Hello, dear readers!
I am back...a little later than originally planned...with a bookish post for December. Reading Christmas stories are one of the best ways to spend December and I have a handful that I'd love to share with you today.
Before we begin, though, I want to lay out a few things...
I am admittedly a very picky person when it comes to Christmas novels and such. You see, I learned this even more just recently. In late November I began what I had thought was going to be about five weeks full of Christmas stories and novels and fun. I had every intention of reading every book in a quite large stack that I had pulled from my collection...Christmas stories of all sorts. And I was so looking forward to this and ever so excited to begin. I had ordered two new novels for this festive reading marathon and it literally took everything I had not to crack them open at the start of November and just dive in.
But I did end up holding off until the week of Thanksgiving, which is typically when I begin tip-toeing into Christmas celebrations. And those two books were awesome! They were exactly what I love in a Christmas novel and everything I had hoped they would be. Then...
I began another Christmas novel, and it just didn't cut it for me. The writing was horrendous and it felt as though you were walking right into the middle of a story when in fact the book was just beginning. So I began another, and it was the most depressing thing I'd read in a long time. On to another...this time the story just didn't vibe with me. It wasn't bad or depressing or anything like that, but I just couldn't get into it. None felt particularly cozy or Christmasy or how I feel a festive novel should be. And I do NOT like depressing, heavy, dark stories any time of the year, but especially at Christmas when it's supposed to be cheery and fun and magical. So I fell into a bit of a reading slump. My December reading dreams were crushed and it honestly put me into a sort of a funk.
I have since picked up a delightful cozy novel...not 100% Christmas, but definitely, 100% cozy and my cup of tea and I have also picked up a couple new-to-me Christmas novels that I'm cautiously trying out. I learned that finding a Christmas book with a good story that is well-written with light, funny, quirky characters and moments, that feels, truly feels like Christmas is actually a hard thing to do. Who would have thought?!?!
With that said, these books I'm sharing here today are on my list of favorite cozy December Christmasy reads and they are exactly what I just described...perfectly festive and delightful and magical and cozy. None of that other junk that I ran into earlier this month.
Rambling aside, let's get started!
A Match Made at Christmas ♥ A Cross-Country Christmas
by Courtney Walsh
Let me begin with the two new Christmas books that I purchased this autumn. This is what got me so excited for Christmas reading...these two books right here. Both by Courtney Walsh and both utterly festive and just plain fun.
Both of these books had a similar feel and yet the stories were different so it didn't feel like I was reading the same thing twice. They are two totally separate stories with no relation to each other whatsoever. Courtney Walsh writes romantic stories with a wonderful sense of place. You feel like you are in one of her books when you read them. I've read one other book by her before and I do notice, at least with these three, that all her characters tend to be sort of the same type. Her male characters are definitely stereotypical and I personally don't care for that. That's not exactly what I'm into and it honestly gets old reading only about male characters described as so stereotypical. And her female characters are a little more sarcastic and mouthy than I prefer and all her characters tend to fall into the trendy category. So as far as characters go, hers aren't my favorite. I find it really hard to relate to them, and I find that I prefer stories with characters that I can see myself in.
But as for place and story, she is great! These books both felt so Christmasy and festive and like you sort of walked into a Hallmark movie...the older ones when they were actually good. And they were light and fun stories with quirky, hilarious moments tucked in here and there. They had sweet romance, sentimental and heartwarming moments and just made you feel warm and Christmasy inside. So I'd definitely give these a winning recommendation!
Finding Father Christmas ♥ Engaging Father Christmas ♥ Kissing Father Christmas
by Robin Jones Gunn
These next three stories are a trilogy and should definitely be read in order, in my opinion. They have that cozy Christmasy feel that I think is a must for this sort of book. And being set in a quaint English village complete with a charming tea room is just the cherry on top. My favorite kinds of stories, particularly this time of year, but honestly all the time, are the kind of stories that make you want to curl up with a cup of something warm and comforting, perhaps with the fire lit or candles flickering, cuddled under a thick blanket and just live in the story for a while. These are exactly those kinds of stories, so definitely highly recommended. But again, do read them in order.
And yes, these books were made into Hallmark Christmas movies. I haven't seen all three but the first two that I have seen I did actually quite enjoy. I'm not too keen on the actor and actress they cast for the main roles and there were some changes here and there, but overall, they were fun movies and did show a good bit of the book's content.
Christmas at Fairacre by Miss Read
Miss Read became a favorite of mine this past autumn when I finally read the first of her Fairacre novels. I had tasted just a bit of her writing a few years back when I read the first story in this Christmas collection of hers entitled Christmas at Fairacre. But this autumn just sealed the deal...now I must get my hands on all the Miss Read books I can. Her writing is the cozy, gentle, comforting type that whisks you away to a quaint little English village where you meet some delightful characters each truly celebrated for their special uniquenesses and qualities. She does that all while settling you down right where you are, causing you to become ever more aware of the beauty right before your eyes. Her Christmas stories are no different. She is a one-of-a-kind writer in my opinion and truly shouldn't be missed. Her stories will make you smile and warm your heart to overflowing...and this Christmas collection is no different.
Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon
This was the most heartwarming, charming story that one could read at Christmastime. Truly, I was entirely engrossed in the story and my heart grew attached to the loving characters of Mitford. The story is one that will bring warmth to your heart and remind you of both the magic of the season and what is the true celebration of this time of year...the love of family, close friends and community, and home are vividly painted throughout this book as well. Though this book is part of a series, I read it as a stand-alone, and you most certainly can too. But, I'll bet you'll want to read the others in the series once you finish this Christmas story. Just as I do. Why not spend your December in Mitford?
There you have it, my friends! I had intended on having so many more books to share, but alas, I did run into a dead-end with some real duds this month. Because I had such a hard time with Christmas books this month, I'm hoping the ones I'm reading now are enjoyable. And hopefully, I'll avoid meeting any more duds in the future.
I would love to know what types of Christmas books you enjoy and what titles are filling your baskets and bedside tables this month, so do feel free to share below!
Until next time, happy and cheery reading to you!
♥