Books I'm Hoping to Read This Christmas
“It’s the most wonderful tiiiiiiime of the yeaaaarrr”
Christmas has come to The Puffed Sleeve Chronicles and yes, I know it’s November and we haven’t even gotten to Thanksgiving yet, but it’s here anyway. I. Love. Christmas. The lights, the trees, the decorations, the general feeling of joy and kindness. It’s all cozy and warm and simply beautiful. And this year, I was wanting my TBR to reflect the Christmas season.
For some reason, I’ve always shied away from Christmas novels because they are usually romance-heavy and I’m just not the biggest romance reader. However, as I get older, I find myself looking for some of that Christmas magic I felt when I was a kid. Life gets busy, especially around the holidays, but I want to slow down and actually enjoy this time of year. So this year, I told myself that–romance or not–I’m reading Christmas novels, and I’ve collected a few that sound cheesy, some that are thrillers, and some that seem to be family-driven and feel-good dramas. And I want to share them with you, in case you’re looking for some holiday-inspired fiction this year. I hope to get to several of them this season!
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You Better Watch Out by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth
I’m not a horror fan, but I am a “Murr” fan so this is definitely on my list. It’s not terribly long, which I feel like I might be thankful for after reading the description on Goodreads!
Christmas Sweater Weather by Jacqueline Snowe
Charlotte Calhoun is headed to a ski resort for her brother’s bachelor party, and a weekend stuck with her brother’s best friend, who just so happens to be the extremely attractive Hayden Porter. It wouldn’t be so bad, if Hayden hadn’t rejected her years ago and made it clear that he only sees her as a kid sister. Now it’s just awkward, and those feelings haven’t gone away. But what happens when a wedding and the magic of Christmas (and a rogue snowbank) throw the two together?
I actually just finished and reviewed this book. Check out my review to see my thoughts on it!
Genres: Romance
The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts
[excerpt from Goodreads] Inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma, this joyful Christmas romp tells the story of a woman who can’t stop trying to help everyone around her find their happily-ever-after—even when her help leads to disaster.
I’m currently reading this one and I’m really liking it so far. It’s fun, the characters are likable and are so far developed well, and I’m actually interested in the story. This one might change my mind on at least some romance novels!
Genres: Romance
'Tis the (Damn) Season by Fiona Gibson
Three women, tired of having all of the festive preparation falling on them, go on vacation until Christmas Eve, leaving their families to make the meals and brave the stores. But what happens when they’re snowed in and might not make it back in time for Christmas? This book seems like a fun read!
Genres: Women’s Fiction, Romance
Find it on Goodreads and Amazon
Side note: This book is currently available for free if you have Kindle Unlimited!
Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger
A true crime podcaster dredges up Madeline Martin’s past–the one where she is the only surviving victim of a killer who also murdered her best friend. The killer is in jail, but more women have disappeared. Did they get the right man, or is the true killer still out there? Taking place in the days leading up to Christmas, this book is described on Goodreads as “coupling a picturesque, cosy setting with a deeply unsettling and suspenseful plot”. Doesn’t that just scream perfect Christmas thriller?
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Hercule Poirot's Silent Night by Sophie Hannah
Agatha Christie’s detective Poirot features in this book by Sophie Hannah, where a murder in the safe haven of a Norfolk hospital ward happens just before Christmas. Staying in the crumbling coastal mansion of his fellow investigator’s mother–who insists her friend will be the killer’s next victim without revealing why–Poirot must solve the murder, not just to prevent more deaths, but also to escape his nightmare scenario and get home in time for Christmas…
Nothing like a mystery in a spooky and crumbling mansion to get you in the mood for Christmas!
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah
Joy Candellaro can no longer summon her previous enthusiasm for celebrating Christmas after her divorce and instead travels to the Pacific Northwest, where her venture into the Olympic rainforest makes her decide to leave her old life behind completely. After meeting a little boy who just recently lost his mother, the two form a deep bond. Joy helps him and his father heal from their loss, and finds herself in the process.
This seems like a feel-good novel of second-chance romance and found families, perfect for the season!
Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Fantasy
Once Upon a Christmas by Sharon Bernash Smith, Rosanne Croft, and Linda Reinhardt
[excerpt from Goodreads] A mysterious package left in the snow on Christmas Eve. A startling encounter with the homeless. A treasured gift of love. Set in the 1800s through the present, in colorful settings that span the globe, beloved inspirational writers Sharon Bernash Smith, Linda Reinhardt, and Rosanne Croft pen charming holiday stories to warm, delight, and romance the heart. Travel to small towns, to the tropics of Africa, to the wilds of Montana, to battlefields, and many more fascinating locations with 55 short stories featuring unforgettable characters who discover, in the midst of difficult circumstances, the true meaning of Christmas. I don’t typically read short stories, but these sound so interesting that I had to grab this book!
Genres: Fiction
Merry Humbug Christmas by Sandra D. Bricker
This book features two stories–Once Upon a Jingle Bell and It Came Upon a Midnight Deer–and both sound sweet and heartwarming. The first follows a woman who books a Bah! Humbug cruise to avoid Christmas altogether, and yet finds herself on another cruise that is the epitome of Christmas cheer. The second follows her friend–who normally joins her for their traditional “avoiding all things Christmas” trip–who decides to meet her new fiance’s family for the first time, and yet hits a deer and sets her future in-laws’ family cabin ablaze just in time for Christmas.
These books sound like hilarious and light-hearted fun and I can’t wait to read them!
Genres: Romance, Christian Fiction, Contemporary
An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor
[excerpt from Goodreads] Barry Laverty, M.B., is looking forward to his first Christmas in the cozy village of Ballybucklebo, at least until he learns that his sweetheart, Patricia, might not be coming home for the holidays. That unhappy prospect dampens his spirits somewhat, but Barry has little time to dwell on his romantic disappointments. Christmas may be drawing nigh, but there is little peace to be found on earth, especially for a young doctor plying his trade in the emerald hills and glens of rural Ireland. Along with his senior partner, Doctor Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly, Barry has his hands full dealing with seasonal coughs and colds, as well as the occasional medical emergency. To add to the doctors’ worries, competition arrives in the form of a patient-poaching new physician whose quackery threatens the health and well-being of the good people of Ballybucklebo. Can one territory support three hungry doctors? Barry has his doubts. But the wintry days and nights are not without a few tidings of comfort and joy. Between their hectic medical practice, Rugby Club parties, and the kiddies’ Christmas Pageant, the two doctors still find time to play Santa Claus to a struggling single mother with a sick child and not enough money in the bank. Snow is rare in Ulster, and so are miracles, but that doesn’t mean they never happen. . . .
This sounds like a warm, cozy read and I hope to get to it this season! If not, I will probably read it in January to postpone the post-Christmas blues I tend to get!
Genres: Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Humor
A Vintage Christmas: A Collection of Classic Stories and Poems
This book is a collection of Christmas tales, reflections, and poems from classic authors such as L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, Charles Dickens, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and more. It seems like it’ll be a sweet way to celebrate Christmas, “vintage-style”.
Genres: Classics, Short Stories, Poetry
Take the time to slow down, grab a book and a warm wintry drink, and dive into a fun, easy Christmas read–I know I will!
