Christmas Reading: Recommendations

Just in case you're looking for some holiday reads, I decided to post my recommendations while you still have time to run to the library or bookstore before they shut it all down for Christmas. (I have four books on hold at the Austin library, and they're closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I have all my fingers crossed that my holds arrive by Monday evening.) And yes, these are (nearly) all Christmas books. If you have a recommendation for good books for other winter holidays, I'm all ears!

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A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life, Donald Miller

This is not technically a holiday book, but the first time I read it a few years ago was over the holidays, so that's the association I still have. Great book, even if you aren't usually a Don Miller fan (I'm not).

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A Texas Legacy Christmas, DiAnn Mills

I picked this up at a used book sale a few years ago, and it turned out to be a great story. Unlike many books set in Texas, you don't have to be a Texan to enjoy it-- the setting doesn't really matter that much.

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A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

If you've never read the original, do yourself a favour and pick it up. It's a short read and utterly brilliant. Incidentally, my favourite adaptations are Scrooge, with Albert Finney; A Christmas Carol, with Patrick Stewart; and The Muppet Christmas Carol, with the Muppets and Michael Caine. Read it, then watch all of those.

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The Christmas Box, Richard Paul Evans

I first saw this story as the made-for-TV movie with Richard Thomas, and it was beautiful. The book is even better. And just for good measure...

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Finding Noel, Richard Paul Evans

There are a lot of things in this book that annoy me, but I recommend it all the same. Mr. Evans has a whole bunch of holiday books out that are all feel-good, heartwarming, tearjerking tales, so just look for his name at the library. They're not all masterpieces, but what are the holidays without a cheesy story or two?

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Let it Snow, John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

A trilogy of intertwined short stories. I read this for the first time last year and it instantly earned a spot on my permanent holiday to-read list.

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The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry

It's short and beautiful. Why aren't you reading it yet?

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And finally, my #1 Christmas read:
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Love, love, love this book. If you only have time for one Christmas book this year, make it this one.






So, that's my list. What's on your list? Am I missing a good one?