In J.B. Keane's A Christmas Omnibus, Ireland's essential story-teller gives us some heart-warming tales of Christmas community life and values. In the 52 stories, he regales us with weird and wonderful incidents. Many of these tales are laugh-out-loud funny, so perhaps reading this treasure in the comfort of one's own home rather than on public transport might be advisable. For Keane, the survival of the spirit of Christmas is as important as the stories. He reminds us that Christmas is a time of opportunity to reveal our better natures, especially in troubled times. As the man says, "you can't keep Christmas down for long".