Happy Holidays! + Dragonsteel’s Holiday Reading Guide

Matching pajamas on Christmas Eve. Ripping up wrapping paper in a mad scramble, or watching patiently as gifts are unwrapped one by one. Curling up to open a brand new book, with the smell of ink and paper, and the promise of adventure in every word.

However you celebrate the season, we at Dragonsteel wish you happy holidays! We’ve tuned in to some familiar faces here to see what they are most looking forward to during the holiday break, getting a peek at their favorite holiday movies, traditions, and treats.

Near the end, we’re listing a few of our favorite holiday rereads and the books that we are hoping to finally make some time for before we come back to work in January.

Celebrate the Season with Dragonsteel

Emily and Brandon Sanderson

Dragonsteel’s fearless leaders are looking forward to some time together this holiday season. For Emily, that’s time for reflecting on memories of old Christmas traditions like watching the 1954 classic, White Christmas, which is just a bit too cheesy for Brandon’s tastes. The holiday foods they’re looking forward to include homemade Orange Julius, a treat Emily’s mom used to make only on Christmas, and only after presents were unwrapped. Christmas also marks the one time a year Brandon will eat breakfast, before heading back to bed after the Christmas morning excitement. As far as family traditions go, Boring Claus is their seasonal favorite. Santa’s lesser known, more pragmatic brother is the one responsible for gifts like socks and underwear, and his offerings come in his trademark boring brown paper packaging.

Adam and Jane Horne

Adam and Jane, and their five-year-old boy, are well into their celebrations at this point. Adam is the VP of Dragonsteel’s Publicity and Marketing department and Jane is the Executive Director for the Lightweaver Foundation, in addition to her roles in the Operations department at Dragonsteel. They’ve been enjoying the holidays by watching Christmas movies then eating meals themed around the movie. For Miracle on 34th Street, that meant meat and potatoes. For How the Grinch Stole Christmas, they got a little zanier with a full on Roast Beast. The cinematic slate for the rest of the holidays includes Diehard, Home Alone, and a new inclusion on the film reel: Spirited. Good afternoon, Adam!

A fun tradition around the Horne house is Hayner, the Christmas elf who has been helping Santa for two generations. Horne family tradition says that if you leave your shoes by the fireplace, you can expect some holiday generosity in the form of treats and small toys.

An honorable mention for Adam and Jane’s Christmas treats is Gewürztraminer grape juice. I can attest first hand to its deliciousness, this stuff is delightful. If you want more Adam this holiday season, check out the VOD from our Dec 19 spoiler filled livestream here.

Matt Hatch

The VP of the Operations department at Dragonsteel, Matt says his favorite movie has to be It's A Wonderful Life, though White Christmas secures itself an honorable mention. He’s looking forward to writing clues for the great family gift hunt, where each family member’s “showstopper” present is cleverly concealed until the clues are solved. The treat he is looking forward to is Christmas Slush, specifically the secret family recipe. Though if you want to try Christmas Slush for yourself, Newfoundland is much more generous with their recipe than Matt is.

Peter Ahlstrom and Karen Ahlstrom

Dragonsteel’s editorial dream team is excited to revisit some family traditions this year. When their oldest daughter was very little, she asked Santa for a snake and a candy cane. That year Karen stuffed a sock and attached some googly eyes. The next year, with some distress, their daughter wrestled with how to ask Santa for five snakes. Now, the Christmas Snake has become a family tradition, alongside gift-giving credit to more people than just “Mom” and “Dad.” A pair of handwarmers might read “To Sara; From Cold Feet” or a stuffed diamondback rattlesnake could say “To Liz; From A Girl’s Best Friend.”

Peter has rewatched the Tron movies around New Year’s for decades. While the original is the favorite, Tron Legacy and Tron Ares have both been added to the annual rotation.

Karen’s favorite holiday treats are toffee and cream cheese mints—known as Play-Doh candy to the Ahlstrom daughters. Like Emily Sanderson, Karen’s memories of these holiday delights go back to Christmas when she was a little girl.

Marley Was Dead: To Begin With

What We Are Reading This Year: Holiday Classics and Fantasy Firsts

A few Christmas novels make their appearances on my reading list. Charles Dickens is the most frequently featured author, and A Christmas Carol is an easy ghost story to read through in one sitting. With brilliant interpretations for the screen and on audiobook—especially the 1992 Muppet version starring Michael Caine—this is a story that I get to enjoy every year.

I’ve been reading the Chronicles of Narnia alongside my sister recently, and The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe contains enough snowy fun to fill one hundred chilly winters.

A final holiday read is Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. The March family and their Christmas plights are the introduction to a book that gets better with every reread. "Christmas won't be Christmas without presents!"

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. I started rereading this series in 2025, and with the leatherbound version up for preorder, I wanted to make sure I was familiar with the story before I acquired the book’s most deluxe collectible edition.

I am hoping to make time for some fantasy reading over the next few weeks as well, with The Will of the Many by James Islington topping my list. This is also my chance to begin reading Will Wight’s Cradle series, which starts with Unsouled. The third book in the Legends and Lattes series, Brigands and Breadknives, came out last month, which makes this a great time to jump into Travis Baldree’s cozy fantasy world. After years of hearing Travis’s voice as he narrates some of my favorite LitRPG, I am excited to see what he has cooked up with this one. 

The Fires of December

We all have to wait until next year to read the latest of Brandon’s secret projects, but at Nexus he previewed the first chapter. The Fires of December promises to be a Cosmere story unlike any other, though Brandon has given us a throughline—this is the third novel in the informally monikered Hoid’s Travails series, connecting December’s story to Tress of the Emerald Sea and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter.

If you missed any of those reveals, you can check out Brandon’s reading on YouTube or check out the passage he read for yourself. To secure yourself a copy, you can follow the crowdfunding campaign on Backerkit. While you’re there, take a look at the whole Hoid’s picturebooks collection, and some of the incredible new designs coming at you from Dragonsteel R&D.

See You Next Year!

In the coming days, I hope that you can enjoy a warm place near a fire, a mug of cider, and time spent with the people you love. I, for one, am looking forward to a warm pair of sweatpants and a batch of chocolate-filled ebelskiver.

We’ve had a wonderful year here at Dragonsteel, and cannot express enough our gratitude for your enthusiasm and the community you help us create. From conventions around the world to Dragonsteel Nexus earlier this month, we’ve loved sharing your passion for books and storytelling. Here’s to next year, and all the excitement we have to look forward to.