Hi everybody! This is Megan’s big sister, Michelle, and I am so excited that Megan asked me to write this post for you all! I love reading her posts each week and I am honored that I get to be a part of it. I’m here to share my Christmas books suggestions!
A little bit about me…I’ve been married for five years, have two little kids (the niece and nephew Megan references sometimes!), work full-time, and in the little free time that I have I like to take my dog for walks and love reading (audiobooks count!).
Now that Thanksgiving is over, we all have full permission to lean hard into all things Christmas! This includes what we read, which is what I’m sharing with you today. I’ve been tracking what books I read each year for the past few years (60, 76, 54, and 63 so far, in case you were wondering) and I have a few holiday favorites that I hope you’ll love, too! There are so many Christmas books, so hopefully this list helps you focus on tried-and-true options that will be absolutely worth your time!
Christmas Books You HAVE to Read This Year
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
I have read this book every year for the past five or six and I absolutely love it. It was made into the movie “Christmas with the Kranks”, but the book is way better than the movie. After Luther and Nora Krank’s daughter goes to the Peace Corps for the year, they decide to “skip Christmas,” save the money, and spend it on a cruise. But their plans are foiled when their daughter calls on Christmas Eve to surprise them with a visit! Instead of coming clean with her about their plans, they (of course) try to cover it up and scramble to make a great Christmas! It can be pretty cheesy, but it is short and sweet and absolutely entertaining! It’s been my tradition to listen to it (it’s only 3 ½ hours long!) on the way home from being away for Thanksgiving weekend!
One Day in December by Josie Silver
This book was everywhere last December, and for good reason. This is seriously the perfect romance novel for this time of year! It’s not too cheesy and is actually realistic (not that I don’t love a good Hallmark movie!). The story is about Laurie, who spots a man through a bus window one December day and, when they see each other, sparks fly! But then the bus drives away and they miss out on the magic. All year, Laurie looks for the man at every bus stop, but they don’t see each other again until Laurie’s best friend introduces him as her new boyfriend! For the following decade, Laurie and Jack navigate a complicated friendship full of the constant question of what would have happened if they had truly met that first day.
The Handmaid and the Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg
Elizabeth Berg wrote one of my first favorite “grown-up” books (i.e. not Harry Potter or any of the Gossip Girl books!), Dream When You’re Feeling Blue, so I ended up picking this book up a few years ago and it stuck! This is another that I read every year. It tells the original Christmas story in a fictionalized way, following Mary from when she first becomes engaged (betrothed) to Joseph, all the way to Joseph’s death. The unique perspective of the story and all of the details of what it must’ve felt like to be Mary make this book sooo interesting to me! I should say, though, that the story does not really follow the Bible story of Christmas much, so that might bother some people. But I don’t mind, since I just remind myself that it is for entertainment and just to make you think about the story a little differently!
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
This is the other book that I read every Christmas season, usually Christmas Eve night! It is very short (I think it’s a kids’ book!), but the characters are endearing and the message is so, so sweet. The book revolves around the Herdman siblings, who have terrible reputations, with behavior to back them up. They take over the Christmas pageant at the church in town, much to the dread of all of the people involved. But, as they learn what the story of Christmas is really about, they really make the pageant their own and share it in a way that only kids can!
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand
(the whole series…or really any Elin Hilderbrand Christmas novel!)
I read this series a long time ago, but I do remember loving it! And Elin’s newer Christmas series (Winter in Paradise and What Happens in Paradise) is also awesome, so I figured I should include these on this list! The Winter Street series features the Quinn family, who gather together for Christmas on Nantucket and drama ensues! The story will pull you in and I would guess that you’ll end up picking up all four of these books in this series before Christmas morning!
I hope that this list helps you focus on a few worthwhile Christmas books to try out this year! PS. Debbie Macomber is always a great option for quintessential Hallmark-movie-type Christmas books. I would’ve included one of those, but they are all very similar and none really stand out. But, that doesn’t mean they aren’t entertaining and couldn’t get you in the holiday spirit! They absolutely are and can.
What do YOU think?
What are some of your favorite winter or Christmas-themed books? Do you have any books you re-read every year around the same time?