There is nothing more cozy than putting on your favorite Christmas pajamas, pouring yourself a hot cup of hot chocolate, and snuggling up with a really good Christmas book. A Christmas book can take your holiday experience to the next level because it can give you all the festive vibes without stepping outside of your house.
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I make it a point every year to read a book set during the holidays because it helps me to really romanticize the season, which is why I wanted to share today’s post with you. In today’s post I’m going to share my Christmas book recommendations that I think are perfect to add to your December TBR list. If that’s something you’re interested in, just keep scrolling . . .
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A Match Made at Christmas: A Nantucket Love Story by Courtney Walsh
The first novella on this list is one I’m very excited about partly because it’s set in Nantucket and partly because it has one of my favorite tropes in it: best friends-to-lovers. It follows a guy named Hayes McGuire who has never believed the stories of a famous matchmaker until he’s forced to carry out her duties when she leaves the island for Christmas. With the help of his best friend, Prudence, Hayes sets out to make a Christmas match, but little does he know that the Christmas match might just include Pru and himself.
A Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese
The next novella is perfect for fans of opposites attracting stories. In this delightful story you’ll meet Jonathan Frost and Gabriella Di Natale, two employees of a beloved independent bookstore called Bailey’s Bookshop. Jonathan hates Christmas while Gabriella can’t get enough of it. On a good day they tolerate each other, but suddenly they’re pitted against each other when the owners of the bookstore confess their financial troubles to them. Both Jonathan and Gabriella conclude that unemployment might be in their future, so (in an attempt to keep their jobs) they strike a deal: whoever makes the most sales in December stays on the payroll; the loser will resign. What begins as a semi-friendly competition soon turns into something more as Gabby realizes that maybe there’s a softer side to Jonathan Frost she’s never seen before. This is a feel-good enemies-to-lovers trope with plenty of heart.
A Royal Christmas by Melody Carson
This novella is perfect for fans of Christmas stories involving royalty or the Princess Diaries. It follows Adelaide Smith, a law student who has her eye on the prize and not much else. But everything changes when she receives a letter that reveals that she’s a direct descendant of the king of Montovia. At the king’s invitation, Adelaide travels to his country to learn more about her family and her past. But when she meets a charming member of Parliament, she realizes that she just might have some things to learn about her heart.
The Nutcracker by Alexandre Dumas
I’ve been a fan of the Nutcracker ballet ever since I was a little girl so when I saw this edition in Barnes and Noble I knew I had to read it. The Nutcracker is about an enchanted nutcracker that comes to life one Christmas night and takes a girl named Clara to a magical land of sweets and spices. But not everyone is friendly in this magical land and soon Clara and the Nutcracker find themselves facing the evil Mouse King. I think this little book is a great choice to read during the holiday season because the story will transport your imagination to a land of sugar plum fairies.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
This next book is beloved by readers and for good reason. It follows the March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy – as they await their father to return from the Civil War. While their mother works to support their family, the girls each learn to pull their own weight. Though times are hard, their house is full of warmth and love. If you’ve been looking for a sweet, wholesome world to dive into, this is the book for you.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Ebenezer Scrooge absolutely despises Christmas. To him it’s just another day, but his world is turned upside down when the ghost of his former business partner appears to him on Christmas Eve with the news that he will be visited by three more ghosts on Christmas Eve night: the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. As each ghost shows Scrooge how his decisions have and will affect his life, he realizes that there’s more to life than making money and that if he doesn’t change things his future is very bleak. This book is actually a novella so it isn’t very long, making it the perfect book to pick up the week of Christmas.
Christmas with Louisa May Allcott
This little book is actually a collection of two short stories Louisa May Allcott wrote for the Christmas holidays. The first one is called “A Christmas Dream, and How It Came to Be.” It’s about a little girl who’s not fond of Christmas but has her perspective radically changed after a dramatic Christmas Eve dream. The second story is called “How It All Happened” and it’s about the generous residents of a boarding house who try to give a poor mother and her two children the best Christmas they’ve ever had. Because this little book is such a quick read, it’s perfect to pick up on Christmas night after all the festivities have settled down.
The Enchanted Sonata by Heather Dixon Wallwork
If you’re a fan of The Nutcracker or the movie Silver Skates, this retelling is one you’ve been waiting for. The plot follows Clara Stahlbaum, whose future is all set. She’s going to marry a handsome pianist and make a life of love and music. But everything changes when she receives a magical nutcracker one Christmas Eve. When she’s whisked away into the nutcracker’s world of gorgeous palaces, fairies, and enormous rats, Clara is faced with an evil magician who uses music as spells. Can Clara and the Nutcracker defeat this magician? And if they do, what will become of Clara and the Nutcracker?
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
Who doesn’t love a Christmas tree farm love story? In this book we meet Stella as she tries to save her family’s Christmas tree farm by entering a contest with a famous social media influencer that promises lots of publicity and a $100,000 cash prize. Easy-peasy, right? Wrong. In order to make the farm seem like a romantic destination, Stella lies on her application and says she owns the farm with her boyfriend, Luke Peters. Problem is – Luke isn’t her boyfriend, he’s her best friend and now it’s up to him and her to save the farm. But can a fake relationship turn out to be the best present Stella and Luke will receive this Christmas?
A Host for the Holidays by Martha Keyes
Christmas is nice anywhere in the world but there’s nothing that compares to Christmas in Paris, which is where this next book is set. In this story, we meet Madi, a woman who jets off to Paris with her boyfriend of two years in hopes of a marriage proposal. But when her boyfriend does the unthinkable and rents her the servant’s quarters of the apartment of a very handsome Frenchman named Remy, Madi is not so sure about her relationship. Remy gets roped into taking care of his friend’s vacation rental and is surprised when Madi turns up at his door. Now he has the task of showing her around Paris at the greatest time of year. Get ready for a Parisian holiday love story.
An Angel for Christmas by Lara Van Hulzen
If you’re in the mood for a heartwarming, family-oriented Christmas story, this is the book for you. I actually received this book as an advanced reader copy (ARC) from the author and let me tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book is actually the fourth book in the Endicott Silver Bay Series and it follows Angelica Endicott, the youngest of the Endicott clan, who’s always had something to prove. Her life is changed when she meets a local single dad named Garrett Christmas who’s been forced to place his dream of owning his own vineyard in Napa Valley on hold in order to run his dad’s saloon. Although his last name is Christmas, Garrett is not the biggest fan of the holiday season, but the more time he spends with Angelica the more his cold heart begins to thaw.
One Day in December by Josie Silver
This next book has quickly become one of my holiday favorites. It totally will give you the same feeling you get when you watch Love Actually or The Holiday. The story follows Laurie and Jack – two strangers who lock eyes on a bus and experience love at first sight. For the next year Laurie and her best friend, Sarah, search all over London for “Bus Boy” and when their search turns up nothing Laurie decides to let go and move on – that is, until she meets Sarah’s new boyfriend, a guy named Jack who turns out to be the infamous “Bus Boy.” Now Laurie’s crushing on her best friend’s boyfriend and trying her best not to cross the line, which is getting harder and harder to do because Jack is amazing. But can it be that Laurie’s not the only one crushing? You’ll just have to read it to find out.
Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan
Nothing says Christmas quite like a cozy murder mystery, especially if it’s set in England. The last book on this list is perfect for Agatha Christie fans. It follows detective Mordecai Tremaine who’s been invited to the country estate of Benedict Grame for a Christmas Eve party. But the party comes to a screeching halt when a body is found under the Christmas tree. Now it’s up to Mordecai to figure out who’s the killer and to stop them before they can strike again.
For more Christmas book recommendations check out my previous posts here and here.
Verse of the Day: And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. – Luke 2:7-9
