Before our traditional Chinese food...

If you're celebrating today, Merry Christmas.

I've been heartened again this year to see how many people, charged with the task of finding something to give someone, have chosen to seek books. For the past six weeks or so, our kids' section has been overstuffed with customers seeking childhood favorites, customers frantically texting to find out what the recipients have already read, and customers bringing their kids along to help choose gifts for themselves or for other kids in their lives. I imagine it was the same in all kinds of stores, but from my post, where shelves emptied so fast yesterday that I had to redefine "shelving" as "cascading," it looked like the bookstore was the place to be for the people of Brookline (and probably the people of Newton, the people of Boston, and the visiting relatives from all over).

I'm always especially impressed by the customers who are willing to commit to unfamiliar books based on our advice, especially when the gifts are gestures to kids they don't know well. These are the hardest questions, but they're also a chance to introduce new books, and my co-workers' and my favorites got handsold this season whenever appropriate questions came along. I hope that means a lot of kids are giving new authors a try this morning. (I suppose they can wait until tomorrow if today's a little busy.)

Have a wonderful day today, whatever that means for you.