10 Christmas Books to Get You in the Holiday Mood

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last few weeks, it’s almost Christmas! We have entered the official season for my favorite holiday, and I hope you are well prepared to talk about how to get in the holiday mood. How, you ask? By reading Christmas books, of course.

I’ve been working on my Christmas spirit since September, when I first began reading books in preparation for this list. In fact, I’ve had this on my mind for some time even before that, because I bought several of the books included here in May. How’s that for being prepared?

Not everyone likes to read seasonally, but for those who do I have compiled a list of six adult and four children’s titles to help you find great Christmas books to enjoy. For best results pair any book from this list with a holiday-ish snack like these white chocolate cranberries and pretzels, or perhaps this almond white hot chocolate. Because you know I’m all about the reading and the eating. And then repeating.

And in case you want to see what was on my list last year, here’s my 2016 Christmas books list.

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Adult Christmas Books:

Starry Night
Debbie Macomber

Apparently Debbie Macomber Christmas books are kind of a thing, and I didn’t realize it until I went searching for books to include on this list. I can see why though, because I ate this book up in just over 24 hours. Carrie is a driven columnist who sets out to find the elusive Finn, author of a best selling book, who has never been located or interviewed. They both get more than they bargain for when she finally ferrets him out right before Christmas.

A Quilt for Christmas
Sandra Dallas

I’ve had this book on my list for over a year, ever since I read another Sandra Dallas book, The Last Midwife, and I wasn’t disappointed. This was a heartwarming story of a woman who stands tall through the worst tragedies she can imagine and comes out on the other side even stronger than she was before. This one is set during and just after the civil war, and made me so grateful for the people and things I know we all take for granted sometimes.

Mistletoe Reunion
Anna Schmidt

If you’re looking for an easy Christmas read, this is it. It’s sort of a one-child Parent Trap story, which begins with a divorced couple stranded in the same snowed in airport with their daughter, who is quickly found guilty of orchestrating their togetherness. The time together makes them reconsider why they got married and why they fell apart, and in the months following the trip they get to know each other again.

Mountain Christmas Brides: Nine Historical Novellas Celebrate Faith and Love in the Rocky Mountains
Mildred Colvin, Mary Davis, Susan Page Davis, Lena Nelson Dooley, Darlene Franklin, Debby Lee, Tamela Hancock Murray, Carrie Turansky, Gina Welborn

There are two things you need to know about this book. The first is that it is long. It clocks in at 448 pages which is a little longer than average, but the print is small. It’s probably like 600 pages in normal print. The other thing is that you have my permission to skip the middle. I read it all the way through and I thought the first two stories were great, but then things felt a little disjointed for the next three stories, before taking a better turn for the last four stories. Of course that could just a personal preference issue, and I hope you all come back and tell me that you loved all the stories equally.

Prayers of a Stranger
Davis Bunn

I squeezed this one in at the last minute, and I’m glad I did! It’s a beautiful story of healing and hope, as Amanda takes a spur of the moment trip to Israel with her neighbor in the wake of a personal tragedy. Being in the Holy Land where so many miracles took place touches her heart and gives her a new hope for her future, just in time for Christmas.

Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas
Sandra D. Bricker

Ok, this one is not specifically a Christmas book. It’s more just a winter book, but where I live winter and Christmas happen pretty simultaneously, so it’s all the same to me. I adored this one. It’s such a fun and funny story following a church singles group on wilderness retreat. Main character Lucy is not the outdoorsy type, but she agrees to go in order to garner the attention of the very attractive new guy. She struggles not to make a fool of herself with the help of her best friend Matt, and is ultimately faced with the realization that the perfect man for her might have been around longer than she thinks.

Children’s Christmas Books:

Clifford’s First Christmas
Norman Bridwell

It’s Clifford’s first Christmas and there’s plenty for him to explore and plenty of mischief for Emily Elizabeth to rescue him from. It’s a cute book, best suited for the 1-3 year old reader.

Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas
Jane O’Connor

We are huge Fancy Nancy fans around here, so we had to check out Splendiferous Christmas. This book is great for readers age 2-8, and teaches kids about heirlooms and family traditions.

The Berenstain Bears Think of Those in Need
Stan & Jan Berenstain

The Bear family has a problem – a problem with too much stuff. Together they clean out their basement, closets, and attic and find out just how good it feels to give to those in who have less than they do, including giving of their time. This book is rated for readers ages 4-8, but my 2 year old loves it too.

Frosy the Snowman
Jack Rollins & Steve Nelson

Like my last adult pick, this one is technically more of a winter book than Christmas, but it’s so fun I had to include it. The pages contain illustrations to go along with the Frosty the Snowman song we all know and love from our childhood, and it’s all I can do not to sing this book instead of reading it. This book is for ages 2-4 (and anyone else who likes Frosty).

I hope you found something to enjoy on this list! Are you a seasonal reader?