The original version of this newsletter was sent out on Tuesday, December 16.
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Hello, fellow bookworms!
This week, I’m bringing you a small roundup of what I’ve read lately, which includes some Christmas magic! However, any of these books would be incredible to gift to the readers in your life: from the young reader just starting out to the home decor enthusiast, the poetry lover, and the person who’s watched every true crime documentary on Netflix.
And as you search for the perfect holiday gifts, may I recommend a couple of my favorite places in town: Chaucer’s Books and the Book Den. Stop by these cozy spots as you shop for the bookworms in your life and support local, independent bookstores! (And maybe pick up something for yourself to read during these long winter nights.)
Happy reading, and have a wonderful holiday season!
Ferd and the Magic Hat: A Solvang Christmas Story by Adam and Kate McHugh
Ferd is a Nisse, one of the secret keepers of Christmas in Solvang. His big task is to kick off the Christmas season by lighting the beautiful Solvang Christmas tree! But when his magical hat is snatched by a stork, Ferd can’t light the tree without it. He goes on an adventure through Solvang to retrieve his hat and bring the magic of Christmas to the town.
Ferd and the Magic Hat is an adorable Christmas story bursting with all the charm of Solvang during the holiday season. Illustrations by Allie Daigle bring the magic to life, from the adorable gingerbread-style houses to the warm, glowing lights and adorable animals. Little Easter eggs abound in this story for those who know about the history of Solvang and all its Danish charm — and an info page in the back of the book provides even more interesting facts about our “most Christmassy small town in America.” If you have little ones in your life, this book would be perfect for reading to them by the light of the Christmas tree.
Visions of Christmas by Fifi O’Neill
If you favor a classic style in your Christmas decorating that is harder to find in the minimalist world of TikTok, look no further than Fifi O’Neill’s beautiful design book Visions of Christmas. Taken in the home of Amy Stegeman, these stunning photographs depict an elegant house lovingly decorated to evoke all the magic and togetherness of the season. Thoughtful design tips serve to encourage readers to not only make a home look beautiful but bring people together — create magical memories for children, welcome family, and even provide an air of romance. There are even step-by-step instructions for creating your own pieces of decor, such as centerpieces, embellished stockings, and wreaths, as well as a couple of recipes — I have to try that coffee cake — to bring even more Christmas spirit out of the pages into your home.
One of the best things about this book, however, is the emphasis on the spirit of giving. One hundred percent of the proceeds are donated to animal shelters and rescue organizations across the country, including our Santa Barbara Animal Services, Santa Barbara Humane, and Spark Rescue! Bring some Christmas magic into your house while ensuring these incredible organizations continue their work helping the county’s creatures find their forever homes.
Body Memory by Meriwether Clarke
This collection of poetry features the most fitting title I have come across in ages. The poems in Body Memory, by Santa Barbara poet Meriwether Clarke, are deeply evocative of the scores our bodies keep and how that relates to trauma, identity, and self-expression. In writing about girlhood, Clarke’s words conjure a softness and innocence that is still always aware of possible threat awaiting, even as we aren’t sure where exactly it might be lurking, as we undergo our metamorphosis into womanhood. Every poem feels like a reminder of how the relationship with one’s own body and how we learn to navigate the world through our physical selves are difficult enough as we grow, and yet as women, we are constantly reminded that the world, with its beauty standards and misogynistic conventions, is not kind to us and to our bodies.
The poem “My Dress” was one of my particular favorites, with its comparison of the body to a glowing light and the lines “Hot and unsure / how to be turned off / but wanting it wanting / the moths to stop / circling stop / butting their heads / into this heat / that is not theirs?” bringing to mind the persistent scrutiny and evaluation we find ourselves under as women as we discover ourselves and our place in the world. Clarke’s poetry is lyrical and beautiful, yet melancholic at the same time, and I found myself drawn in and contemplating each poem as I read. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more poetry from her in the future.
The People vs. the Golden State Killer by Thien Ho
From 1974 to 1986, a series of burglaries, sexual assaults, and murders took place across California, from as far as Sacramento to right here in Santa Barbara County. It took until 2001 before these seemingly unconnected crimes were linked by DNA evidence, and longer for the name “The Golden State Killer” to be affixed to this unknown boogeyman. With advancements in DNA tracing and genetic genealogy, in 2018, a man named Joseph James DeAngelo was finally identified, arrested, and charged with the crimes. Now, five years after DeAngelo’s conviction, lead prosecutor and current Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho has penned a book about the crimes, investigation, and the historic trial.
Like many people interested in true crime, I had read Michelle McNamara’s famous book on the case, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, which was released in early 2018, before DeAngelo’s name was part of the public conversation. It’s incredible to finally be able to read a book on the complete story, with the killer finally unmasked, captured, and convicted. Ho does a fantastic job laying out the case — no small feat with a case that involves so many separate crimes, multiple decades of investigation, and 11 separate areas of jurisdiction. However, what impressed me most about this book is Ho’s decision to not keep the spotlight solely on the killer, but instead to emphasize the victims and survivors, even featuring survivors’ victim impact statements to highlight their bravery and resilience.
I also had the opportunity to interview Thien Ho about the case, his writing process, and what it’s like to close the book on the Golden State Killer. Read it here!
—Tessa, allbooked@independent.com
FROM OUR PAGES
We’ve had some great author visits and interviews recently, so don’t miss out. Here is some of our book-related coverage from the last two weeks! Read all this and more at Independent.com.
“Second Book of Santa Barbara Looks Forward and Back” by Matt Kettmann
“The Best Poetry Books of 2025” by David Starkey
“Colm Tóibín Discusses Home, Solitude, and Craft at UCSB” by Alice Dehghanzadeh
“Cooking Coyote with Betty Fussell” by Matt Kettmann
“Ocean Vuong Discusses Effort, Stillness, and the Beauty of Hard Work” by Alice Dehghanzadeh
UPCOMING BOOK EVENTS
Below, you will find a few bookish events coming up in Santa Barbara. If you are hosting a bookish event in Santa Barbara, be sure to submit the event to our online events calendar.
Trail Talks Open Mic: Tales from the Wild
Thursday, December 18, 6:30 p.m. | S.B. Central Library
Buellton Library Bookworms
Friday, December 19, 1 p.m. | Buellton Library
Online Seminar Series: The Emperor of All Maladies
Saturday, December 20, noon | Online (The Agora Foundation)
Horror Book Club: The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monica Kim
Saturday, December 20, 1 p.m. | Goleta Community Center
Goleta Valley Library Poetry Club
Sunday, December 21, 2 p.m. | Goleta Community Center
S.B. SPOTLIGHT
We at the Independent get many books sent to us by area authors, sometimes too many! It’s practically impossible for us to read and review them all, but just because we are busy bees does not mean that they aren’t worth the attention. In an attempt to not completely drop the ball, we have compiled a list of books here that are either written by a Santa Barbara author, feature someone in our community, or have another tie to Santa Barbara. I urge you to look through this list. Perhaps you will find your new favorite read!
The following are the most recent titles that have been sent to us.
Santa Barbara: A Portrait by Bill Zeldis
Visions of Christmas by Fifi O’Neill
Lemons and Ladybugs: Part II by Mike Critelli
If you are a local author and would like us to feature your book in this section, please email allbooked@independent.com with the subject line “S.B. Spotlight.”
Book Reviews Courtesy of CALIFORNIA REVIEW OF BOOKS*
Thanks to the generous contributions of David Starkey, Brian Tanguay and their team of reviewers at California Review of Books, we are able to provide a steady stream of book reviews via our content partnership. Recent reviews at Independent.com include:
*At the present time, all of the Independent’s book reviews are provided in collaboration with California Review of Books (calirb.com).
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