A Week in December: Sebastian Faulks

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His reaction when he reads a novel by a rival critic – "It was worse, far worse, than he had dared to hope" – is spot on. Finding the Universe contains affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase through these links, we may earn a commission. A Week in December is a formally ambitious, intelligently entertaining, rather provocative novel of contemporary manners. The cast Faulks assembles for his analysis carefully spans society: the evil financier, the barrister, the entrepreneur, the MP, the suicide bomber, the stoner, the footballer, the glamour model, the literary critic, the Tube driver (whom we quickly recognise as the incarnation of virtue because she enjoys reading). You can also book an experience like this which includes your visit to Santa Claus and a snowmobile ride to a reindeer farm.

A Week in December spins a web of narratives, using a broad cast of characters, over seven wintry London days in 2007. I love snowmobiling, and every time we’ve visited Finland I’ve done my best to go snowmobiling at least once.

Wander the bright alleys of Old San Juan (founded 1521) and lively second-city Ponce; venture into El Yunque for rainforest hikes; check out the surf at Rincón; and consider sailing over to the islands of Vieques and Culebra for quieter sands and dazzling after-dark kayaking in Bioluminescent Bay. This popular New Year's Eve celebration on Copacabana Beach draws millions of people annually with its music, dancing and fireworks. Traveling to this United Arab Emirates destination during this month means you'll enjoy comfortable weather (think: temperatures in the 70s).

The area is popular for a range of winter activities, with hiking and cross-country skiing in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park being a popular option. Of course, we appreciate that driving in the extreme winter conditions that Finland experiences is not going to be for everyone. This is also the best time for birding, as many species are wearing their breeding plumage and migrants are around. Almost at the last moment, he has an emotional crisis and desists, throwing his rucksack into the Thames. This covers a huge time period, from prehistoric times to the present day, and is an excellent way to learn a lot about the whole country.

The sound of the breaking as the ship ploughs through it is incredible, and I could have just watched the ice breaking and the bow and the frozen sea stretching off to the horizon all day. John Veals is a hedge fund owner who has made hundreds of millions by barely legal activity and he sees an opportunity to make much, much more by causing a big bank to collapse. If you wanted a longer tour, over multiple days, I’d suggest checking on sites like Viator or TourRadar to see what is available. Its medieval center of cobbled lanes and gabled houses is lovely to wander at any time, but now smells of Glühwein (mulled wine) and gingerbread; browse the Christmas market, where you can make your own candles and cookies, ride the Ferris wheel and feast on raclette and wurst. While luxurious options await in the Indian Ocean and the Far East, there are beaches basking in sunshine and warm island retreats closer than you might think.

There’s a lot to do at the Santa Claus village, and it’s a great place to check off a few of your winter activities. Fittingly, that role falls to the hedge-fund manager, John Veales, a number-cruncher intent on accruing a fortune by undermining the value of the pound. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added. But the appeal here is in getting away from the cities and meeting the people, such as the majority Gond (famed for their vibrant art), the tattooed Kutia Kondh, the Indigenous groups of the jungles around Jeypore, the bead-wearing Bonda or the cultural melee of a haat bazaar (weekly market), where many tribal groups gather to haggle over everything from butter and salt to clothes and jewelry.

The landscapes are thrilling, too, with most resorts located in and around handsome Triglav National Park. Photographers will love the high peaks, frozen waterfalls, snowy forests, beautiful Lake Bohinj and magical Lake Bled, with its lake isle and castle shimmering in the frost. When Gordon Brown opened Lehman Brothers office in Canary Wharf, he said, “What you have done for the City of London, I intend to do for the British economy. Amanda can't let go of the past, when she used to rule the roost in London now stuck in the country with her alcoholic husband Roger, she can't wait to get back at the least opportunity. AS THE NOVEL MOVES TO ITS GRIPPING CLIMAX, THEY ARE FORCED, ONE BY ONE, TO CONFRONT THE TRUE NATURE OF THE WORLD THEY INHABIT.