As we get closer and closer to Christmas, it gets more and more difficult to wait. These 12 books will help you pass the time and give you something to look forward to leading up to Christmas. So grab a book and bundle up because it’s the most magical time of the year: Bookmas!
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Largely considered “the man who invented Christmas,” Charles Dickens is also the genius behind one of the greatest Christmas stories of all time: A Christmas Carol. Following the miserly old man Ebenezer Scrooge, Dickens paints a beautiful picture of redemption and growth through reminders from Scrooge’s past, present, and future. This is a timeless classic sure to warm even the grumpiest of hearts.
Christmas and Other Horrors: A Winter Solstice Anthology edited by Ellen Datlow
Featuring 17 original short stories that are sure to get your heart pumping, this collection is perfect for staying warm in the colder months. The winter solstice is usually celebrated as a time of joy around the world, but with the longest night of the year, there is sure to be some evil lurking in the shadows.
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie
Gather ‘round for a cozy murder mystery set during the most wonderful time of the year. The wealthy Simeon Lee has requested that his four sons and their wives spend Christmas with him. But, when his sons arrive, they are met with insult after insult from their father, who tells them he is cutting off their allowances and changing his will. When Simeon Lee is found brutally murdered, and everyone in the house has a motive, solving the case becomes increasingly difficult for Poirot.
Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey
When a producer offers Melody, the daughter of music royalty, a lot of money to reunite her mother’s band on live TV, she decides it’s time to see the one person who could help her: Beat. The son of the lead singer, and Melody’s opposite in every way, agrees to help her and the two must now deal with a film crew 24/7, mobs of adoring fans, and their complicated feelings for each other.
So This Is Christmas by Tracy Andreen
When Finley Brown returns to Oklahoma for Christmas after being in a boarding school, she expects to find everything as she left it. But instead, she returns to find that her best friend and ex-boyfriend are dating, her parents have separated, and her enemy got a job working at her grandmother’s inn. But, when the boy she had told that Christmas was an idyllic holiday shows up on her grandmother’s doorstep, Finley must set aside her confusion and introduce him to the most magical time of the year. Maybe the Christmas she knew of family and friends, of belonging, hasn’t changed that much after all.
Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy
Two girls, two dreams, two holidays: get ready to celebrate! When Aviva and Holly meet at a holiday pageant tryout, they know right away they are biological twins. But the similarities seem to stop at appearance: Aviva dreams of performing on Broadway, and Holly quietly longs to become a famous author like her grandfather. But they are both curious about the other and their respective holidays, so the twins secretly trade lives and experience the magic of the holidays all over again.
The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson
Ashley Smith is an American art student spending junior year in London and plans to spend Christmas alone. That is, until a fellow classmate Emma Chapman invites her to stay at her English manor, Stavewood Hall. Complete with cozy fireplaces and a charming village, Ashley couldn’t imagine a better way to spend the holidays. Until Emma’s aloof but handsome brother enters the scene as he’s investigated for a brutal murder. Ashley no longer feels all that safe in Stavewood Hall, and it seems something, or someone, doesn’t want her to leave.
Christmas at Hogwarts by JK Rowling
I don’t know about you, but when December rolls around, I am always in the mood to watch Harry Potter and experience the joy of the holidays from Hogwarts. From the floating candles to giant snow-capped pine trees, it is undeniably a Christmas movie. With text taken directly from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone comes the beautifully illustrated story of Harry’s first Christmas at Hogwarts.
A Court of Sugar and Spice by Rebecca F. Kenney
Sisters Clara and Louisa live a rather plain life. That is, until a nutcracker doll shows up at their manor, and tells them he’s a cursed Fae Prince in need of help. They are then whisked away on a journey into the Fae realm. Clara quickly encounters the Sugarplum Faerie who promises her everything she has ever dreamed of. Lousia, on the other hand, is stuck with the Nutcracker Prince, whom she constantly bickers with, despite the growing attraction between them. And, to make matters worse, the entire Seelie kingdom is threatened by the conquest of the Rat King, an evil and tyrannical ruler.
A Merry Little Meet Cute by Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy
Adult film star Bee and ex-famous boy band member Nolan are starring together in a new Christmas movie. Both are afraid for the public to learn about their true personalities and jobs. But everything is in jeopardy when the two start sneaking off behind the set. If they can’t keep their relationship, and everything else in their lives, a secret, then they may very well lost their movie. This is book one in the series Christmas Notch. You can get the second one, A Holly Jolly Ever After, and the third one, A Jingle Bell Mingle, here!
One Day in December by Josie Silver
Laurie is on a bus in London when she sees the love of her life through the window. Convinced they’re destined for each other, she spends a year searching for him again. But when she finally finds him, she also discovers that her best friend Sarah is dating him. The next ten years for the three characters are ones of friendship, heartbreak, and missed opportunities. A joyous and heartwarming story reminiscent of When Harry Met Sally, this book will remind you that fate isn’t always as it seems.
How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn
A How The Grinch Stole Christmas retelling that’s spicy? Sign me up! This book follows Cole, a reclusive grump who prefers to spend the Christmas season hibernating. But when his nemesis Storee moves in next door to him, his world is turned upside down. He decides to enter the Christmas Kringle contest just so Storee couldn’t win. Yet as he pretends that his heart has grown three sizes, he feels it is actually expanding around Storee.
So there you have it: a mixture of 12 spooky and heartwarming, adult and children’s stories perfect to help you count down the days leading to Christmas. Have you read any of these? Let us know on our socials: Facebook, X, and Instagram!
Looking for other holiday recommendations? Click here!
Read more about Marissa Meyer’s and Joanne Levy’s Let It Glow here!
