Any suggestions for a Christmassy book?

[Decorhate]

Something suitably festive or set at Christmas to read in the run-up to Christmas?

There's a lovely one by Miss Read - will check title later as meant to be getting me (and children) up for school

Every year I have a tradition of re-reading Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It goes with getting out the decorations and having the first mince pie...

This is the book I mentioned. Has lovely stories about Christmas :)

Well it's for a book group so really would prefer something more recent than a Christmas Carol so that most people won't have already read it....

There seem to be lots of the Miss Read ones with Christmas in the title! I have a feeling they won't be literary enough (though I like an easy read myself others are more demanding...)

Alison Uttley's A Country Child has an absolutely wonderful account of a farmhouse Christmas in early 20th century. It's a great read anyway, but the Christmas chapters give me a tingle down my back.

Trawling through Amazon, I've come across "Augie Wren's Christmas Story" by Paul Auster - has anyone read it?

THIS ONE

I am not joking I've jst looked at the 2nd hand price on these £284

I genuinely suggested it becaise it was my own favourite book and I have a copy on my shelf.

Seriously,

THe story about the gloves knittted out of different flavour wool was genius.

It's the Tall Book of Christmas.

\link{http://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Mystery-Jostein-Gaarder/dp/0753808668/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1289503417&sr=1-3-spell\each chapter is a day of advent}

Very shocked, this is my all time favourite Xmas book, I can't believe it looks like a collectors item

Under the Greenwood Tree - Thomas Hardy - is a great winter read.

Also, Little Women/Good Wives/Wind in the Willows (which has a good Xmas bit in it)

Also, The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder and Through a Glass, Darkly by Jostein Gaarder (you'll need a hanky for the latter).

Other than that, A Christmas Carol

Miss Read not exactly of great literary standing I do admit. But lovely anyway.

www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-fiction-for-giving/lm/R28CYCD9CKOVOS might help?

sorry

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

I think I've read it about 5 times in December.

How about Letters from Father Christmas by J R R Tolkien?

"Every December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R.Tolkien's children. Inside would be a letter in strange spidery handwriting and a beautiful coloured drawing or some sketches. The letters were from Father Christmas. They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: how all the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place; how the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas's house into the dining-room; how he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden; how there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lived in the caves beneath the house! Sometimes the Polar Bear would scrawl a note, and sometimes Ilbereth the Elf would write in his elegant flowing script, adding yet more life and humour to the stories. No reader, young or old, can fail to be charmed by the inventiveness and 'authenticity' of Tolkien's Letters from Father Christmas."

'Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm' by Stella Gibbons is hilarious, but I suspect possibly not in print - her other books are alarmingly scarce and collectable (= expensive).

I love 'Christmas Pudding' by Nancy Mitford. Has a wickedly funny description of Christmas at a grand house-party. Bliss (as she would probably have said)!

Forgot to add that there's a wonderful 'Virago Book of Christmas' in paperback which has lots of appetising snippets (with the possibility of getting hold of the entire books that take your fancy).

Have to say that my personal Xmas favorite as a young'un was 'What Katy Did at School' - there's a wonderful passage where she and her friends unpack a huge box that they've been sent for Christmas.....the description of all the layers with the different presents coming out still makes me feel very childishly excited and anticipatory....

Redbird Christmas

I love Fannie Flagg (she of 'Fried Green Tomatoes' - her books are all lovely)

Great name too!

India Knight Comfort and Joy.