I don’t know if I can choose the best Christmas book ever for all readers, but I can definitely give you my idea of the best Christmas book ever. Well, maybe the best Christmas books ever–plural.
I hope you are all winding down for a long winter’s break nap. Snuggle in with your favorite blanket, fuzzy socks, and beverage and just breathe. I also hope you treat yourself by reading something warm and wonderful.
For me, Christmas break is a time to turn off the teacher brain. I’m not so good about turning off the reader brain. Who would want to do that, right? During break, I read just for me. You should, too. It serves you, your family, and your students to step out of teacher mode every now and then. One way to do that is by reading just for the pleasure of it.
Decision fatigue for teachers is real. You might not have it in your to choose what to read this break. No fear! I have curated a very short list of my nominees for the best Christmas book ever.
The nominees include a classic, of course and few that never will be considered classics, but that’s okay. Each best Christmas book ever nominee will put a smile in your heart and a jingle in your step. And if you are dashing toward your Goodreads goal, these will help you get there.
Here we go. My nominees for the best Christmas books ever.
- A Christmas Carol: Of course this beloved classic makes the list. I read Charles Dickens’ novella for the first time this year. I’ve seen enough dramatic interpretations that there were no plot surprises. BUT–I was surprised by the humor in the story. When read rather than viewed, Dickens’ moments of satire shine but never take away from the poignant message. If you haven’t read it or haven’t read it for a while, this might be the year to pick it up. For as Marley reminds us, “no space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunities misused.”
- Book Lovers by Emily Henry: Unfortunately Book Lovers will never be a classic. It’s not even marketed as a Christmas read, but it absolutely is! If you love Hallmark Christmas movies or if you hate Hallmark Christmas movies, you’ll appreciate Henry’s story. The heroine is a book agent from New York who has a small town Christmas forced upon her by her overly romantic younger sister. In the story, the heroine, Nora, cringes at the Hallmarkiness of the situation and vows not to fall victim to any hot, devoted sons trying to save a family business and who are probably lurking around every corner. And then she meets Charlie. I love this book so much, I’ve listened to the audio version three times–and then I bought the hard copy just to have it on my shelf.
- Eight Dates and Nights : A Hanukkah Romance will also never be a classic. In fact, there was a lot in this novel that made me bang my head against the steering wheel. (I listened to it on a drive to Dallas to help my sister decorate her new home office.) I’m actually not sure this book should make the nominee list for the best Christmas book ever. However, this YA romance is super cute. I think teens need to read more super cute and fewer dark and deadly books. Consider this book recommendation my brand of indoctrination. Eight Dates and Nights could be a Hallmark movie if Hallmark produced teen movies. New York teen, Hannah, travels to small town Texas to visit her grandmother when a freak snow storm prolongs her stay. Homesick for a New York style Hanukkah celebration, she finds the one Jewish deli in town and meets adorable, quirky Noah who–guess what–is trying to save the family business. If you or your teen are looking for a wholesome, fun holiday read, I recommend this sweet story by Becky Aldredge.
- Christmas in Harmony: This book nearly got me fired. Years ago I volunteered to be one of the backstage moms for a children theatre’s production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. It was a hurry-up-and-wait kind of gig, and there were long stretches of sitting backstage by myself. I hate to be bored. I hate to wait. It’s one reason why I always have a book handy. This time, the book was Christmas in Harmony by Phillip Gulley. This short Christmas novella is side-splittingly hilarious. I tried not to burst out laughing. I also tried to stop reading after the first outburst since I had realized I could not NOT laugh out loud. I failed at both until a prepubescent stage manager angrily tiptoed backstage and announced in the fiercest stage whisper a 7th grader could muster that the director wants whoever is laughing backstage removed immediately. I lied and said that I would find the culprit and kick them out myself. Happy to report that I was able to control myself from then on because my desire not to be the adult who gets removed from a children’s theatre production for causing a ruckus outweighed my inability to sit and wait. And also, it was nearly curtains.
That’s it. That’s my very short list of nominees for the best Christmas book ever. I’d love to hear from you about your favorite Christmas reads.
For all teachers everywhere, I wish you time to relax and read and breathe in peace.
For more book recs, check out Keeping Classics on Instagram where I’ll be posting 2024 book awards soon.
Keep it classic! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and Hanukkah Sameach!
Leave a Reply