Friday, November 24, 2017

Ten Christmas Books I Want to Read this Year

So now that Halloween and Thanksgiving are in the books it's time to turn my mind to Christmas!  Now I'm reasonably prepared.  My DVR is stuffed with Hallmark Christmas movies and I even have a major gift bought and several ideas mapped out.  This may not be a big deal to some people but it's huge to me!  I'm a notorious last minute frazzled mess hoping that Amazon Prime 2 day shipping REALLY means it!  But since I'm feeling pretty good about shopping and my TV needs are covered I'm not spending some time thinking about Christmas books!  My list of requirements for Christmas books are very specific.  I want heartwarming and happiness, characters I love, and at least one mention of gingerbread.  Here's a list of ten Christmas books I'm really hoping to read this year!

1.  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - I've seen this story in play form and movie form more times than I count and I've decided this is the year that I'm going to read the book itself.  My history with Dickens is a little dicey but this is short and I love the story so I have high hopes.

2.  Hope at Christmas by Nancy Naigle - There's a woman starting over, a decaying farmhouse, and a bookstore.  Throw in some Christmas cheer and a little bit of romance and this is the kind of book that just must be read when it's cold outside!

3.  Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany - While I love a heartwarming Christmas romance a holiday themed murder is pretty great too.  I've enjoyed other books by Delany and this series set in a year round Christmas town sounds like so much fun!

4.  Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber - I've watched a number of Macomber's Hallmark Christmas movies but haven't read nearly enough of her books.  This one about strangers forced to share a rental car sounds like it has plenty of humor and plenty of heartwarming moments.

5.  Christmas in Snowflake Canyon by RaeAnne Thayne - RaeAnne Thayne's Christmas stories are pure magic!  I actually don't know very much about this one other than I haven't read it!

6.  Christmas on Candy Cane Lane by Sheila Roberts - This is another one that I don't know much about but the title just makes this one impossible to pass up!

7.  Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak - A dysfunctional family story sounds like a lot of fun and the holidays bring out the dysfunctional in all of this.  Throw in some forced togetherness and this sounds like a lot of fun!

8.  Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher - This is actually a reread but it's been  a long time since I've read it and I really want to revisit it.

9.  Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes by Joanne DeMaio - DeMaio has been on my TBR for far too long and this may be the book I start with.  It's about the main character taking a risk to find happiness and there's some home renovation which always make me happy!

10. Thread the Halls by Lea Waite - Another holiday murder! This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series and one that I'm several books behind on.  I'm really looking forward to catching up with this one!

What Christmas books are you looking forward to this year?

19 comments:

  1. I shared my 'Winter Reading List' just today, with both A Christmas Carol (a reread) and Seven Days of Us featured on it. I hope you're able to enjoy some of these titles over the coming month.

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  2. Greta list of books!! I liked the Delaney book and need to read the second in the series. Thayne does a great job with holiday books!!

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  3. So many there that I want to read too. I love Winter Solstice too, so now I want to reread it also!

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  4. The older I get the more important it is to get that shopping done early, or at least started in a timely manner lol. Which let's face it still means I'll be shopping in the final week! *sigh* but yes comforting Christmas reads are nice. These all look relaxing and fun, and I love the combination of Christmas and a mystery!

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  5. I have one of your books on my list for next month...Thread the Halls. :)

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  6. I am always running around at the last minute at Christmas! I can't seem to do any better. I hope you enjoy all of your planned holiday reads!

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  7. Oh I so loved this post, I want to get some good Holiday reads myself and I see quite a few I want to read myself! Since I am a Debbie Macomber fan, I have sent her a Christmas card for the past 2 yrs, and both times I have received a card with a teabag(which is excellent!!). SO thank you for great book ideas-I love getting in the Christmas mood!http://thebestbasicblogger.blogspot.com/2017/11/fun-finds-friday.html!

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  8. Ah some I want to read to, Nancy Naigle's is on my radar and is Seven Days of Us. I wouldn't mind a Thayne one on audio and I intend listening to many of Pilcher's books on audio when they publish on Audible. Winter Solstice was one of my favs. Happy reading!

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  9. I loved Seven Days of Us and Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes. I've been wanting to read more of Macomber's Christmas books...and also RaeAnne Thayne's books. Thanks for sharing, and enjoy.

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  10. I love A CHRISTMAS CAROL! It's the perfect holiday read. It's short, but compelling and heartwarming. The edition pictured is the one I have and it's beautiful.

    Merry Christmas Reading!

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  11. They all sound delightful. While I risk sounding a tad like Scrooge - I make a point of NOT reading Christmas books at Christmas as I read to escape...:). I hope you enjoy these seasonal reads, though.

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  12. I read A Christmas Carol two years ago for the Ho Ho Ho read-a-thon and it was the only story I read that I liked. Ha ha. I am not good with Christmasy type reading, but I am going to be reading The Bear and the Nightingale and its sequel this year. They aren't Christmas stories, but everyone says they have that vibe.

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  13. I love the sound of these! I've been wanting to overdose on Christmas reads and movies too. :-) I hope to reread A Christmas Carol this holiday season. It's one of my favorite stories. I don't think any of these are on my list to read this holiday season, but I will keep them handy for next year.

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  14. I'm currently reading Hope at Christmas and I LOVE IT! It's a great pick.

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  15. Enjoyed Snowflakes & Coffee Cakes as well as Joanne’s newest of her winter series Cardinal Cabin. I could just picture the town & characters & started my Christmas Spirit!

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  16. Oooo the Roberts book is so pretty! I might need that one, too :)

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  18. I read/listened to A Christmas Carol finally this year. I've seen various versions on tv, but never read the actual book.

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  19. Oops... hit send to soon. I also listened to Debbie Macomber's Dashing Through the Snow in 2017, I think. It was really cute, did you ever get around to reading it?

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