10 Books to Read Over the Holiday Season: ‘Tis the season for festivities, and what better time of the year exists to curl up with a good book? Whether you’re nestled by your fireplace with a decadent mug of hot chocolate or seeking a quiet escape from all the celebrations, a great read can elevate your experience and hurtle you [gently, of course] across a different world altogether.
To help you along with your seasonal reading list, we have come to the rescue with the top 10 books you need to read over the holiday season. In the following carefully curated list, we have compiled a diverse selection that promises something special for everyone. Let’s dig in!
- 1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
- 2. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
- 3. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
- 4. Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
- 5. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
- 6. Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
- 7. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
- 8. Krampus: The Yule Lord by Brom
- 9. Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
- 10. Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb
1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Considered a classic in English literature by the great Dickens himself, published in 1843, A Christmas Carol is known for its powerful message on redemption, compassion, and the joy of giving. Dickens is known for his sharp social commentary and rich characters – and this story continues to be widely read and appreciated by many for the same.
The story introduces us to Ebenezer Scrooge, a cold-hearted miserly old man, whose only love in life is money and wealth. On Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who passed away seven years ago. Chained and beleaguered, he warns Scrooge that he will end up the same way if he continues his ways and does not make amends to his lifestyle. He informs Scrogge that he will be visited by three spirits representing Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Through these spectral visits, Scrooge confronts the errors of his ways and is shown the impact of his life’s choices. Haunted by the possibilities and realities outside his four-walled isolation, he undergoes profound transformation, discovering the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of human connection.
In the end, Scrooge declares that “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.” thus encapsulating the ‘holiday spirit’ and continuing his life with ideals of kindness, charity, and empathy.
2. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
A finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, “The Snow Child” by Eowyn Ivey is a blend of folklore, historical fiction, and fairy tales. In 1920s Alaska, we are introduced to Jack and Mabel, a middle-aged couple who has recently moved in from Pennsylvania. A childless couple, they hope to make a new beginning.
As they adapt to the realities of frontier and homestead life, they explore friendships with their neighbors and, in turn, their own childhood. They begin playing with the snow and build a snowman on a whim. However, to their complete astonishment, the next morning the snowman is gone. The figure is now a puddle of melted snow, but there are footsteps of a young child running through the tracks.
The mysterious girl soon appears – she is Faina, a supposed wild child of the woods, surviving in the wilderness alongside foxes and other animals. Mabel is convinced that she is an old Russian fairytale come alive, and convinces her husband to welcome the child into their lives. While Faina’s presence brings both joy and uncertainty, and they grow more and more attached to her, her future is uncertain and they are unsure of her true origin. As winter arrives, the rest of the story deals with the conflict that her past and future bring into the couple’s lives. What follows is a portrayal of love, loss, familial ties, and the human spirit. A melancholic yet philosophical read, it is a great book for anyone in need of a contemplative vacation.
3. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
David Sedaris, popular humorist and comedian, pens a collection of essays in Holidays on Ice. Offering a unique, and often unsolicited take on holiday seasons dna traditions, he brings together a mixture of personal anecdotes, observations, and fictional narratives in this book.
Overall, the theme of the essays can be described overarchingly as a set of satirical essays with a witty and often unconventional perspective on the joys and absurdities of various holidays. Sedaris has a distinctive style and a way of blending dark humour with trite observations, which make the book the candidate to look out for, for a quick laugh.
The most popular essay from the book, “Santaland Diaries”, draws from his personal experience working as an elf at Macy’s. He explores the quirky and bizarre traditions in “Dinah, the Christmas Whore,” offering a different lens on holiday festivities. Expressing the absurdities relating to festivities, he mentions that “The problem with holiday decorations is that they keep getting more and more garish every year. They’re so over the top, so much more than anyone could possibly want, that you can’t help but wonder if it’s all just a joke that everyone’s in on, except you.”
The book exposes the exaggerated and often absurd aspects of holidays, questioning the sincerity and depth of the celebrations while drawing a humorously critical parallel to the increasing commercialization and grandeur of festive decorations. A fun read that still provides plenty of food for thought.
4. Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
Let it Snow, published in 2008, is a collection of three short stories by three authors, all in the town of Gracetown during the Christmas season.
In Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson, the protagonist, Jubilee, is forced to spend the Christmas packed away to her grandparents’ in Florida, away from her boyfriend. While travelling, her train unfortunately gets stuck in the snowstorm and she ends up spending time with Jeb, who is trying to get in touch with his own girlfriend across towns. Realising that she would have to spend time here itself, she meets Stuart, who, taking pity on her, invites her into his house. What follows is a sweet story of a young adult romance blossoming.
Next, in A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green, three friends decide to hitch a trip to the nearest Waffle House, only for their car to get stuck in the storm. Walking to the fast food joint, they share conversations that reflect their respective positions in the friend group – the funny guy, the immature prankster, and the girl who is treated like “one of the guys”. Eventually, as they arrive, they slowly begin to unravel their true feelings, and reconcile differences.
The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle has Addie, who is upset about her recent breakup with her boyfriend. As she seeks comfort from her friends, she in turn gets accused of being selfish and not thinking about anybody else when it comes to relationships. She follows with indignation and eventual introspection about her own actions, ultimately ending up in a Starbucks where all the characters eventually meet, and the story ends with a large group of friends as a Christmas Miracle.
5. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
“The Polar Express” by Chris Van Allsburg is a beloved children’s book that enchants with both its storytelling prowess and stunning illustrations, both done by the author himself. Published in 1985, this story just gets the sense of wonder and awe that children bring to the holiday season.
The story revolves around a young boy, who one day finds himself face-to-face with a steam train and its conductor, travelling to the North Pole for Christmas. The Polar Express is a magical ride that transports children through a magical ride to the home of Santa Claus. The children, through the journey, witness wondrous sights and experiences, including encounters with fantastical elements like a herd of reindeer and a grand feast at the North Pole.
After being chosen as the one child to receive a gift personally from Santa, he chooses one of the bells from the reindeers. However, the bell gets lost in the way and the child decides to make peace with it. On returning home, he and his sister find a package waiting for them at his house, in which the bell is returned to him by Santa himself. The two are fascinated by the bell’s ringing, while their parents assert that they are not able to hear it at all. As the years go by, the boy admits that the sound of the bell gets fainter and fainter each year – “Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.” – thus emphasising on having faith and believing in magic, regardless of age or experience, and encourages us to embrace the little magic that surrounds us always.
Also, Read: 15 Best Christmas Movies on Netflix For The Holiday Season
6. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie’s “Hercule Poirot’s Christmas” was touted to be “a classic Agatha mystery” novel that unfolds against the backdrop of the festive season. Set in the grand surroundings of a country estate, the story revolves around the wealthy Simeon Lee, who gathers his family together for a Christmas celebration. Suspicious of each other, the family members reluctantly show up at his house, where he is soon murdered.
With the suspects all within the house, tensions rise, and it falls upon Hercule Poirot assisting his Colonel friend to untangle the web of secrets, deceit, and family drama that shroud the case. The story is woven with red herrings and unexpected twists, keeping readers guessing until the very end. As Poirot navigates through the complexities of the Lee family dynamics, the truth behind the murder gradually comes to light.
Christie, in the novel, contrasts the warmth of the festive season with the chilling presence of a murder investigation. As Poirot remarks in the book, based on the contrast present in festivities between a conflicted family, “There is at Christmas time a great deal of hypocrisy, honourable hypocrisy, hypocrisy undertaken pour le bon motif, c’est entendu, but nevertheless hypocrisy!” – this book will keep you hooked till the end, perhaps making you, the reader, forget the actual celebrations happening around you!
7. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
Winter Garden is an emotionally evocative novel that narrates a story of family bonds, sacrifice, and untold stories. It promotes the notion that no matter what, you never really know your own parents, the people you are usually closest to.
Two estranged sisters, Meredith and Nina, from each other as well as their mother, are as different as can be. While one has relegated herself to a life of homely security, the other has travelled the world and lived the free life as a photojournalist. However, both of them find their way back to their childhood home as their beloved father falls gravely ill. On reaching home, they find themselves having to interact with their mother, distant all their lives, but willing to open up a little now. As their father makes the women promise to hear the full story of their mother’s childhood, which had become the base of a fairytale she used to tell the girls when younger, the women find themselves connecting in ways they could never have imagined.
The mother shares the tale of a young girl in Leningrad during World War II, revealing a history filled with tragedy, love, and survival. As Anya narrates this heart-rending story, her daughters begin to understand the layers of pain and strength hidden within their mother’s reticence. Ultimately, the story powers through a tale of sacrifice, and heartbreak:
“We women make choices for others, not for ourselves, and when we are mothers, we…bear what we must for our children. You will protect them. It will hurt you; it will hurt them. Your job is to hide that your heart is breaking and do what they need you to do.”
A story of forgiveness, reflection, and transformation, it is a great book to read over a time that is supposedly reserved for happy families, encouraging us to try to view things from someone else’s perspective.
8. Krampus: The Yule Lord by Brom
American author Gerald Brom, known professionally only by his last name ‘Brom’, while known widely for his illustrations, is also popular for penning a few fantasy novels.
Krampus: The Yule Lord is a twisted fairytale set in Appalachia about a failed West Virginia songwriter who gets ensnared on Christmas Eve in an eternal war between Santa Claus, and his dark enemy Krampus – aka Black Peter – an ancient trickster demon. One Christmas Eve in Boone County, Virginia, Jesse Walker is a songwriter who witnesses something remarkably strange – seven unidentifiable figures chasing a man in a red suit. What follows is a mysterious chase pierced with screams and shouts, and a large sack plummeting speedily towards the ground. This sack turns out to be magical in the hands of the songwriter and propels him directly into the arms of Krampus.
Seemingly the major villain at first, Krampus soon reveals dark secrets about Santa Claus, and the lines between good and evil begin blurring slowly. He reveals how the latter had kept the former prisoner for a long epoch, and taken away his magic. He is determined to have his revenge, and Jesse has little time left to resolve the fight and redeem himself in the eyes of his own family. Featuring beautiful and creepy artwork from Brom himself, the book is a wonderful delight for those interested in the liked of Sweeney Todd.
9. Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
In “Bright Lights, Big Christmas” by Mary Kay Andrews, a quintessential Christmas book, Kerry Tolliver leaves her family’s Christmas tree farm in North Carolina to help her brother sell trees in New York City. In the heart of Greenwich Village, Kerry navigates the city alongside charming neighbours and a very quirky community. As Christmas comes close, an elderly neighbour goes missing, prompting Kerry to blend her country know-how with newfound New York insights to protect her urban family.
Moreover, amidst the holiday magic, a romantic subplot unfolds with Patrick, a single dad raising his dragon-loving son on the same block. Despite undeniable chemistry, the question continues to persist: can this holiday romance withstand the bustling city and familial complexities? Andrews seems to capture the essence of Christmas, combining festive nostalgia with humour and romance.
If you enjoy rich character dynamics with a holiday spirit, this is the book for you. Set against the backdrop of a Christmas tree stand in New York, the story unfolds with warmth and familiarity, capturing the essence of family, love, and the holiday season. It’s a nice, comfortable and enjoyable holiday read. Perfect for the time of year when everyone is stressed out and running around in a frenzy, preparing for the holidays.
10. Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb
“Last Christmas in Paris” by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb is a historical fictional novel that unfolds against the backdrop of World War I. This ‘epistolary’ novel, that is, a novel told through a series of letters and telegrams, explores the impact of war on love, friendship, and the human spirit.
The story begins in the Christmas of 1914, with two friends – Thomas Harding and Evie Elliott – making a pact to meet in Paris when the war ends. However, as the war progresses, their lives take unexpected turns, and the letters exchanged between them reveal the harsh realities of the front lines as well as their home front. The authors here convey the emotional toll of war, highlighting the resilience and courage of those left behind.
The novel provides a unique perspective on the historical events of the time, delving into the personal struggles and sacrifices of the characters. The depiction of Christmas here emphasizes the longing for connection and the hope for a better future. With its rich historical detail and engaging characters, “Last Christmas in Paris” is an emotionally resonant novel that captures the essence of love and hope amid the challenges of war. It is a must-read for those who appreciate historical fiction that brings the past to life with depth and authenticity.
