As a lover of Christmas and reading, I have a collection of holiday books. As is sometimes the case, my collecting was done without counting, and I can't say exactly how many books there are in my Yuletide library.

They are scattered throughout the house at this time, and a quick walkabout census estimate puts the number a little north of 70 volumes.

The pages within, containing words from great authors of classics as well as anthology stories from ordinary people, have given me much joy through the years, touching all aspects of Christmas.

Countless lines have been written about going, being or dreaming of home for Christmas. There isn't a Home Sweet Home holiday; no day officially set aside to celebrate the long-cherished notion that there's no place like home. Especially during the holidays, to which so many traditions and customs are anchored.

"We all come home or ought to come home, for a short holiday--the longer the better," Charles Dickens wrote 175 years ago in "A Christmas Tree," an essay about reminiscing and reflecting.

Earlier this week, posting on Facebook about a holiday reunion, a friend of mine echoed Dickens' words with her own: "Home ... birthday club Christmas ... so many years! Coming back 'home' is a journey through the chapters of my........

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