Sign up for Mumsnet's weekly talk round up in which our very own Morningpaper rakes over the highs, lows and just plain weird bits from Mumsnet Talk. So if you worry that you always miss the juicy bits or if you'd like to see MP's own unique take on them, sign up now and we'll add you to the mailing list. Best, Mumsnet Towers.
inspired by another thread.. I love to read Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales and the Christmassy chapters in Alison Uttley's A Counntry Child - both gorgeously atmospheric... what are your favourites ?
And I've just posted on the children's Christmas books thread about 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever' by Barbara Robinson which has lots of sly jokes directed at the adults.
Haven't read it for many years but I liked one by Miss Read (probably called 'Village Christmas') and also the chapter in one of the Adrian Mole books (must look it up)
I love the Miss Read one as well and reread it every Christmas, especially after battling around M&S xmas shopping. 'Christmas at Fairacre has a few short stories in as well. How sad am I?
The Christmas Reader edited by Godfrey Smith (out of print but plenty of second hand copies listed on amazon) and The Faber Book of Christmas edited by Simon Rae. Both good collections of Chrsitmas extracts, poems etc.
Oooh other people have read and love The Dark Is Rising! My other recommendations are 101 Dalmations (the original Dodie Smith not the various disney versions) Jo Of The Chalet School by Elinor Brent Dyer (classic depiction of a Tyrolean Xmas in the 1930s)
Actually I also have a soft spot for some of the Jilly Cooper megabooks depictions of Xmas - Rivals, Polo and Appassionata all feature fraught-but-fun episodes.
I also love reading the middle bit of Mist Over Pendle at Xmas - there's a couple of chapters devoted to describing a 17th century Christmas party in Lancashire. Actually the whole book is fab, though I think I heard somewhere that it's historically more than a little suspect.
Widowed mum in small neat bungalow has one grown-up daughter living with her (daughter unable to cope following the death of her son) and her other daughter plus husband/family and sundry others all descend for Christmas. Bitter sweet and very funny.
I think it was a pice of cathartic writing for A T Ellis after her own son died in an accident.
The Woman in Black - Susan Hill The only Christmas thing about it is that the story starts with a family telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve, and the main part of the book is the father of the family remembering what happened to him when he was younger. But I love this book, and it is easy enough reading to fit in on Christmas Eve.
ooh, Box of Delights every time for me! I'm reading it right now as I always do at this time of the year and have just finished watching the BBC adaptation with DH, DS(5) and DD(3). We love it and especially enjoy watching it in front of a roaring fire on a Sunday tea time.
The Children of Green Knowe - absolutely packed with Christmas atmosphere. The BBC TV adaptation captured it really well - why do they never repeat these things?
I don't like the box of delights, I'm sorry. I too watched the BBC series as a kid and although this probably makes me a philistine the series as a child did more for me than the book as an adult...
The Christmas Bower by Poly Redford is fab - it's about a boy who loves bird watching but comes from a famous department store family who are all obsessed with 'the store'. Absolutely brilliant, and illustrated by the same guy who did the Shrinking of Treehorn.
Much as Bridget Jones irritates me, I do like her Christmassy scenes.
And I'm delighted to discover that my favourite writer (David Lodge) has a family Christmas set piece in his latest novel, Deaf Sentence. Made even better by me receiving the book for my crimbo!
The Bullaby Children. Childrens books written by Astrid Lindgren. There was a Christmas one and it was just so old fashioned and Christmasy I loved it.
