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This shall be our last discussion question of the year, so don’t hold back:
What’s your favourite Christmas book?
(Feel free to interpret the question as you please!)
My favourite Christmas book... maybe it'll be the one I plan to read this Christmas - Tolkien's letters from Father Christmas to his children. They look like they'll be special. I got the book for Christmas last year and now seems very on brand for me this year - I had no idea I'd write that essay, thanks again for giving me the platform and impetus.
I have two, one old and one new: “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens (because it never really gets old) and “Small Things Like These” by Claire Keegan, which is beautifully written, poignant and leaves you wanting more.
I quite agree on both of these. A Christmas Carol (along with the 2009 Jim Carrey adaptation) is a childhood favourite of mine, and I have fond memories of reading Claire Keegan's short novel last Christmas. Damn, I'm eager for some more Claire Keegan now.
Is it unimaginative to say Matthew 1? Or just unoriginal?
If so (we'll have to disagree, but in the charitable spirit of the season), I'll say "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens (arguably an unoriginal take itself).
I have lots of 'Christmassy' books under the tree - mostly seasonal crime, and I'm reading 'Mistletoe Malice' by Kathleen Farrell at the moment which is about a horrendous family gathering in the 'forties with scarcely a sympathetic character to be found. It's wonderful, they are all vile to each other! Of course I love 'A Christmas Carol', one has to really, but going off-book for a moment, I love the BBC serial from a few years ago 'Dickensian'. Husband and self binge watched it over the weekend. If you haven't seen it, catch it on iplayer.
Last year I enjoyed A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas, but in terms of tradition it has to be the entire basket of Christmas picture books my mom would bring out of storage in December, the most memorable of which include Morris' Disappearing Bag https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2274678.Morris_Disappearing_Bag?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=GpgXu7zsA7&rank=1, an illustrated Twas the Night Before Christmas by Jan Brett, The Mitten also by Jan Brett, The Snowman (but more memorable was a radio version from the film with the choir boy singing Walking in the Air), The Polar Express...and an annual recitation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas by a family friend. What am I forgetting?
Loved writing for The Books That Made Us! I don't have a book that's Christmassy, but books I received lots of at Christmas growing up were Darren Shan's Cirque du Freak and Demonata YA series. I have no idea how they'd hold up to a re-reading!
My public library had Miracle on 34th Street on the recommended shelf this week, so I picked it up and am reading it aloud to my tween. Some language is dated, but it's easily skipped. The story of Christmas magic comes through.
"The Night Before Christmas," the famous Christmas poem, has also risen in my estimation as I've been researching its disputed authorship for a Christmas Eve-Eve post. Fascinating! I had no idea until I started looking. I haven't decided yet whether to perform a full read-aloud in the post. It depends on how much space the backstory needs. Any votes? :-)
I really like The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder but it never seems to get a look in on Christmas reading lists. It's like a bookish advent calendar and you can savour a chapter a day from 1st December onwards.
Literally the first line of Little Women is Jo grumbling "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," so I'd contend that makes it count as a Christmas book and is therefore my favorite.
Yes -- and I think what you're referring to as Part 1 was the book that was published as Little Women and Part 2 was published separately as "Good Wives," so, it all works out!
My favourite Christmas book... maybe it'll be the one I plan to read this Christmas - Tolkien's letters from Father Christmas to his children. They look like they'll be special. I got the book for Christmas last year and now seems very on brand for me this year - I had no idea I'd write that essay, thanks again for giving me the platform and impetus.
I have two, one old and one new: “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens (because it never really gets old) and “Small Things Like These” by Claire Keegan, which is beautifully written, poignant and leaves you wanting more.
I quite agree on both of these. A Christmas Carol (along with the 2009 Jim Carrey adaptation) is a childhood favourite of mine, and I have fond memories of reading Claire Keegan's short novel last Christmas. Damn, I'm eager for some more Claire Keegan now.
Not a book- a story. "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry.
Is it unimaginative to say Matthew 1? Or just unoriginal?
If so (we'll have to disagree, but in the charitable spirit of the season), I'll say "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens (arguably an unoriginal take itself).
I would have been disappointed if you hadn’t said Matthew 1!
Oh, I need some Christmas book suggestions, so this is perfect!
That question is too hard...
I have lots of 'Christmassy' books under the tree - mostly seasonal crime, and I'm reading 'Mistletoe Malice' by Kathleen Farrell at the moment which is about a horrendous family gathering in the 'forties with scarcely a sympathetic character to be found. It's wonderful, they are all vile to each other! Of course I love 'A Christmas Carol', one has to really, but going off-book for a moment, I love the BBC serial from a few years ago 'Dickensian'. Husband and self binge watched it over the weekend. If you haven't seen it, catch it on iplayer.
Last year I enjoyed A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas, but in terms of tradition it has to be the entire basket of Christmas picture books my mom would bring out of storage in December, the most memorable of which include Morris' Disappearing Bag https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2274678.Morris_Disappearing_Bag?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=GpgXu7zsA7&rank=1, an illustrated Twas the Night Before Christmas by Jan Brett, The Mitten also by Jan Brett, The Snowman (but more memorable was a radio version from the film with the choir boy singing Walking in the Air), The Polar Express...and an annual recitation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas by a family friend. What am I forgetting?
I'll go with Dickens's A Christmas Carol.
the one which in my hands at that time
Loved writing for The Books That Made Us! I don't have a book that's Christmassy, but books I received lots of at Christmas growing up were Darren Shan's Cirque du Freak and Demonata YA series. I have no idea how they'd hold up to a re-reading!
Thank you for the recommendation 🥲🫶🏼
Congrats! You definitely deserve all the shoutouts
Thanks so much Harvey! It feels like Christmas on Substack getting all this support.
My public library had Miracle on 34th Street on the recommended shelf this week, so I picked it up and am reading it aloud to my tween. Some language is dated, but it's easily skipped. The story of Christmas magic comes through.
"The Night Before Christmas," the famous Christmas poem, has also risen in my estimation as I've been researching its disputed authorship for a Christmas Eve-Eve post. Fascinating! I had no idea until I started looking. I haven't decided yet whether to perform a full read-aloud in the post. It depends on how much space the backstory needs. Any votes? :-)
I'll always vote for a poem to be read aloud, +1 for your tally.
Thank you, Kevin! I'm leaning that way ... 🫶🏼
My Christmas book this year will be The Price of Salt, by Patricia Highsmith. It's the love story that inspired the film "Carol."
“The Dead” by James Joyce. It’s the last story in Dubliners, but it’s long enough to be considered a novella. “Hogfather” by Terry Pratchett.
I’ve always loved O. Henry’s story, “Gift of the Magi,” which apparently is based on an old folk tale.
I really like The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder but it never seems to get a look in on Christmas reading lists. It's like a bookish advent calendar and you can savour a chapter a day from 1st December onwards.
While I can’t name a favorite off the top of my head, I have a Christmas themed book on my TBR: The Christmas Murder Game
Literally the first line of Little Women is Jo grumbling "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," so I'd contend that makes it count as a Christmas book and is therefore my favorite.
Totally agree, but only part 1 (before the time skip) since it begins and ends on Christmas 😊
Yes -- and I think what you're referring to as Part 1 was the book that was published as Little Women and Part 2 was published separately as "Good Wives," so, it all works out!
Two newer books I love to read during this time of year are “Once Upon a Wardrobe” by Patti Callahan, and “Snow & Rose” by Emily Winfield Martin.
Die Hard is my favorite Christmas artistic experience.
A Christmas Carol by Dickens. Always has been always will be.
Bit of an outlier here: historian and travel writer John Julius Norwich’s ‘A Christmas cracker’. A ‘commonplace selection of writings
I don’t think I’ve ever read a “Christmas book,” but reading the comments it seems there might be some pretty cool ones!