By: Alisa Neeza
Christmas is in a week, and feelings of festivity can be seen all around ❄️❄️ Some love to celebrate it with great company, while some love to celebrate it by getting cozy up with a book 📕 and a cup of hot beverage ☕ If you prefer to celebrate it the latter way, let us suggest 8 Christmas books, across timelines and genres for your pleasure. Whether you prefer the traditional Christmas book, or something a little bit more perplexing with a festive 💫twist💫, we are sure that we got you what you need!
Classics Heaped With Snow
Christmas Book #1 – A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Considered as one of Christmas’s classics and with the many, many adaptations done based on it, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a heartwarming story of a man who was once at odds with the Navidad and had a life-changing pilgrimage that showed him the true meaning of Christmas. Whether or not you are experiencing a situation similar to Ebenezer Scrooge, this book is perfect for those who are looking to find the spirit of Christmas in celebration of the festive season.
Goodreads rating: 4.06/5
Goodreads review:
It’s a family tradition to read A Christmas Carol (original, unabridged) aloud each Christmas season and then to watch at least one film version on Christmas Eve (this year it was the Muppets’ Christmas Carol – very authentic – with Michael Caine).
Over the years, we have discussed the 19th-century slang and customs enough so that the reading is becoming smoother and smoother without much need for editorial asides. This year we focused on favorite phrases “Marley was dead, to begin with.” “the misanthropic ice”, “solitary as an oyster”, “Come in and know me better, man!” and we talked about Charles Dickens as the rock star of the mid-1800s.
It is such a wonderful, timeless story and by re-reading it every year we become better and better acquainted with the characters. We continue to marvel at Dickens’ powers of description and treasure the multitude of secondary characters like Topper, the plump sister, Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig, the little Cratchits, and more. I can’t wait to read it again!
-Mary
By God, Dickens just got me into a Christmas spirit!
I’m so glad I finally read this classic. It’s an excellent tale of redemption and joy.
If you have been living under a rock all these years and have not read this yet, what are you waiting for? Don’t be like Scrooge. It’s only 162 pages of pure unadulterated Christmas joy. Bah humbug!
-Ginger
You can get this book at Book Depository: Here
Christmas Book #2 – Village Christmas by Laurie Lee
Village Christmas is a book that centers around Laurie Lee’s own life, from his childhood days in Cotswold to his days living in Chelsea. The book is divided into seasonal sections, and without a doubt, the stories in each section are all very described beautifully. This is considered as one of the classics by Lee, and with every page that you read, you could feel a sense of nostalgia coursing from the excellent writing inspired by his life.
Goodreads rating: 3.98/5
Goodreads review:
Sometimes you read the right book at the right time. This was such a book for me and more than once did I have tears in my eyes imagining how things were in much simpler times. Beautiful descriptive writing, consisting mostly of Laurie Lee’s tales of his early years in the Cotswolds and later years in London. 4.5
-Amanda Bannister
I read this at the start of a new year wanting a little nostalgia, a glimpse of a different time, and a partial escape from the present. Lee certainly did not disappoint. The childhood Christmas descriptions with all the details so crisp and bright were the best for me. His poetic use of words, which seems so effortless, leaves clear images of the little choir boys moving around the village houses singing in their clear treble voices, Christmas Eve shopping, the Christmas pudding, the greenery collecting and decorating – and the lovely lines about bringing in the tree. The food, the clothes… all spring from the pages.
It’s interesting to read about his time in Chelsea, a Chelsea that is so far removed from current times, and his Spanish time and people and places tinged by his feelings but for me, it’s when he’s in the countryside or his garden that the words come alive.
-Karen M.
You can get this book here at Amazon: Here
Touching and Beautiful Tales
Christmas Book #3 – V&A: The Twelve Days of Christmas, illustrated by Liz Catchpole
For those who celebrate Christmas, The Twelve Days of Christmas is known as a classic Christmas carol that sings about the twelve days that make up the Christmas period, commencing with Christmas Day. This book is different than the many adaptations that have been made in terms of its graphics and illustrations. It is a visual feast to the eyes that certainly brings out the festivities the song is about.
Goodreads rating: 4.36/5
Goodreads review:
A stunning clothbound edition with an equally gorgeous cover, wallpapers, and illustrations. Catchpole’s illustrations blend in well with William Morris’s artwork from the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Can imagine myself rereading it on Christmas morning with a hot cup of cocoa.
Reading and going through the artwork is a delight to the eye.
-Dhwani
This book is STUNNING! It’s such a simple concept; The Twelve Days of Christmas song in book form. But the illustrations inside are gorgeous. And to be honest, my favorite part is the cover. It’s a fabric material and just beautiful to look at. I would totally recommend this if you’re in the mood to see something lovely, and get in the Christmas spirit!
-Katie
You can get this book at Book Depository: Here
Christmas Book #4 – The Gritterman by Orlando Weeks
This is a heartfelt story of a stoic man who finds comfort in gritting snow and ice during wintery weather when most of us would rather stay warm indoors. As he prepares for his final day of gritting, we get to see the character of the man who has experienced losses and how he will face a new change to a routine he is familiar with. This book is also accompanied by minimal illustrations that could make you feel as if you are there with him with the snow and the cold.
Goodreads rating: 4.42/5
Goodreads review:
Beautifully illustrated and beautifully told. I have a great love for stories set in winter that let us peer inside a person’s life on a particular ‘ordinary’ day. They always make me feel all cozy and warm and grateful for the little things in life. This book is one of those books. A book to cherish and read each year (preferably by the fire with a cat on your lap and a cup of tea). I look forward to seeing if Orlando Weeks has any other lovely books up his sleeve.
-Emily
The artwork is beautiful—spare and evocative. It brings a real sense of winter throughout, and the Gritterman himself is rendered with personality and warmth. The plot is equally spare, giving us an insight into the Gritterman’s life as he deals with a loss and the aging process. It gets a little abstract, but it’s creditably written.
-Eòghann MacLeòid
You can get this book at Amazon: Here
Chilling and Sinister Tales With a Festive Twists
Christmas Book #5 – The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
If you prefer to celebrate your Christmas with a little twist and suspense, we recommend The Woman in White, a story on a pair of star-crossed lovers who wanted to be with each other but alas, was not able to or did they? The book is a classic with its theme of Victorian melodrama with scenes that might come across as scandalizing, but catchy enough that it was adapted to plays and movies. If you never dabbled into Victorian writing, this book could be your first!
Goodreads rating: 3.99/5
Goodreads review:
The Woman in White is an extraordinary book. It captivated the reading public of the time, and in parts is almost as breathlessly mesmerizing and gripping to read now. Wilkie Collins professed the “old-fashioned” idea, that “the primary object of a work of fiction should be to tell a story”, and what a story he has given us here!
-Bionic Jean
This is one of the greatest books I have read in my life. The book is my first Wilkie Collins and I’m really glad to have finally come across him, for he has won a place as one of my favorite classic authors. Collin’s writing is admirably rich with poetic phrases and a good flare for vocabulary. Although his prose is a little long winding, he nevertheless has well managed to keep the reader’s attention on the story by his amazing ability at storytelling…
-Piyangie
You can get this book at Book Depository: Here
Christmas Book #6 – Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
Do you ever wonder what Christmas is without Santa Claus being, well Santa Claus? In Pratchett’s Hogfather, St. Nick is missing and it is up to Death to take on his role by giving out the presents for Hogswatch, which is their version of Christmas. Oh! And did we mention that Death’s adopted granddaughter will also be present to uncover where is the Hogfather? With people fighting wanting Christmas to be ruined and to be saved, this book will surely keep you on your toes with humorous and hilarious writing.
Goodreads rating: 4.20/5
Goodreads review:
With a normal Christmas ruined, I felt the need to load my batteries with the maximum amount of Christmas content. I’ve listened to absurd amounts of Christmas music of dubious quality, watched Die Hard for the first time, drank my sorrows away with mulled wine, and now felt charitable enough to finally give Discworld another chance after realizing this is probably the closest to the fantasy genre has to a Christmas novel!
The result? This might be my favorite Discworld novel out of the ones I’ve tried so far. Could potentially have been caused by the festive mood, but who knows? I enjoyed both the humor, the ridiculousness of the parallel world solar festival traditions, and the philosophical explorations of human nature.
Hogfather is a fascinating little tale basically describing the Grim Reaper having to masquerade as Santa Claus, and ending up discovering a whole lot about what’s important to people and their customs.
All in all, a good package.
-Markus
An entertaining take on a Christmas novel done only the way Terry Pratchett could do it. In Discworld, the winter holiday is centered on the Hogfather, a jolly bearded man who brings gifts to children, except that his sleigh is pulled by 4 large hogs. But this year, an assassin kills the Hogfather and the personification of Death takes over the job while others try to solve this potentially world-ending problem.
-Bethany
You can get this book at Book Depository: Here
Books for Escapism
Christmas Book #7 – One More Christmas at the Castle by Trisha Ashley
Most people want to be surrounded by their loved ones during Christmas, and this is also what elderly widow, Sabine wanted. It’s her last chance of celebrating Christmas, and she wanted it to be filled with the joy she once had before in Mitras Castle, her home. Deciding to hire a party planner, Dido Jones, she is inviting more than family when long-forgotten mysteries and secrets arise.
Goodreads rating: 4.50/5
Goodreads review:
Omg this needs more than 5 stars, what a book Trisha Ashley has outdone herself again, I was hooked from the start, but how the storyline progresses, etc. was brilliant I love the main character Dido and how independent and strong she is, but I also loved Sadie grumpy but loveable, this is definitely a book you will not want to miss so get pre-ordering it’s out next month, such a fantastic Christmas book and so detailed that you feel like you are there in this book, that’s why I love Trisha’s style of writing she can make you feel you are the main character and this is your story
-Claire Weglowski
One more Christmas at the castle is the epitome of the most delectable, atmospheric, traditional country house Christmas!
From the very beginning, you are absorbed into a fully immersive Christmas experience, the location, the snowy weather, family traditions, and the most delectable Christmas food you could ever imagine! Added to this longstanding family feuds, letting go of the past, new romance and unexpected revelations make this book the perfect read for the festive season and one that will stay with you long after you have read it!
Sabine owner of the castle and with a progressive illness needs to get her affairs in order and to help her with this she decides to throw the best Christmas ever, inviting friends and family for a festive break, ably catered for by a professional catering company who have been handpicked for just this occasion! Fantastic characters, great plot, and a brilliant read would highly recommend!
Thank you, NetGalley for this early read.
-Sally Tyrer
You cat get this book at Book Depository: Here
Christmas Book #8 – The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale
Post-war London was not an easy place to live; suffering from the remnants of what was once was, people, especially children needed a little bit of joy in their lives, and that is exactly what Papa Jack’s Emporium has to offer. It promises hope when hope was lost, and the wonderful and magical toys he sells for years have given them that. Now, he is ready for his sons to continue his legacy. What makes this even more heartwarming is their act of giving a homeless person, Cathy Wray a shelter in the emporium, and from there she gets to know the true meaning of magic and wonder.
Goodreads rating: 4.04/5
Goodreads review:
‘’Are you lost? Are you afraid? Are you a child at heart?’’
I never thought that there would ever be another book that would make me experience all the emotions The Night Circus brought to the surface. The awe, the magic, the sadness, and the hope. Naturally, I was immediately drawn to the story of ‘’The Toymakers’’, but I thought that it would be an elegant fairytale, a book to prepare me for the festive reads of this year’s Christmas that’s fastly approaching. But this novel by Robert Dinsdale proved to be so much more. A gem of beautiful quotes, vivid characters, exceptional writing. A fairytale for grown-ups, a creation where life is seen at its most majestic and darkest moments…
-Amalia Gkavea
A magical tale that wove a fantasy that drew me in and made me feel I’d visited the emporium. I loved the detail on the toys. I loved the message about the soldiers. The writing was smooth. The pace was perfect and I cried at the end. With happiness. I don’t often do that when I’m reading. I won’t forget this story. I loved it.
It is so nearly a story that would appeal to all ages. I would love to read this to my grandsons but they’re just too little to cope with some aspects of it. I can see it as a film – it would be fantastic – but the time period covered would I suspect make it difficult.
If you like heartwarming stories, but stories with a bit of an edge, if you love toys, if you ever had a favorite toy – read this book!
-Barbara Elsborg
You can get this book at Book Depository: Here
Don’t forget to also buy Poethree O’Clock by Charissa Ong TY, a timeless collectible that can also be read in anticipation of the joyous festivity!
