Christmas Books

If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you’ll know that I love to read – like, love love to read. And of course, that means that I have (at least) a couple of books that I especially love to read during December – to help get me in the Christmas spirit, so to say. To me, there really are few things that make me feel the Christmas spirit more than our entire family, in the living room, just reading together – and seeing how as we very much take after our parents where reading is concerned, this actually happens quite often! I might have already mentioned (some) of these books in other posts, but trust me: to me, they are Christmas – so let’s get this list started!

1. Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott

Yes, I know, I’ve already mentioned this book here – but what can I say? I love this book so much, and because it begins at Christmas (“Christmas just won’t be Christmas without any presents”) it has always been a Christmas book to me – not to mention that it’s just a lovely story about family, and to me, that’s just one of those things that are intrinsically linked to Christmas! (of course: the movie begins covered in snow – that helps as well!)

2. Pippi Longstocking, Madita and just about everything else by Astrid Lindgren

Is it just me, or does Christmas in Astrid Lindgren’s Sweden just seem like the best thing ever? The snow, the family-feelings, the snow, the traditions, the snow…
(just in case you were wondering: I don’t think I’ve actually had a White Christmas ever – I’m 22 dammit, one snowy Christmasmorning shouldn’t be too much to ask, right?)
Anyways, there are a lot of series which I just love, which give me such a home-y feeling, just because I first read them as a kid, but Astrid Lindgren’s work probably more so than any other. Christmassy, in other words, it is!

3. The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis

Don’t worry, I do know that I’ve mentioned this one before as well (in case you’re interested: here) but this is another one where there’s this one very Christmassy element (Narnia’s eternal winter, anyone?) and as such the whole series has just sort of become linked to the holidays. I’ve read these books more often than I can remember, and a bunch of those times were definitely during the Christmas holidays – what can I say, two weeks without school requires some serious alternative activities!

4. The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit

Yet another childhood favourite of mine – apparently, I just really have a thing about re-reading all of my old favourite books in order to get the Christmas spirit? Regardless of whether this actually is a Christmassy book though (it isn’t, unfortunately), I’d seriously recommend anybody and everybody to read it!

5. Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie

This book started its life as a play, and it first was put on the stage as a Christmas-play… Do I really need any other reason to love to re-read this book every Christmas? Yes? Fine: it’s funny, it’s cosy, it’s about family, and friendship, and it has adventures, and it has a beautiful adaptation (as well as a beautiful movie ‘sequel’ starring Robin Williams which I really have to include in a post someday soon). And if that’s still not enough: it was made into a Disney-film – in other words: it has to be magical. And isn’t every Christmas a bit magical as well?

Photo Credit: jessheartsbooks (see? Even Santa’s reading (it) )

So, there you have it: 5 books I love to read when Christmas comes around. How about you? What are your favourite holiday-reads? Do you have any recommendations? I’d love to hear them, so let me know below!

And be sure to check out yesterday’s post, as well as my other Christmas-posts!

-Saar