December is the perfect month to read some holiday books!
They are often short, feel-good stories that put me right in the Christmas spirit! If you’re looking for some holiday reads this month, here’s a list of 12 good holiday books!
In 1975, Elle is just making ends meet as she struggles to raise her son on her own. Waitressing keeps them afloat for the most part, but when her car breaks down a few weeks before Christmas, she doesn’t see how she can both fix the car and make a wonderful Christmas for her son in Noel Street. Her husband was sent to Vietnam before they knew she was pregnant and never made it back home. The hardest part of her life, though, is the loneliness she feels as the color of her husband’s skin forced her to leave behind her family who wouldn’t accept him.
Buy Noel Street here.
Read the full review here.
In Merry and Bright, Merry is working a temp job to save money for school that will end just after Christmas. Her boss, Jayson, just seems to make her and her coworkers lives difficult as he makes overtime mandatory, won’t let them eat at their desks and won’t allow Christmas decorations in their office. Despite not having a lot of time on her hands, her mother and younger brother sign her up for a dating site and put a picture of their dog for her profile to weed out men just looking based on a woman’s looks. She finds someone nice and starts chatting with him. Being able to chat online with him every night starts to make her days more bearable. Then, they decide to meet.
Buy Merry and Bright here.
Read the full review here.
Luther and Nora Krank are facing a Christmas that will be a little bit lonely. Their only daughter is going to another country to serve in the Peace Corps and will not be home. As the hustle and bustle of the season starts, Luther has an idea. They can “skip Christmas” by going on a cruise. But, the rules are that they cannot participate in any of the Christmas activities, including putting a giant inflatable on their house and buying a tree from the Boy Scouts.
Buy Skipping Christmas here.
Read the full review here.
Who would you have been if you had lived in Israel when Jesus was alive? How would you have reacted to the story of the shepherd’s vision of angels? Would you join a caravan of wise men from afar following a star? Would you travel from place to place for a glimpse of the man who does miracles? How would you react to His arrest and crucifixion? And, what kind of despair would you fall into if you never heard that He had risen from the dead? Those are the questions addressed in Immortal Nicholas.
Buy Immortal Nicholas here.
Read the full review here.
Tom, a freelance writer, boards a train to travel across the country in hopes to both write an article and figure out what he wants to do in life. He found love once, but lost it 10 years ago – until he opens a door and there she stands. Eleanor recognizes Tom right away and wishes the door had stayed closed. They had worked together as writers after college, hoping to change to world for the better. As time takes them on assignments around the globe, Eleanor starts to crave the safety of home while Tom seeks dangerous assignments. The relationship ends and while they both thought of each other, neither sought the other out.
Buy The Christmas Train here.
Read the full review here.
Gaby wants all her children home for Christmas this year. They haven’t been together since her husband, their father, passed away several years earlier. Gaby has also decided that it’s time for her to do something for herself – get married again. She sends a video announcement to her children announcing she will be married on Christmas day but that the groom will not chosen until that day. At first, all her four children are dismayed, but then they all just know it has to happen the way Gaby wants it to happen – and they’ll all be there to see it in The Christmas Wedding.
Buy The Christmas Wedding here.
Read the full review here.
Sometimes things happen in our lives that can’t be explained other than by some kind of magic. When Joy survives a plane crash, she finds herself wanting to hide away from the world for a while and she stumbles away from the crash site to a cabin. There, a boy and his father are rebuilding their relationship after the boy’s mother died. The father had left them years ago, but wants to make sure his son is loved. Joy helps them until she is forced to return to reality. Then, the magic happens.
Buy Comfort and Joy here.
How does a grieving family deal with Christmas? Joy is replaced with pain and smiles with tears. One family in Dayton, Ohio, deals with just that during the Christmas season of 1999. Rick, the husband and father, dies of a heart attack after putting off surgery so they could enjoy the holidays together. Knowing that and his not being there puts the mom and oldest son not wanting to even celebrate. The two other children still want to see the magic of Christmas come alive. Then, a present is found on their porch that changes everything.
Buy The 13th Gift here.
Read the full review here.
For two years during college, Molly and Ryan were inseparable. Though they both had relationships with people back home, it was hard to deny that there was chemistry between the two of them. They would meet at a bookstore, The Bridge, and spend hours talking and encouraging each other to pursue their dreams. Then, a miscommunication has them parting ways with heartbreak. They both would think of each other often, but doubted they would ever see each other again.
Buy The Brigde here.
Read the full review here.
Isaac is determined to convince his older brother to ask his pretty teacher on a date. However, Amish traditions are held tightly in his family and his brother wants to be sure. Isaac tries and tries to find ways for his brother to spend time with his teacher and just as he’s about to give up, the annual Christmas program provides the perfect opportunity.
Buy The Little Amish Matchmaker here.
Ashley Davison wants to get home to Seattle for Christmas, but can’t buy a plane ticket. When she tries to get a rental car, she finds it’s the last one, but she’s not old enough to rent it. The man behind her is and he also wants to get to Seattle for a job interview. They decide to share the ride, not knowing that the real reason Ashley can’t buy a ticket is that the feds think she is on the Do Not Fly list – and they’re after her!
Buy Dashing Through the Snow here.
Dan and Emily meet on a Christmas tree sale lot when she is looking for a tree for her apartment with her brother, Robert. Robert and Dan become friends and he and his wife try to set up Dan and Emily. However, neither is ready for a relationship after being hurt recently. Will pushing each other away push away their own happiness?
Buy Ornamental Graces here.
What holiday books look interesting to you? Do you have any favorites? Share on the blog!