Kathy Hamilton I have three words for you, Cosy Christmas Reads. Because, when the weather outside is frightful, the fire is so delightful, and when you’ve no place to go…what’s better than a really great Christmas book? So get your Hot Chocolate ready because it’s time to visit a Winter Wonderland today!
One of my favourite things about the run-up to Christmas is curling up in a blanket with a hot mug of chocolate (cream and marshmallows not optional!) and cosy Christmas reads. For the rest of the year I read a wide variety of books and genres but come the 1st of December, you better believe I have only one kind of book on my mind!
I have three pre-requisites for good cosy Christmas reads:
- They have to be heart-warming
- Plus, they have to be easy to read
- And finally, they have to be unashamedly festive
Bonus points are added for adorable; pets, family members or children.
Sure, it might seem formulaic, but for me, the Christmas season is wrapped up in happy traditions and I want the same from my books too. Good cosy Christmas reads should make you feel warm and fuzzy inside and that’s exactly what the books featured in this list do. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Sleighbells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan
She’s been called the Queen of Christmas and for good reason. Sarah Morgan has a gift for writing cost Christmas romance reads. Her books are filled with festive cheer, happiness and heaps of romance. Plus, this is the book that launched an entire series of novels so that’s an extra bonus! She has quite a few (more recent) Cosy Christmas Reads but this one is my favourite.
Kayla and Jackson’s story is a quintessential Cosy Christmas read for me and the perfect place to kick start the list. Sleighbells in the Snow is the first of her Christmas books that I ever read, and after that, I was hooked. I mean what’s not to enjoy about a woman being won over to Christmas by family and love?
A Christmas Party by Georgette Heyer
She’s been called the Mother of Regency Romance but did you know Georgette Heyer wrote crime fiction too? Well, she does! Like Agatha Christie (don’t worry she’s coming up soon!), Georgette Heyer crafts a deftly woven “locked door” mystery that keeps you guessing. Originally published as Envious Casca in 1941, A Christmas Party is filled with everything you expect from a classic crime fiction. Cut glass accents, manor houses and terribly inconvenient but suspicious deaths!
Suspects and motives abound as Inspector Hemingway tries to solve the crime. Witty and cutting remarks from an upper-class cohort of characters abound. I loved this re-issued Georgette Heyer mystery because it’s packed with characters you sort of love to hate. All of them are equally likely to have killed old Joseph Herriard but Georgette Heyer’s skill lies in keeping you guessing until the very end.
One Day in December by Josie Silver
This is officially one the best Cosy Christmas Reads of 2018. At least according to #bookstagram where everyone seems to be reading it! I’ve heard this one described as a “Love Actually” style book. Sound perfect right? One Day in December is the story of meeting the right person at entirely the wrong time. Romance sceptic Laurie doesn’t believe in Love at First Sight until she spots Alex through the window. As she goes about her life she often thinks of him and wonders what it might have been like if she’d introduced herself. Then one day she suddenly finds herself face to face with him. Only there’s a catch. He’s her best friend’s new boyfriend.
The ultimate question, what’s more important “true love” or “true friendship”? These are the questions that Laurie struggles with as she finds herself stuck in an epic love triangle. Believe it or not, this is a heart-warming, unputdownable romance that will warm you through on a cold winters night. A worthy entry in this list of cosy Christmas reads.
The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder
I feel like this is an underrated Christmas Classic. For those unfamiliar with Jostein Gaarder, he’s a Norwegian author known for writing fiction with a philosophical twist. He often writes from the perspective of children, which gives his books an air of innocence and lack of scepticism that is a welcome change. This is the case in The Christmas Mystery. Devised as a “Story within a story”, we follow a young boy, Joachim, as he reads a story hidden behind each window in an advent calendar.
The story describes Elisabet Hansen, who chases a toy lamb that has come to life from an Oslo department store. With the angel Ephiriel and an increasing host of other characters, she crosses Europe whilst also travelling backwards in time towards Bethlehem. Meanwhile, his family try to solve the mystery of the strange calendar. There’s a chapter for each day of advent, and I found that reading one a day in the run-up to Christmas was a lovely way to reflect.
Letters from Father Christmas by J. R. R. Tolkien
First published twenty years ago, and now re-issued this is a beautiful collection of letters. Each year for twenty years, whilst his children were young, they received letters from none other than Father Christmas himself (or occasionally his Elvish secretary!). The letters documented the adventures and mishaps of Santa and his cohort of magical helpers. Each letter was delivered in an envelope, including North Pole stamps and postage marks as designed by Tolkien.
After his death, his children decided to publish this beautiful collection. The stories recount wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: how all the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place. How the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas’s house into the dining-room and more.
The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman
Another thought-provoking cosy Christmas read for you. Frederik Backman has become famous for writing fiction that renews your faith in humanity. As well as the importance of human connection. In his new novella The Deal of a Lifetime, he grapples with the topic “what makes a good life”.
The plot revolves around a father and son, meeting for the first time in years, on Christmas Eve. The reason, the father is succumbing to Cancer and has been hospitalised. After being successful and driven his whole life, the father has now had time to reconsider what’s important in life and has the opportunity to do something wonderful for a sick girl he hardly knows. Fredrik Backman’s writing is always moving and delivers a deep emotional response. A lovely read but bring the tissues.
The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
If you live in the UK you may be familiar with the annual Agatha Christie T.V adaption at Christmas. If you’re not, check your calendars because this could be a new Christmas Tradition for you! This year, the adaption is The ABC Murders, featuring Rupert Grint and John Malkovich. It’s a slightly darker mystery from Agatha Christie featuring a race against time to stop serial killer using the train networks to find his victims.
Okay…so, perhaps serial killers don’t seem like an obvious connection with cosy Christmas reads. I get you! But Agatha Christie has that classic charm that can always be relied on. Plus, whilst her novels have clever twist and turns, they aren’t scary. Plus, it’s always fun to read the book before you see the adaption, isn’t it?
What Cosy Christmas Reads do you recommend?
Do you like to read festively themed books in the run-up to Christmas and are any of your favourites on the list? Or, do you have any books to suggest?
