: The Secret History of Christmas (2023) by Bill Bryson (audiobook)

 I've always loved Bill Bryson's works. I was introduced to his writing with A Short History of Nearly Everything and can still remember how laugh-out-loud funny Notes from a Big Country was. I say this as context for how excited I was when I stumbled across this free audiobook on Audible (a recent subscription I've been enjoying). I knew immediately The Secret History of Christmas would be perfect fodder for my long drives to and from the office, and I wasn't wrong. 

As the title suggests, this audiobook delves into the history of Christmas - from its origins in pagan times, through to its connection to the birth of Jesus and Christian traditions and then the rise of Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, and the secular Christmas that most (here in Australia at least) enjoy today. My favourite chapter traces the history of Christmas foods through time, including the origins of the plum pudding (spoilter alert: it was plumless). And Bryson doesn't just explore the history of Christmas. He also delves into human psychology with a look at gift giving traditions of Christmas, thoughfullly considering gift giving for the giver and the recipient. 

Adding something special to the experience, Bryson himself narrates the audiobook, the benefit of which is that he knows exactly the perfect tone and inflection to make the listening experience a joyful one. He mades the humour, funnier and the wit, wittier. 

This could be a boring book of facts, but in Bryson's talented hands it's a joy to listen to and learn about the history of an annual holiday that brings so many people together. 

3 / 5 Enjoyable, readable and reliable. 

Favourite Books of 2025

I always find these posts a bit hard to write because I read so many great books and so many of them were quite different. Having said that, while I know I am a bit late to the party, it's better late than never. These are the books that stuck with me.

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
This follows Eilis as she leaves Ireland for New York, and is so much about people feeling like they don't beling anywhere. There’s nothing overly dramatic about Brooklyn, but that probably contributes to why it felt so real.  It’s about small choices and homesickness and was very moving. 

Conclave by Robert Harris
Not high literary fiction but it's on my list because it was one of those books that completely pulled me in. It’s set during the election of a new Pope, which doesn’t sound like it should be this gripping, but it really is. It has all the tension of a political thriller, with secrets, alliances and quiet manoeuvring happening behind closed doors. I listended on audiobook and it was a highly satisfying read.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
This is such a strange and beautiful book. The setting alone, an endless house of halls and statues, is so vivid, and the story slowly unfolds in a way that keeps you slightly off balance the whole time. Piranesi himself is such an unusual character, and there’s something quite moving about the way he sees the world. It’s one of those books that’s hard to describe, but very easy to get lost in. One of my favourites of the year. 

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
I loved how immersive this was. Set in 18th-century Maine, it follows a midwife who becomes caught up in a murder investigation. It’s also about community and women’s roles in a very particular time and place. It has a strong sense of atmosphere and a really compelling central character. It felt both thoughtful and very readable, which is always a good combination.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
This felt like a quieter, more reflective take on a mystery. Maisie is such an interesting character. She is part investigator, part psychologist and the movel and Maisie's personal story is shaped by the aftermath of World War I. This story is about the weight of what people have been through. I can see why this series has such a loyal following. I can't read the rest of them fast enough.

100 Years of Betty by Debra Oswald
This was a bit different from a lot of what I usually read, but it really worked for me. It traces a life across decades, and there’s something about that kind of storytelling that makes you reflect on time in a different way. 

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman
This was just a really enjoyable read. It follows two women who quietly take it upon themselves to intervene in situations where they think justice isn’t being served. There’s a slightly subversive feel to it, and I loved that it centred women who are so often overlooked. It’s clever, a bit mischievous, and very easy to read.

Babel by R. F. Kuang
This is  set in an alternative Oxford where language and translation are tied to power, and it explores some big ideas around colonialism, knowledge and control. 

Looking back, this feels like a pretty good snapshot of my reading year. There were some comfort reads and some surprises.

Six Degrees of Separation (Apr): From The Correspondent to The Bronze Horseman

 The meme is hosted by Books are My Favourite Best and is described thus: On the first Saturday of every month, a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book. Each person’s chain will look completely different. It doesn’t matter what the connection is or where it takes you – just take us on the journey with you.

This month starts with The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, a book I have never heard of but I now know is written in an epistolery style. Letters - it makes me immediately makes me think of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and the importance that various letters play in moving the story forward. 

Pride and Prejudice takes to me to The Benevolent Society of Ill Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman, a detective novel also set in Regency England with two strong female leads living authentic lives and solving a few myseteries along the way. 

From there I jump to Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, a book of the same kind - strong female lead who is a private detective, living outside of the normal for women of the time period, which is between WWI and WWII. Maisie lives true to herself and her values but is greatly impacted by the trauma of having been a nurse in the trenches during WWI. 

The Women by Kristin Hannah also explores the impact of war on women, this time on the forgotten nurses that servied during the Vietnam War and how they were treated upon their return. Kristin Hannah also explores the experience of women in war in her book Winter Garden, this time delving into the Siege of Leningrad. 

That finally brings me to The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simmons, which for a long time I would have said was one of my favourite books. The Bronze Horseman also explores the Siege of Leningrad, but is an entirely historical novel with some elements of romance. This has actually been a good reminder to read it again some time soon.