One of the best things about Christmas and the holiday season is the books. From hilarious holiday adventures to mysteries on winter nights to Christmas classics, this book list has it all!
Christmas is a great time for family togetherness and all the festivities that the season brings. But one of my favorite parts of the season is falling into the slower winter rhythms that take over when it gets cold outside.
Warm drinks. Warmer fires. And great Christmas books. These are some of the things that help me celebrate the season and unwind from a hectic (and let’s face it, insane) year.
2020 was not the most restive of years, so let’s end it with some great holiday books that bring us comfort, laughs, and even maybe a tear. All the feels. Here are my suggestions for the best Christmas books for adults this year – plus a bonus of 5 great books for kids you won’t want to miss!
The Best Christmas Books for Adults in 2020
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Because of Bethlehem by Max Lucado
This is my favorite book for refocusing my attention on Christ during the Christmas season. Max Lucado has an easy style of writing that guides you through Advent and back to God. There is also a study guide in the back that I found really helpful. Perfect when you don’t have time for a lengthy devotional.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
It would be sacrilege to have a Christmas book list without this one on it. Despite the many movies and adaptations of this classic, reading the original has a charm all its own. Snuggle up and delve into the world of Ebenezer Scrooge, his ghostly visitors, and of course, Tiny Tim.
If your kids are old enough, this might even make a fabulous holiday read-aloud. Here’s the audiobook version if you prefer someone else doing the accents. 😉
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
This autobiographical book of memories gives a hilarious and poignant look at Truman Capote, his best friend and eccentric cousin, their dog, and the mischief they got into growing up in rural Alabama. There’s plenty of laughs, but also some melancholy moments, which I think reflect how many of us feel during the holidays.
Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
It’s well-known that Tolkien is quite the world-builder, and he didn’t skimp in these letters that he wrote for decades to his own children “from Father Christmas.” The exciting stories of the North Pole antics along with the whimsical drawings and side bar comments from the polar bear will have your whole family enthralled and giggling. The first year I read it myself, but now I share it with my kids. It’s too good not to.
Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce by Stanley Weintraub
This remarkable story of a truce that took place between the Germans and the Allies on Christmas in 1914 will refresh your faith in humanity. In a year that was marked by so much divisiveness, I can’t think of a better story to curl up with than this one of enemies meeting in No Man’s Land to celebrate Christmas, play, drink, and exchange gifts.
Loving My Actual Christmas by Alexandra Kuykendall
Christmas is busy, no matter if we’re traveling or staying home, but sometimes we need a Christmas book to remind us of what matters. Alexandra Kuykendall offers personal anecdotes and helpful tips on slowing down and actually enjoying the Advent and Christmas season as they are, rather than as we wish them to be. Who doesn’t need some of that this year?
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie
For some, the perfect Christmas book is one with a good whodunit. I don’t like anything gory or nail-biting during this season, so I find the well-written mysteries of Agatha Christie just right for Christmas. Enjoy the meticulous Hercule Poirot as he solves the case of a murder at a family reunion.
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
Christmas can be expensive and over the top, Luther and Nora Krank decide, so why not skip it? This hilarious novel about a couple that is skipping the holiday to instead go on a cruise is full of antics, mishaps, and in the end, community. While it’s easy to see the humor in this story, it really shines as a heartwarming testimonial to why we celebrate Christmas – even if we do go a little overboard sometimes.
Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
Charming English village? Check. Bakery with lots of sweet holiday treats? Check. Adorable, oddball characters? Check. This book about a bakery owner whose anticipation of holiday celebrations is sidelined by a storm that has the whole village banding together has you covered. Jenny Colgan has a way of writing that makes you just wish you were there (storm or not).
A Merry Christmas and Other Christmas Stories (an anthology)
This collection of short stories from Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and L.M. Montgomery, to name a few, are perfect snatches of holiday traditions from a time long gone. But even then, they have a comfortable hominess and relatability that never gets old. Read this Christmas book in front of the fire.
*BONUS: The Best Christmas Read Aloud Books for the Whole Family*
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
The only thing more fun than reading this classic of a Grinch who learns the real meaning of Christmas is watching the movie narrated by the amazing Boris Karloff. Needless to say, this Christmas book was meant to be read aloud.
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Reading this Christmas book aloud is a holiday treat many of us wouldn’t miss for the world. It tells the story of a little boy on Christmas Eve who is welcomed aboard a magical train to the North Pole. This whimsical tale will remind you what it’s like to be a child and the magic of the Christmas season.
The Donkey in the Livingroom by Sarah Cunningham
This is a countdown to Christmas, which centers on the perspectives of the animals and people in the manger on the night Jesus was born. This read aloud Christmas book is an Advent tradition in my house and I love that no matter how young my kids are, this leads their eyes back to the real reason we’re celebrating.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
This hilarious story of how the Herdsman children take over the Christmas pageant is perfect for sharing with the whole family. These kids will make you glad for your own, and you’ll love seeing how Christmas can touch the hearts of even “the worst kids in the history of the world.”
The Jolly Christmas Postman by Allan and Janet Ahlberg
This Christmas book is interactive and richly illustrated. We love this story of an old-time postman who delivers holiday letters. Each letter is in an envelope that you can open and read. Some are funny, some sweet, but all of them are detailed and worth sharing together as a family. This is an annual favorite we never miss!
Looking for more holiday inspiration this year? Try these popular posts:
10 Family Traditions to Include in Your Thanksgiving Celebration
The First Week of Advent: The Week of Hope
Christmas Books and Movies for the Whole Family
The Best Christmas Traditions (according to our family)
What are the 12 Days of Christmas? And how to celebrate them
[Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own and I never recommend anything I haven’t used myself and loved.]
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