🎄My Favorite Christmas Reads 🎄

Do you have any books that you read every Christmas season?  Here is a list of my favorite Christmas reads. I don’t always have time to read them all every Christmas, but I try to read at least one or two each holiday to get me in the spirit.

The Christmas Chronicles by Jeff Guinn – This collection of stories always sweeps me up in the magic of Santa. I don’t think anyone is ever too old to believe and these easy to read tales about how St. Nicholas became Santa Clause can open the heart of any Grinch. Plus the recipe Guinn includes for candy cane pie is something you’ve got to taste!

Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak – Ahhh remember when quarantine was only a far-fetched plot vehicle? I read this during the pandemic and loved every bit of it. Forced to quarantine at home in the English countryside over the holidays, the Birch family is tested by sibling rivalry, hidden secrets and one very unexpected guest. Witty and well-paced, this is a fun read for anyone spending the holidays with family. 

Secret Santa by Andrew Shaffer  – If you grew up with any relatives from eastern Europe like I did, you probably have experienced some terrifying version of a Christmas ghost or spirit. So Secret Santa is a definite holiday hit with me! Nothing says Christmas more than fear, death and an ancient blood-thirsty spirit trapped in a German perchten doll.

The Nickle-Plated Beauty by Patricia Beatty – I haven’t read this in years, but it’s a favorite book from my childhood. It’s a gentle, warm-hearted story of the Kimball children scrimping and saving to purchase a brand new stove for their beloved mother. With an assortment of memorable characters, it paints a wonderful picture of growing up in the Washington Territory in 1866 . 

The Animals’ Merry Christmas by Richard Scarry – Our son is too old to enjoy these stories any more, but these classic holiday tales were a favorite in our house for many years. The beautiful artwork and old-fashioned stories are just perfect for a holiday storytime while snuggling in the glow of your Christmas tree.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – What holiday story list would be complete without this Christmas Classic? Scrooge’s overnight transformation from miser to good-hearted man is a reminder for us all it’s never too late to change our ways and open our hearts to those around us.

Let me know what your favorite holiday reads are and maybe it will become my new favorite, too.

Happy Tuesday🎄