Christmas books

[Triostar]

Hi All

Can anyone recommend some good Christmas books please (for an adult)? From about December I get the urge to read festive books but haven't always been lucky with my choices! Over the last few years I read Call of the Pengiuns/Away with the Penguins which I really didn't like (not sure why I read both tbh) The Snow Child (quite liked) Christmas Carol, A Laurie Lee one and Red Bird Christmas by Fannie Flagg which I enjoyed. I am not a fan of spookiness or the Christmas-at-the -seaside-cafe/will they won't they type books. A Winter Solstice by Roasmund Pilcher is currently 99p on kindle so will buy that but I read a lot so would quite like a few to choose from....

I second End of Term, it feels quite magical.

For something fizzy and funny, Nancy Mitford’s early novel Christmas Pudding is great. And don’t forget Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm 🥶

Stargazy Pie by Laura Lockington is a very funny chick lit romp if anyone needs one.

One of the few books I've re read

Just thought of another one, which has a fantastically wintry/Christmassy feel in the winter chapters - The Country Child by Alison Uttley.

My favourite Christmas related book that I've read about a thousand times is Jilly Cooper's 'Prudence'

So happy to see Cold Christmas her a mention! Loved that book as a child & still do!!

Oh it was me that mentioned Cold Christmas on the other thread!!!

I'll just keep on talking to myself. I usually do!

David Sadaris: The Santa Land Diaries. If you like funny!

Sometimes talking to yourself is the best guarantee of an intelligent conversation @tobee !

I loved Cold Christmas as a child too. I borrowed it from the library (in the days when libraries were hushed places packed with wonderful books) and went hunting for my own copies of it and other Nina Beachcrofts to pass on to my DD, who also loved them.

Abe Books and eBay are marvellous for tracking down lost and forgotten books.

I got a first edition from eBay! It was just the same as the library edition I borrowed as a child.

The bit at the beginning where Josephine arrived at the house feeling uncomfortably overdressed and having to mix with unknown children was quite a strong feeling of recognition on occasion for me as a child.

I really enjoyed Gifts by Laura Barnett last year.

I really enjoyed this: www.amazon.co.uk/Mystery-White-Christmas-British-Classics/dp/071235770X?ref=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=84f8e9c3-e085-4f86-96fc-255aa84a58ab

I'm joining for some suggestions. Always do a Christmas Carol reread every year for advent (or a bit longer than advent) but after some new stuff.

Also, if anyone else wants to do the ACC readalong this is the schedule I do it to. I might start a thread if anyone's interested.

ADVENT READALONG
SCHEDULE:

Stave 1: 21st Nov - 27th Nov

Stave 2 28th Nov - 4th Dec

Stave 3: 5th Dec - 11th Dec

Stave 4: 12th Dec - 18th Dec

Stave 5: 19th Dec - 25th Dec

Another vote for End of Term.

The other year I read John Grisham's Skipping Christmas which I enjoyed. I'd never seen the film though so that probably helped.

I always used to play the children Stephen Fry reading Paddington too. Such a lovely book

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, one of my all time favourite books. It's about a history student who is studying the 14th century in contemporary time i.e. time travel, ends up in the past at Christmas. It's brilliant!

Miss Read wrote a few nice Christmas books - Village Christmas is my favourite. There's a description of the bus ride home from seeing the pantomime that reminds me of all the Christmas journeys down the country when I was a child.

I read Doomsday Book last year after seeing it recommended here. It was a really interesting read and I very much enjoyed it, but be warned, it is not a cosy christmasy book!

My all time favourites are The Dark is Rising and Children of Green Knowe. Would love to re-read End of Term, but sadly its out of print and second hand copies are £££.

(I think I must be the only person on Mumsnet who hates Winter Solstice. I found myself rolling my eyes at it all the way through.)

Yes @HerReputationMadeItDifficultToProceed I’d be up for that. I mean I have form for joining read alongs and then reading the threads rather than the book. But I have a Christmas Carol on my bookshelf and want 2022 to be the year I read it.

This is 99p on kindle at the moment. I’ve just bought it.

Yes to a read along - I love A Christmas Carol.

Oh I love ‘The Dark is Rising’ me and my sister re-read it every year. One of my favourite childrens books ever.

I must find a copy of The Dark is Rising and add it to my Christmas books pile. I loved that series when I was a kid, I can remember the atmosphere in The Dark is Rising so well. Great suggestion.

If you've not read The Toymakers, it's amazing.

Anyone read Maeve Binchy's a week in winter or Ali Smith's winter?

Are they good?

I have got A Week in Winter to read in December. <no help sorry> @caroleanboneparte