One of my all-time favorite novels is A Fine and Private Place by Peter S. Beagle. It's a wonderful story about a man who lives in a graveyard in the Bronx, a raven who brings him things, two ghosts who fall in love, and a widow lady who befriends the graveyard man. Beagle wrote it when he was 19 years old, which fact never ceases to amaze me. It was originally published in 1960 and has never been out of print, and last year Taycon published what Beagle calls the "definitive" edition. A feel-good book in the best sense of the word - not Oprah-cheesy, but genuinely moving and wise and a great read.
A new book of poems I've been enjoying very much is The Royal Baker's Daughter by Barbara Goldberg (University of Wisconsin, 2008). Good stuff - lyric and edgy and beautifully crafted.
Happy Holidays!
