Christmas Reading

Since I have almost finished with all of my December review commitments, I took a little time to browse through my TBR mountains to pick out the books I want to read during the rest of December and especially during my Christmas vacation.
I do need to get a start on these YA review books which will be published early in January.

Splintered by A. G. Howard is an eARC I got from NetGalley as is Cleopatra Ascending by Maureen Lipinski. They will be released on Jan. 1 and Jan. 8 respectively.

The 13th Sign by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb and Delusion by Laura L. Sullivan are print ARCs. I got them from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Amazon Vine. They are both January 8 releases.

But that still gives me lots of opportunity to read these:

From the YA stack, I chose:

• Aurelia by Anne Osterlund which I added to my stack on Jan. 15, 2010 after reading Academy 7.
• Dragon's Heart by Jane Yolen is the fourth book in her Pit Dragon series. I have had this hardcover on the stack since Jan. 5, 2010.
• Fire Season by David Weber is the sequel to A Beautiful Friendship and is a newcomer to the stack. I have had it since Oct. 2, 2012.

From the Adult stack, I chose:

• Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks - urban fantasy, latest in a series, and on the stack since Oct. 2
• The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts - romance, end of a trilogy, and on the stack since Nov. 6
• Cold Fire by Kate Elliott - high fantasy sequel that has been on the stack since Sept. 16, 2011
• Cold Days by Jim Butcher - urban fantasy, latest in a series and on the stack since Nov. 27
• Pale Demon by Kim Harrison - Urban fantasy,  on the stack since Feb. 23, 2011
• Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison - urban fantasy, autographed when I met her and on the stack since Feb. 25, 2010
• Redoubt by Mercedes Lackey - science fiction, latest in a series and on the stack since Oct. 2, 2012

With so many books on TBR mountain (1441 today), I couldn't decide how to pick what I should read next. I debated picking the ones that had been on the stack the longest. Then I thought I should pick the thickest on the theory that reading them would make my stacks look smaller. 
In the end, I mostly picked books that called to me as I looked over my TBR shelves. Kim Harrison's books are the exceptions. I chose them because I have the latest one - Ever After - for review in January and really need to catch up on the series. I have liked all of the Rachel Morgan series and have no idea why these have sat for so long. Cold Days by Jim Butcher is another exception. My brother wants to borrow that one from me. I'll see him at Christmas and then not again until Easter. I want to read this book before I pass it on to him.
I will be away from home for Christmas. If I should happen  to run out of books to read, I will have my Kindle with 752 more unread choices. 
It makes me feel organized and good to know what is coming next in my reading life. I don't need any extra anxiety at this time of the year. Tell me...do you plan your reading ahead or choose at random when it is time for a new book?