A Facebook post made today by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis includes wishes for Christmas, Christmas memories as well as book suggestions.

“Merry Christmas everyone! I hope today’s holiday finds you healthy and happy with your loved ones.

Sunday is usually the day of the weekly review, but today I will not write the details of the work of the government. Let’s take a break from the holidays! So this will be a separate post.

I started writing at my desk yesterday as soon as the carols ended. It may seem like a simple habit or photo opportunity when you see “political anthems” on the news. But actually it is not.

This is a very good tradition and the place is filled with cheerful children’s voices, traditional hymns, treats and wishes, and I am very grateful for this special experience.

But if I have to remember the best Christmases I’ve had, the ones that pop into my head without a second thought are my first three kids.

I still remember what Sophia wore on her first Christmas – a beautiful green velvet dress. There were three of us, newlyweds with Mareva, and we preferred to celebrate alone. Six years later, there were five of us. And I remember how every year we strived to make Christmas magical for the kids. What I didn’t expect was that the kids would in turn make Christmas magical for us again.

This holiday season, I want to wish you enjoy the moments that we often realize how precious they are only when they are gone. Moments with adults and children of your family. The people you love and who love you.

And for those of you who love to read, instead of the usual government review, today I want to share with you some books that I would unconditionally recommend to read for yourself or give to your loved ones.

So I’ll start with Jimi in the Hive.

Christos Homenidis, whom I also personally appreciate, is undoubtedly one of our most important writers. So, we again have an excellent book by its author. The protagonist, with a past full of Hive, theater and references to the 60s and 70s, faces a string of misfortunes and a modern social reality that changes at an almost violent pace and that can be destroyed at a digital pace. ‘. Is it possible to customize? One of those books that you just can’t put down.

I continue The Only Journey of Their Life by Ilias Maglini.

On the occasion of a trip to Asia Minor, in the theater of military operations of the Greek army 100 years ago, Ilias Maglinis chronicles the national disaster. Choosing his father’s father, whom he himself did not know, as the main character of his story, he tries to bring to life the experience of a generation of young Greeks who found themselves far from their native places, in a national adventure caused by fanaticism and demagogy. , irresponsibility and poor planning. With this book, Ilias Maglinis succeeds in honoring the memory of a generation of young Greeks whose only experience abroad was this campaign.

I was reading The Civil War in Greece by Raimondos Albano when an excerpt from it about the benefits of teaching history became the subject of this year’s national exams. I was impressed with the way he presented the facts. It documents the interpretations given by each side, debunks the most basic myths surrounding the Civil War, and in the end invites readers to overcome their own preconceptions. Worth reading for everyone.

About Greece and our relationship with the rest of the world, this year I read the important book Greeks – A Global History by Professor Rodrik Beaton. Beaton, with a focus on the Greek language, takes a holistic approach to all of Greek history, from antiquity to the present day, as well as cultural and historical moments that have influenced world culture and intellectuals. He takes the subject seriously and soberly and is well worth reading.

In something also international, in the field of political science, this year’s book “Liberalism and Its Discontent” by Francis Fukuyama is interesting. Fukuyama examines and analyzes the position, significance and challenges of liberal Western bourgeois democracies, the model they promote and the attacks they receive. The book is valuable both because this year has sadly seen Putin’s unprovoked attacks, invasion and war in Ukraine, and because it carefully analyzes the quagmire and dangers that populism on both the left and the right can create.

I’m continuing “Someone Said” by Jody Kantor and Megan Twoey. A fascinating book about the investigation that led to the #MeToo movement. Its pages reflect the courage of many women who have chosen to speak out about all forms of abuse they have experienced in their social and especially work environment. Along with a valuable lesson in how real narrative journalism is practiced.

I will finish with three wonderful books for children, which are very enjoyable reading for adults too.

“Eleftherios Venizelos – in his footsteps in history”, Maros Vasiliadou.

No less important book for children is Julita Iliopoulu’s book “Elitis for Children”.

These are two books that trace the life stages of two great Greeks from childhood and explain their work and why they are considered legendary figures of Greece today.

Finally, the first book by the new author Thodoros Arabatsis, entitled “The Voice of the Trees”, which describes the adventures of little Mary when her family was forced to leave their city due to a natural disaster. A book about the climate crisis and the changes we all need to make in our daily habits in order to coexist more harmoniously with the environment.

For those who have read to the end, thank you! To everyone, whether you are reading these lines or not, I sincerely wish you a Merry Christmas full of smiles and pleasant memories.”

Source: RES-IPE