I know this is a busy time of year, but all the more reason not to neglect some enjoyable reading that will either help you escape from the frenzy or put you more in the holiday spirit. Here are some off-beat, holiday-themed books you might enjoy.
The English fantasy author created this lovely calligraphy picture book containing letters he wrote to his children every year at Christmas. They arrived from the North Pole, and each was handwritten either from Father Christmas or a talking polar bear. The vibrant colors are marvelous.
What fun to get a collection of Christmas capers written by a group of crime-fiction writers. They range from dark to whimsical, but they all focus on the Kris Kringle holiday character. Each story takes place in a different part of the world, so it’s a fun way to travel vicariously.
What’s not to love about a holiday novella from the author of A Man Called Ove and Beartown? It’s a short book (fewer than 100 pages): a father’s poignant story to his son, told over the course of a Christmas Eve. You’ll find all those reliable themes of true Christmas spirit: sacrifice, love, and forgiveness. Treat your heart to this feel-good book with the rich characters we’ve come to expect from this gifted writer.
Charming and wacky, this is the first of four Christmas tales in a series by reliably entertaining author who combines humor, romance, and real life quite well. The Quinn family patriarchs run the Winter Street Inn in Nantucket. As the family gathers for the holidays, it becomes the scene for some shattering family secrets to be revealed.
13 ghost stories (including one by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes) from 19th-century Victorian-era periodicals have been collected into one volume for those who enjoy their wintery shivers in front of a crackling fire. The editor precedes each spooky tale with a letter to its author.
This is a top-notch author whose best-selling books include The Nightingale and The Great Alone. This book reads more like a contemporary fairy tale, and true to the author’s style, it’s not all light and happy. But love and second chances still prevail after the survivor of a plane crash eventually finds her true love.
“A Christmas Memory” is considered by many to be a Christmas classic. My father’s sister in South Carolina loved it and gave copies to everyone in the family (though some weren’t as enamored as she was). First published in 1956, it is based on Capote’s childhood Christmas with relatives in rural Alabama and the “odd but enduring friendship” he had with an eccentric unmarried cousin Miss Sook Faulk. This version is a bundle of three Capote stories that include “One Christmas” and “A Thanksgiving Memory” in addition to the title story.
Reading is an essential part of the #HeartspokenLife, and much of my writing is inspired or informed by my eclectic reading. I’ve selected some of my favorites to put in my Heartspoken Bookshop. If you’re interested in learning a little more about my reading life, including a link to my “books read” spreadsheet and a picture of my reading journal, CLICK HERE.
For all my book-related posts and reviews, CLICK HERE.
You might also enjoy my post “7 Great Books For Winter Reading.”
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Thank you for these recommendations—I’m particularly interested in the Backman book. And I never knew Tolkien had a Christmas book! What a wonderful list!
Thanks, Ann. I scoured several recommended reading lists for the holidays, and these were ones that seemed to bubble up on several different lists. I think you’ll find something good about any and all.
What a great collection! I haven’t heard of any of these books and this makes me very curious to read them. Thanks, Elizabeth, for the inspiration!
I hope you enjoy them, Denise. I love cuddling up with a good book in the winter.