Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. There are great movies on TV to watch that you never normally see, and even streaming services shift things up a gear to cater to those of us who want trashy shows or films, provided they’re related to Christmas in some way. But books are the best way to immerse yourself.
With all the thousands of books on the market vying for your attention, it feels impossible to carve out the time you need to go back and enjoy ones you know you loved, pick up another entry in a great series, or sit down and engross yourself in a holiday tale. There are so many different Christmas books you could be reading, ones written for adults with a little drama and festive fun. But you need to plan what you’re going to read so you don’t get lost amid all the new releases hitting at once.
Great Christmas books for adults to spark holiday joy
Below, I’ve listed some great Christmas books for adults that I think will spark holiday joy. They’re not ranked because all of them will get you into the holiday spirit in different ways. The beauty of books is that there are so many different genres to explore, so I’ve tried to include as many different styles of Christmas books as I can so there’s something for everyone.
Gone With the Wind: Margaret Mitchell
Gone With the Wind is a classic. There’s no other way to describe it. The movie is always on at Christmas, and it’s become ingrained in me to either sit down and watch it or have it on at some point in the Christmas holidays, or nothing feels right. It’s a tale of love and loss set against the background of the American Civil War. No, that doesn’t sound like it’ll spark Christmas joy. But if you’re anything like me, and I suspect you are, then you can’t think of this movie or book without getting all cozy about the holiday season and feeling at least a tiny bit joyful.
A Christmas Carol: Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol is a true Christmas classic that you almost certainly know, even if you don’t think you do. If you’ve ever watched The Muppets Christmas Carol, that counts. The book tells the tale of a wealthy man who never gives an inch, forcing his staff to work well into Christmas Eve and never handing out bonuses, giving to charity, or doing anything for anyone. He’s visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Future, and Present and is shown that he needs to learn the error of his ways before it’s too late.
In a Holidaze: Christina Lauren
In a Holidaze is an intriguing tale about learning to live in the moment and appreciate what you have. Protagonist Maelyn Jones is distraught because her life is going nowhere. She hates her job, and she’s just learned that she’ll never again holiday in the place she loves best in the world: a small cabin in Utah with family and friends. However, after pleading with the universe to see where her life is going, she’s taken back to the beginning of her holiday to learn to appreciate it in a new light.
Window Shopping: Tessa Bailey
Window Shopping is an extremely different sort of Christmas book, but still one that’ll spark some joy for you. It’s a little sensational and fun, but I think it’s pretty perfect for the holiday season if you’re trying to get in the mood. The protagonist is just minding her own business one day, checking out Manhattan’s Christmas decorations in every shop window. When asked what she thinks of one in particular, she’s disparaging and somehow lands a job working for a man she finds incredibly attractive. The battle against temptation is going to be lost, but it’s all just window shopping. Or is it?
The Twelve Dates of Christmas: Jenny Bayliss
I guarantee you that this one will spark Christmas Joy. The Twelve Dates of Christmas sees protagonist Kate stuck in a rut at 34 with no relationship to speak of, and she’s sick of it. Living in a tiny town in England doesn’t help. That is until her friend signs her up for a dating agency. Suddenly, she’s got twelve different dates with twelve different men around Christmas, and she’s out to find something substantial. This goes exactly how you’d expect it to, and the entire town is watching and gossiping about each date. But love can crop up in unexpected places at unexpected times.
Tis the Season for Revenge: Morgan Elizabeth
This book will spark Christmas joy in a different way from the usual tales of someone saving the holiday or life being turned upside-down, but it all ends well just in time for Christmas Day. Tis the Season for Revenge is the tale of Abbie being dumped by her pretentious boyfriend because he wants to focus on his career as a lawyer. What starts off as a plan to show him up by dating his boss and turning up at the firm’s annual Christmas do accidentally turns into a serious relationship, and she’s not so sure what she should do about it.
Return of the Living Elves: Brian Asman, Shelly Lyons
I’ve got another really different one for sparking Christmas joy here. Return of the Living Elves is a comedic story about a last-minute Christmas gift going horribly wrong and awakening an army of not-so-cute helpers from the North Pole. It’s also an homage to one of the greatest zombie movies ever made. Go into this one knowing it’s about having a bit of fun because it’s definitely not a serious read, but I feel like it’s perfect for Christmas alongside those tales of almost trials that end up with a love story at the end.
Hercule Poirot’s Chrismas: Agatha Christie
It might be the 19th book in the Hercule Poirot series, but you should be able to enjoy it as a self-contained entry, given how prevalent the character is. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas is the fantastic story of how this legendary detective attempted to enjoy Christmas and ended up in the middle of a family murder. A father dies just after telling his sons they shan’t inherit anything from him, and it’s up to Poirot to uncover the truth of the situation, as he always does so well and with such precision.
The Holiday Switch: Tif Marcelo
While the title of The Holiday Switch might make it sound similar to the Christmas movie, The Holiday, it’s not. In this book, you follow Teddy and Lila, two people who just can’t help but butt heads and simply not get along in every situation. That is until they accidentally swap phones, and then each realizes the other has been keeping secrets. Those secrets reveal that they might not be so at odds after all. In fact, they could be perfect for each other.
The Christmas Wish: Lindsey Kelk
The Christmas Wish is a great story that takes the concept of Groundhog Day and gives you the perfect Christmas twist. Gwen is newly single after her divorce and feels like her career is about to fall apart. Her whole family, even the boy next door from her childhood, has it together. After the usual Christmas highs and lows, she awakens to find it starting all over again. Her only way out seems to be to find happiness, and that boy next door might just be her key to escaping and a happy ending.
Bridget Jones’s Diary: Helen Fielding
Bridget Jones’s Diary begins and ends at Christmas/New Year, is always on TV and streaming services at Christmas, and is just the best book for sparking Christmas joy for me. The book is hilarious and follows the titular Bridget as she attempts to hit all of her goals for the year, all of which, she believes, will help her land a man. Of course, the book is based on Pride and Prejudice, but that gives it a suitable modern twist that is somehow now even more appealing because it’s tinged with retro 90s nostalgia.
A Very Merry Bromance: Lyssa Kay Adams
A Very Merry Bromance is going to push you out of your comfort zone, but we all need that. In it, a country music star is roped into becoming the face of a whisky brand in exchange for three dates with Gretchen, whose family happens to own that brand. Over the course of the story, the Bromance Book Club helps this country star prove his worth, but both he and Gretchen need to overcome their past if they’re going to let their walls come down and see each other for who they really are.
Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon: James Lovegrove
Sherlock Holmes and the Chrismas Demon is a bit of a creepy book about the famous detective that’s themed around Christmas without leaning too hard into the usual tropes of either detective stories or easy Christmas titles. Sherlock Holmes has to uncover the truth behind one woman’s potential madness, which threatens her inheritance but also seems to have some credence behind it, with family ghost stories of Christmas demons haunting them for generations. It’s a classic Sherlock setup and a banger for anyone who wants more of the detective and a reminder that the holiday season is coming.
The Christmas Bookshop: Jenny Colgan
The Christmas Bookshop is a book that has it all. When the department store she works in is closed, Carmen has almost no money and must choose between destitution and living with her sister. Said sister, Sofia, doesn’t want Carmen to move in either, but it might have its advantages. Sofia and Carmen’s mother wants them to get along, and Sofia has a client who owns a bookshop and is in need of an assistant. As Carmen enters the new role, she’s also faced with two potential love interests that she finds herself needing to pick between. If you don’t get some sort of Christmas joy from this one, I don’t know where you’re going to find it because every trope is combined into one story right here.
A Virgin River Christmas: Robyn Carr
If you love Virgin River, I really don’t need to sell A Virgin River Christmas to you. The series follows a young woman who moves to a town in the middle of absolutely nowhere and manages to find a satisfying life out there among the woods, cabins, and those who haven’t left the town for their entire lives. This entry brings more of the admittedly tame drama from Virgin River’s past to life, centering around a Christmas tale that wraps everything up in a nice little bow by the end. It’s a guaranteed cozy story that will get you in the mood for festivities.
Last Night: Luanne Rice
If you don’t want to veer too far from the thriller genre you love so much, then Last Night is the perfect book to spark some Christmas joy. An artist is found murdered in the snow, and her daughter has disappeared without a trace. It’s a race against time to locate the young girl, and Detective Conor Reid and his brother must work together to ascertain who would want this woman dead and why they’d want to take her daughter at such a time of year.
Girls in the Snow: Stacy Green
Girls in the Snow is another thriller that takes place in the dead of winter. Two girls are found frozen in the snow, and Special Agent Nikki Hunt knows that the killer must be local, given their location. The only trouble is that Nikki needs to return to her hometown to tackle the case. She hasn’t been home in over two decades, but these girls need justice, and the local law enforcement has already done a terrible job of linking the girls to a serial killer, so someone needs to step in and do this right. If you absolutely cannot stand the traditional Christmas book genre that practically oozes joy, this is the book you need for that cozy comfort in the festive season.
The Second Chance Year: Melissa Wiesner
We all wish we had a second chance sometimes, and that’s exactly what The Second Chance Year is all about. Protagonist Sadie’s life has fallen apart a bit, and it’s basically all her fault. After making a wish and kissing someone she really shouldn’t have on New Year’s Eve, she wakes up to find that she’s restarted the entire year. This is her chance to catch every red flag she missed and take her chances where she played it safe before. While it might not be a story about everything going right, it’s a story about living without regret, and I think that’s the biggest spark for Christmas joy you can get.
Christmas With Holly: Lisa Kleypas
Christmas With Holly is a book about the most magical time of year that will spark Christmas joy each time you pick it up. It follows three lonely people who are all at a crossroads in life. One is a young girl who lost her mother and hasn’t spoken since, one is her father who wants to bring stability back to their lives, and the last is a widowed woman who doesn’t believe she can ever love again. But Christmas is magical and brings them all together.
One Day in December: Josie Silver
One Day in December is a bittersweet Christmas story that will deliver Christmas joy with a little tinge of sadness. Laurie doesn’t believe in love at first sight until she spots a man through the fogged-up glass of a bus window. Their eyes meet, she feels that spark, and then he disappears. After spending a year checking bus windows, she finally meets the mystery man. He’s called Jack and is going out with her best friend Sarah. The tale follows the trio through heartbreak and more, but it’s a story you’ll resonate with and want to see through to the end.
Published: Sep 7, 2024 09:44 am