A gentle Christmassy book for a book club readalong

[crochetmonkey74]

Hello elves!

I need a really gentle and lovely Christmassy read for a book club readalong. Ideally, if it was an older book as I am buying several copies to give out so I'd like them to be able to be bought second hand. Think small villages, lovely christmassy story, gentle everything. Not Nigel Slater, definitely more fiction. Any recommendations?

@BigFatLiar

What sort of age group?

Why not go for an oldie - A Christmas Carol' Most people know the story but how many have actually read the book.

We are all between 40-65 but a lot of teachers so we have all read A Christmas Carol and many of the 'classic' ones

Have written down all the ideas here and will definitely be checking out The Works at the weekend- and I have a great charity bookshop near me too

Great thread, I'm looking for a lovely Christmassy novel to read...

A Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder

I loved Winter Solstice too. I reread it most years.

I love The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. Again, a kids' one, but very atmospheric. And The Box of Delights; quite alien to my kids being the age it is, but very well written.

@doradoo that us the most beautiful book. One of my favourites.
Miss read a Christmas mouse is beautiful too.
Lost Christmas is gorgeous aswell

A snow garden by Rachel Joyce - short stories all Christmas themed and intertwined together.

Such enables in this thread

I've just ordered the India Knight book, and also Finding Love at the Christmas Market for both my friend and I so we can read together in our respective countries

Christmas Pudding by Nancy Mitford?
I also like The Winter Book by Tove Jansson

@UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername

I love The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. Again, a kids' one, but very atmospheric. And The Box of Delights; quite alien to my kids being the age it is, but very well written.

I actually have The Box of delights but can't find cheap copies online

I love this thread- so many great ideas - Thanks everyone!

Trisha Ashley has written several Christmassy books. Her new one, Christmas at the Castle, is great.

I would definitely also second Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher.

Angela Thirkell High Rising

I love Trisha Ashley's Christmas books. And Winter Solstice - although I agree the timeline is a bit unrealistic considering what happens at the beginning!

It's not Christmassy at the beginning but one of my favourite books ever is The Herb of Grace by Elizabeth Goudge - about a family buying an old inn by a river and slowly becoming closer together. The timeline runs from spring to Christmas Day so there is quite a lot of seasonal stuff in it.

No Holly For Miss Quinn is the Christmassiest Miss Read!

Also Elizabet Goudge, The Herb Of Grace, if you can find a copy... a lovely, gentle, old-fashioned book.

Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg - intelligent but heart-warming, though second-hand copies might be easier found online than in shops.

An Almost Perfect Christmas by Nina Stibbe - intelligent and witty rather than heart-warming. A good laugh might needed as much as coziness after the term everyone has had...