i love reading at the holidays. sitting in the front window by the Christmas tree with a cup of tea has always filled me with such joy. maybe you're like this too, or maybe you're just now discovering the magic of holiday-themed books. nonetheless, here is a list of my top five favorite Christmas stories.
i remember my mother reading this to me as a child, and it was captivating. every Christmas, Tolkien would write letters to his children from Father Christmas. filled with beautifully drawn illustrations and whimsical penmanship, this book will awaken the childish wonder hidden away in every person's heart.
this book might not be commonly thought of as one that depicts Christmas, but it is still one of my favorites for the holidays. Little Women tells of the adventures of four sisters, their parents, + their rambunctious neighbor. it is the very embodiment of antithesis in literature as it depicts pleasure and pain, love and hatred, ease and strife, life and death, + plenty and little. you might cry a little as you grow with the March sisters, but it's worth it.
don't believe in magic? read this book and you might just change your mind. i can't seem to put this story into words, so here's a little excerpt to hopefully persuade you to give it a read.
' "Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt." '
a Christmas classic that should be read year after year, this book by Dickens is delightfully captivating while also carrying quite a potent message. meet the ghosts of Christmas present, past, and future and watch as Scrooge's hard heart changes over the course of these encounters. even if it breaks your heart, it's british, so you'll be okay.
if my previous suggestions bore you, maybe you should change genres. try a murder mystery by Agatha Christie...that's sure to keep you on your toes.
and with that, you have reached the end of my list of holiday book suggestions. i hope you pick at least one of these up this season to curl up with (enjoy it with a nice cup of tea, too!).
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