As the weather turns cold and the nights become longer, I can officially say that now is the very best time to curl up on a cozy couch with a good book and read until your heart’s content. It’s also the perfect moment to break out that holiday-themed book you’ve been hanging on to all year, and fully embrace all its heartwarming moments and Santa-based shenanigans.
For some inspiration, check out my recommendations below—a continuation of my list last year, because I couldn’t possibly fit all my holiday favorites into just one. Wishing you all a very merry holiday season!
Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer by Maya Angelou
While this beautiful collection of poems isn’t 100 percent holiday themed, it does focus on the idea of celebrations in general—whether they be giant public ones or smaller private moments. It also contains one of my favorite poems inspired by the holiday: “Amazing Peace,” which Angelou memorably presented at the annual White House Christmas celebration in 2005.
Other highlights include “A Brave and Startling Truth” in remembrance of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations and the deeply moving “Mother: A Cradle to Hold Me” that celebrates the women in our lives.
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
John Grisham may be better known for his thrillers (A Time to Kill, anyone?), so it might come as a shock to learn that the man has a serious sense of humor. This hilarious novel, made into a 2004 movie starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis called Christmas with the Kranks, finds Luther and Nora Krank determined to skip the annual festivities in favor of a Caribbean cruise since their daughter will be in Peru anyway. But their stress-free plans take a turn when their grumpy Christmas-loving neighbors won’t support the Kranks’ choice . . . and their daughter makes a last-minute decision to come home for the holidays after all.
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
It can be difficult to do humor right when it comes to prose. One person who has it down pat, however, is Sedaris—his nonfiction essays have been keeping audiences laughing for years, and there is perhaps no better collection (in my humble opinion) than this one.
“SantaLand Diaries,” for example—about his time over the course of two holiday seasons working as an elf at a Macy’s department store in New York—is the gift that keeps on giving in terms of laughter. Other holidays are included, like “Jesus Shaves,” in which he details the hardships encountered when trying to explain the concept of the Easter Bunny to French people, but it’s hard to top Sedaris’s near-perfect Christmas story.
The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
The author of Piranesi once again uses her dreamlike prose to create a magical, snowy story centered on nineteen-year-old Merowdis Scott, who longs for a child of her own but tends to get along better with nature than people.
Basically a picture book for adults with enchanting illustrations by Victoria Sawdon, this brief fairy tale does end a bit abruptly—but still manages to artfully weave together both the spiritualism of Christmas and nature in its short length.
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
If you’re a fan of Discworld, the delightfully zany universe that has fueled forty-one different novels, chances are you’ve already enjoyed this one. If not, strap in—it’s a wild one. Every Christmas, the Hogfather gets on his hog-drawn sleigh to deliver gifts. This year, however, he is nowhere to be found.
Stepping in to save the day is none other than Death himself, but things quickly (and unsurprisingly) begin to go awry. That’s when Susan, Death’s granddaughter, sets off on an epic journey to find Hogfather and make everything right. This is the fourth entry in Pratchett’s Death series, and possibly the most fun one.
And because no “best of” book list would be complete without some children’s Christmas classics, here are a couple of favorites that were written for the younger crowd but still hold so much joy, no matter what your age may be.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss
One of the most beloved books (and movies!) in my house at Christmastime, this classic from Dr. Seuss tells the story of the green Grinch, who lives a lonely existence with only his dog, Max, to keep him company.
But his attempts to steal all the holiday presents and decorations from the cheerful Whos in Who-ville backfires when he meets Cindy-Lou and realizes the true spirit of Christmas. As close to perfection as a children’s book can get.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
I feel like this one was required reading when I was in elementary school, and it’s stuck with me ever since. The story follows the Herdmans, six wild kids who are largely left to their own devices and often get up to trouble.
When they volunteer for the church’s annual Christmas pageant, the town expects the Herdmans to ruin the show as chaos ensues. But instead, their out-of-the-box interpretation of the nativity story adds surprise meaning—causing the citizens to rethink the true meaning of Christmas.
Andrea Moran lives outside of Nashville with her husband and two kids. She’s a professional copywriter and editor who loves all things books. Find her on LinkedIn.
