Can we start a Christmas books thread?

[ConstantlyCooking]

Last year, thanks to a lovely Christmas reading thread, I was able to add Solstice and various Trish Ashley books to my seasonal reading list. I was hoping to find some more.
I usual read:
A Christmas Carol
A Season to Remember- Sheila Flanagan
How Far to Bethlehem- Norah Lofts
Little Woman
A Little House on the Prairie book which features Christmas eg theLong Winter
Christmas Agatha Christies
The Spanish Lover - Joanna Trollope (the opening chapter has a great Christmas scene)
I am sure there are others. I like the idea of something which is mainly about Christmas or set at Christmas or in deep winter.

I am sure there are other books I re-read but I am on a train and can't check my bookshelves.

[AnthonyPandy]

I was just pondering yesterday when to start a thread like this, so thanks!

Not much to add except:-

Lost Christmas which is the book that goes with the Eddie Izzard BBC play a few years ago,

A Child's Christmases in Wales by Dylan Thomas

[wfrances]

the only ones i can think of, that haven't been listed are
the box of delights
skipping christmas

[SpockSmashesScissors]

Jenny Colgan and Carole Matthews have both written various Christmas books, all with 'Christmas' in the title.

[ConstantlyCooking]

Box of Delights is a great idea, I read it as a child along with The Midnight Folk but haven't re-read it so do not remember the story although the name "Kay" rings a bell.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Just place marking

[MooseyMoo]

I only started doing this last year but thoroughly enjoyed it.

Last year I read:
The Dark is Rising
Winter Solstice

I've ordered the following to read this Nov/Dec
A Christmas Cracker - Trisha Ashley
A Christmas Carol

[MooseyMoo]

Just found the other books I want to read (but haven't bought yet)

The Christmas Mystery - Jostein Gaarder
Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm
Twelve days of Christmas - Trisha Ashley
The Giant Under the Snow

[tanya1312]

Read most of my books off my kindle, have just searched Christmas in Amazon kindle store and got a few of there, couple of free ones and others that had good reviews.

[MooseyMoo]

I've just ordered Let it Snow

[ConstantlyCooking]

Some more good ideas. I like the idea of winter tales like the Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse as well as some chick lit. I try to get progressively more Christmassy as the day draws closer.

[Letustryagain]

The Children of Green Knowe - I loved reading it to DD last Christmas (when she was 6)

This year I've bought her the Puffin version of 'A Christmas Carol'.

[Chelazla]

The xmas factor by Annie Saunders is great!! I also love regency romances set at Christmas as the have all the traditions that you don't get in modern books!!! I second Jenny Colgan x

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

Not Christmas, but lovely and wintry - The Snow Child.

[ConstantlyCooking]

Which regency romances do you recommend? I have bought a book of Dickens' other Christmas short stories.

[NotAMammy]

Second the Snow Child.

I might try Dickens again, but I always find his stuff hard to get into.

Does anyone know if there is a grown up retelling of the Nutcracker?

[ConstantlyCooking]

Notamammy- I find full Dickens novels difficult to get into but A Christmas Carol is a long short story so is much faster paced. It will be interesting to see if the other Christmas short stories are as easy to read.

[Julietsnurse1]

Most of the Laura Ingalls Wilders have Christmas in them..

The 13 days of Christmas by Jenny Overton

If you want the Nativity, Jan pienkowski's Christmas is exquisite. Superb illustrations.

There's a collection of Christmas short stories with contributions from Christies and DL Sayers. Can't recall what it's called.

But many of the golden age mystery writers wrote a Christmas one. Try

J j Farjeon, Mystery in White;
Tied up in Tinsel by Ngaio Marsh.
Hercules Poirot's Christmas, Christie

[ConstantlyCooking]

Julietsnurse thank you for reminding me about the Jenny Overton book - I think it is on the DCs' bookshelves ( I bought it many years ago from the "Puffin Book Club").

I will investigate other books from "golden age" writers, Agatha Christie is on my Christmas reading list and this is one instance when I prefer her novellas to the full length books.

[Julietsnurse1]

I love it, she is stewed in her own juice ( milk more likely) but I love things like the churching ceremonies, the going to France etc.

[AnthonyPandy]

Stewed in her own juice? Like, literally? That sounds, um, festive, which book was that? 13 days of Christmas? < Googles number of local library>

[Sadik]

Another children's book - The Story of Holly and Ivy, by Rumer Godden

[OrlandaFuriosa]

Oh Sadik, someone else who has read it!

[OrlandaFuriosa]

And here is another, brilliant,

Gawain and the Green Knight, recently retranslated from the Middle English by Simon Armitage. A twelfth night story, Arthurian, v v atmospheric.

[SecretSaffron]

Oh, I love this thread.

Yes Yes to The Christmas Mystery, The snow child,The box of delights and The Children of Green Know.
I love the look of The gaint under the snow - adding to my list for this year.


Also recommend The dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

[SecretSaffron]

oh yes, my dc loved The Story of Holly and Ivy when they were younger!