I keep a list of books of Christmas themed books that I want to read, and as with my full to read list, it grows faster than I can possibly read. (Often my Christmas reading list introduces me to new series, which extends my general to read list... ) Looking back over my goodreads list, I have definitely made a dent over the years, these were some of my favorites:
Christmas Classics:
Each year, JRR Tolkien wrote letters to his children, from Father Christmas.
"They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: how the reindeer got loose and scattered presents everywhere; how the accident-prone North Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas’s house; how he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden; how there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lived in the caves beneath the house. Sometimes the Polar Bear would scrawl a note, and sometimes Ilbereth the Elf would write in his elegant flowing script, adding yet more life and humor to the stories. " - Goodreads
Our copy has pockets that hold the letters, and it's one of the few I insist on keeping in hardcover here at the house.
A short story from the author of the Wizard Of Oz.
After failing to tempt him to their own vices, Santa is kidnapped from the Laughing Valley by the five Daemons of the Caves (Daemons of Selfishness, Envy, Hatred, Malice, and Repentance) on Christmas Eve. Can Christmas be saved?
"A young boy and his mother spend Christmas 1943 with relatives in northern Minnesota while his father is fighting in the war in Europe. They take a long journey by train to a snowy land of vast frozen lakes, deep and sparkling cold, and the most magical Christmas tree the boy has ever seen. He knows this will be the last Christmas he will spend with his cousin, who is dying. The boy's uncle overhears the two cousins say there is no Santa Claus, and in a grand gesture that is nothing short of a Christmas miracle, he restores the children's faith in the spirit of the season." - Goodreads
Cozy Christmas
(Light reads, but not mysteries)
Christmas on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball
Ladybug farm is one of my favorite light summer reads - the whole series is a quick read, and there is a Christmas book in the series!
The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson
Another Patterson that I liked a lot - this one is not a mystery.
Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah is another of my favorite authors, and while this is far from my favorite book by her, it's a good read. Like many others, it's a typical Hallmark Christmas Movie plot. Divorced woman, goes on a trip to avoid the holidays, makes a detour, crosses path with a child who has recently lost his mother. " When the little boy meets Joy, these two unlikely souls form a deep and powerful bond. In helping Bobby and Daniel heal, Joy finds herself again. But not everything is as it seems in quiet Rain Valley, and in an instant, Joy’s world is ripped apart, and her heart is broken. On a magical Christmas Eve, a night of impossible dreams and unexpected chances, Joy must find the courage to believe in a love—and a family—that can’t possibly exist, and go in search of what she wants . . . and the new life only she can find."
Lost December by Richard Paul Evans
A retelling of the story of the Prodigal son
The Christmas Box Trilogy by Richard Paul Evans
Looking for short, sweet, and sappy? This will be a great choice.
The Mistletoe Series by Richard Paul Evans
Three Christmas romances - each one is the plot of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Quick reads.
The Noel Series by Richard Paul Evans
Labeled "The King Of Christmas Fiction" on Amazon, this series by Evans is one I have not yet read. The first is about a son, returning to his family home after his mothers death.
"Jacob’s mother had become a hoarder and he must excavate through two decades worth of clutter. As Jacob digs through the detritus, like an archaeologist, he uncovers many puzzling items including a diary left by someone named Noel, a young woman he has no recollection of, who stayed with Jacob’s family during her pregnancy. That’s not the only echo from the past. Jacob has an unexpected visitor, Rachel, a woman looking for the mother who put her up for adoption thirty years before. United by their quest to make sense of the past and rewrite their futures, Jacob and Rachel begin a search for Noel. Along the way they find more than they possibly imagined, including grace, forgiveness and a chance at love."
Cozy Christmas Mysteries
Another one of my favorite (mystery) series, Her Royal Spyness. This is book 6 in the series, it's stand alone, you don't need to read the first 5 to love this book. Although once you read it, you might want to read the whole series....
Georgie is 35th in line to the throne, expected to live as royalty, but with no income to do so. As she moves from home to home, and visits with the queen, she stumbles into all sorts of mysteries, and of course, solves them.
A Meg Lanslow mystery - book #6. If you are looking for a silly mystery, with lots of laughs, try this one.
The Holiday Grind by Cleo Coyle
There are two Christmas books in this series.. this one I liked a lot, the other was just ok. This is another series I would love to read more of.. mysteries set in a coffee house!
A Christmas To Die For by Marta Perry
I read this and loved it even before I learned that this is a local author, who I eventually met at our local library! An Amish mystery.
More about Marta Perry
Another charming (but not TOO sweet) Cozy Mystery. This was my first introduction to Hamish Macbeth. I keep meaning to read the rest of this series, but I have not yet gotten back to it...
Rest Ye Merry - a Peter Shandy Mystery by Charlotte McLeod
An extremely light, traditional, Christmas mystery
A Christmas scrooge discovers a murdered librarian in this holiday novel from an Edgar Award finalist known for her “witty, literate, and charming” mysteries (Publishers Weekly).
Christmas Detective Stories
The Hercule Poirot series is one of my favorites!
There's also The Adventure Of the Christmas Pudding
The Christmas Mystery by James Patterson
This is a bookshot - less than 100 pages I think... it's a Detective Luc Moncrief mystery. (There are a lot of Patterson's books that I do NOT like, this is one series I like a lot.)
Silent Night by Robert Parker
A Spenser Novel - this book was unfinished when Parker died, it was finished by his agent.
More:
- My Favorite Christmas Reads 2013
- Christmas Mystery Book List From The Cozy Mystery Blog
- Christmas Themed Historical Fiction
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