As the shops start to dress their windows for Christmas and more and more Christmas adverts appear on the TV I really love to get into the Christmas spirit by reading some books that are set over Christmas time. I always get asked for Christmas book recommendations and so I decided it would be a good idea to do a blog post recommending all of my favourite festive reads for anyone looking to add a Christmas book or two to their own reading piles this winter.
There's something here for everyone ranging from chick-lit, to YA to alternative winter reads. Think of this as your Christmas book guide to help you find the perfect Christmas read for you! For ultimate feel good Christmas reading I'd recommend making the most of it by either snuggling down in front of the fire or in a warm bubble bath with something hot and delicious to drink! Bliss!
Young Adult
Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle
Perfect For: Anybody looking for a classic YA Christmas read.
I think this might have been the first big YA Christmas book published way back in 2008! I actually only got around to this one last year and wish I'd read it sooner. With the lack of Christmas YA on the market I know that this is a classic that many YA fans pull out for a re-read every year. The book is told in three parts by three very popular authors and is set in Gracetown over Christmas Eve. Each part of the story looks at different characters that we meet along the way and we see how their stories interweave around one another. Very cute, very funny, a YA Christmas classic!
Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas
Perfect For: YA fans looking for something new
This one came as a surprise to me when I read it in October. It's not pitched as a YA Christmas book at all and can be read and enjoyed anytime of year but I thought that it made for a really cute Christmas read. The whole book is set over Christmas Eve as Chloe and her friends work the chaotic Christmas shift in the GoodFoods Supermarket. This book gave me the warm fuzzies as I read about Chloe's crazy Christmas and there is a super sweet romance here that melted my heart. This is a brilliant option for YA fans who've read all of the (very few) YA Christmas books and are looking for something new.
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Perfect For: People who love books about books
New York City, books, Christmas, romance could you ask for anything more? As brooding, bookish, loner Dash and chipper, fun-loving Lily go on a bookish romantic adventure during Christmas time you'll want your own red notebook romance this season too! This is the kind of book that is screaming to be made into a Christmas movie rom-com and would translate so well to the big screen. If you love books about books this is the Christmas read for you.
Chick-lit
Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Abby Clements
Perfect For: Fans of the Christmas movie 'The Holiday'
If like me you're a fan of the Christmas movie The Holiday then this is the perfect book to pick up this Christmas! When two old friends whose lives have taken very different paths are thrown together during the build up to Christmas they decide to do a house swap to allow them to both have a break and get their affairs in order. This one really builds into the Christmas spirit and kept me guessing as to who each girl would end up kissing underneath the mistletoe!
Miracle on Regent Street by Ali Harris
Perfect For: Fans of YA looking to branch out into younger Chick-lit
This was a 5 star read for me and is definitely one of my very favourites on this list. It's a coming of age story about a young twenty-something woman making her way in London and building her dream career over Christmas time. If you like the TV show Mr Selfridge or are in awe of the beautifully displayed big department store windows then you need to give this book a go.
Calling Mrs Christmas by Carole Matthews
Perfect For: Christmas lovers!
This is another book that is at the very top of my favourites list! Calling Mrs Christmas is brimming with festivity and is perfect for getting excited for Christmas as unemployed Cassie decides to make a business out of her love of all things Christmas.Tree decorating, gift buying, organizing Christmas parties, baking - it’s all in a days work for Cassie. What I truly loved about this book though was Cassie's partner Jim whose warmth and kindness towards two down on their luck boys really captured my heart. Whilst Cassie’s chapters deal with the food and decorations and gifts, Jim’s chapters deal with the true meaning of Christmas tackling themes of taking care of those less fortunate than ourselves and appreciating our lot in life. A perfect all-round Christmas read!
Alternative
The Reunion by Amy Silver
Perfect For: Fans of drama and compelling characters
Although this isn't strictly a Christmas book it is the perfect alternative choice this winter if the fluffy festive reads aren't for and you'd rather get tangled up in a story of betrayal, friendship and secrets set during a snow storm in the French Alps. This book had me hooked from start to finish and is perfect for devouring in front of the fire on a cold night.
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Perfect For: Fans of Magical Realism
This is such a magical heartwarming re-telling of the story 'Little Daughter of the Snow' it's about a couple whose grief for their baby is tearing them apart and in a rare act of tenderness and joy they build a snow girl together during the first snow fall of winter only to have a little girl come into their life shortly after. Is Faina the little snow girl Jack and Mabel built come to life? Does she belongs to someone else? Or is she simply a figment of the couples imagination? Again this isn't a Christmas book exactly but it is an enchanting story for anybody looking for a little magic this winter.
One Minute to Midnight by Amy Silver
Perfect For: If New Year is more your thing
This is another brilliant book by Amy Silver! New Year is a time that tends to be overshadowed by the excitement for Christmas something that’s also apparent in the book industry. And so reading a book about New Year and the new beginnings that come along with it was a very welcome breath of fresh air. The book alternates from the present build up to New Year to the New Year’s Eve’s of Nicole’s past beginning in 1990 when Nicole is thirteen. Like 'The Reunion' this book has wonderfully complex characters who have pasts and secrets. Ultimately this book is about new beginnings, forgiveness and redemption themes that tie in perfectly with New Year. This would make a brilliant book to either end the year or start 2015 with.
I hope this list of my favourite Christmas books has given you some ideas for what to read this Winter! Hopefully there is something here for everyone.
I'd love to know a few of your favourite Christmas books and what books are on your Christmas TBR this year.
Happy Reading!
