Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, but let’s be honest: it can also be one of the busiest! There are gifts to buy, meals to plan, decorations to put up, family to check on, and a million little things that seem to need doing before Christmas morning arrives.
Sometimes, I just need to find a quiet corner, grab a cup of coffee, and escape into a good book for a little while. And if I have to hide in the closet to get ten minutes of peace, I certainly would except my closets are stuffed to the gills so I will be outside on the balcony if you want to join me.
That is one reason I wanted to put together a Christmas Gift Guide featuring books that you will find inside our Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List for when Santa begins to load the Sleigh. Although, for me I will have to purchase these books to read before Christmas because once Christmas is past I will not read a book based on Christmas until the next year. How about you?
For my family Christmas isn’t just one day. We have weeks to enjoy the season, and that gives us plenty of time to curl up with a few different stories along the way. This year, I’ve gathered Christmas romances, cozy holiday reads, a bookshop adventure, a family-centered story, and even a darker holiday romance for readers who enjoy something a little different. Whether you’re shopping for yourself, another book lover, or someone who loves adding a new Christmas book to the holiday reading pile, I hope you’ll find something worth exploring.
Christmas Books to Add to Your Reading List
1. Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber– Debbie Macomber is one of my favorite Authors and she is a wonderful name to look for when you’re in the mood for a heartwarming Christmas story.
In Merry and Bright, Merry Knight is busy taking care of her family and trying to manage the demands of work. Romance isn’t exactly at the top of her list, but her family has other ideas. An online dating profile leads to unexpected conversations and the possibility of love in a place Merry never expected to find it. It’s a seasonal story about first impressions, second chances, and discovering that love sometimes arrives when life is already keeping you busy.
2. A Seagrove Christmas by Rachel Hanna– This is book 6 of 16 books giving us something to read far into the New Yar.
If you enjoy returning to a familiar fictional community during the holidays, A Seagrove Christmas is one to look up. Rachel Hanna writes stories that bring readers into the lives and relationships of the people who make a town feel like home. Add a Christmas setting to that kind of storytelling, and you have a book to consider when you’re ready to settle in for some seasonal reading. If you’re already a Rachel Hanna reader, which I am not this may be one to add to your holiday stack.
3. 25 Days ’Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander– Another new Author for me to check out. Now I have a question for you. What could be better for the Christmas countdown than a story that follows the days leading up to the holiday?
In this heartwarming novel, Kate Potter has lost some of her excitement for Christmas after her husband never returns from military service. She wants to make the season special for her son, even as she struggles with loneliness and the changes in her life. As the countdown unfolds, unexpected possibilities begin to appear. This is a reminder that Christmas can bring hope even when life hasn’t turned out the way we planned. Sometimes, the magic of the season starts with taking one day at a time.
4. Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan– Another new Author for me to check out.
Imagine a Christmas bookshop in Edinburgh, a film crew turning the place into a movie location, and a shop owner hoping to make a Christmas wish come true. That’s the kind of festive setting readers can step into with Jenny Colgan’s Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop. Carmen has plenty on her mind, including the future of the shop and the people she cares about. With its bookish setting, relationships, and holiday atmosphere, this one belongs on the list for readers who enjoy getting lost in a Christmas story.
5. 25 Days of Christmas by Katherine Freeman– Charlie would say 25 Days to Christmas forgot that December 16 is my Birthday that when we celebrate. LOL
Count down to Christmas Day with 24 sealed chapters in this festive and heartwarming enemies-to-lovers Advent novel.
Christmas is just around the corner, but Anna has not been in a festive mood after the recent passing of her brother. When she discovers that her brother has left one final request— to work together with Luke, his handsome but arrogant best friend, on an Advent-style series of daily adventures leading up to December 25th— she agrees to fulfill his dying wish.
The two create an unlikely pair, with each day bringing a new and surprisingly delightful discovery. And as the Christmas spirit slowly warms Anna and Luke’s initial icy feelings towards one another, it seems like the holiday season has one more gift to give…
With a delightfully unique Advent calendar format, this book contains twenty-four chapters sealed with an individual sticker. Readers can gently open each chapter so they can follow the love story day-by-day in the weeks leading up to Christmas!.
6. The Christmas Bookshop: A Heartwarming Holiday Romance Novel of Family Bonds, Unexpected Love, and a Charming Edinburgh Bookshop by Jenny Colgan (Author)- If you enjoy the idea of a Christmas bookshop, why not visit the story that comes before Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop?
Perfect for the holidays! A brand-new heartwarming Christmas novel from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner and Christmas at the Island Hotel.
Laid off from her department store job, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. The prospect of spending Christmas with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered yuppie life does not appeal.
Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want her prickly sister Carmen there either. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs help revitalizing his shabby old bookshop for the holiday season. So Carmen moves in and takes the job.
Thrown rather suddenly into the inner workings of Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the picturesque streets of historic Edinburgh—a delightful bookshop romance—Carmen is intrigued despite herself. The store is dusty and disorganized but undeniably charming. Can she breathe some new life into it in time for Christmas shopping? What will happen when a famous and charismatic author takes a sudden interest in the bookshop—and Carmen? And will the Christmas spirit be enough to mend the bond between two sisters and heal her fractured family?
7. The December Market by RaeAnne Thayne Book 2o of 2- is one of my favorite authors, so I definitely needed to make room for her in our Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List.
The magic of Christmas—and a second shot at romance—is in the air in Shelter Springs this holiday season…
Amanda Taylor isn’t a fan of Christmas, but as the owner of a local soap shop, ignoring the holiday season isn’t an option. To forget the pain of Christmases past, Amanda focuses on making the season bright for her customers at the Shelter Springs Holiday Giving Market. But when her beloved grandmother, Birdie, starts dating the dashing new resident of the Shelter Inn retirement community, Amanda smells trouble. Fortunately, Rafe Arredondo, the grandson of Birdie’s charming suitor, is equally dubious of the match. Unfortunately, he’s just as fiery as his grandfather—and Amanda has zero interest in getting burned.
As a single father, paramedic and assistant fire chief, Rafe has more than enough on his plate. Sure, he and Amanda share a common goal in keeping their grandparents apart. Still, that doesn’t mean he should allow himself to feel as drawn to her as he does. Even if she is great with his young son. Even if she does help the burden of his own painful past feel a little lighter… But when their paths keep crossing at the holiday market, it starts to feel like fate, prompting them both to wonder if taking a chance on love might gift them everything they’ve been wishing for.
Don’t miss SNOW KISSED by RaeAnne Thayne—a cozy holiday romance about a single mom, a borrowed date, and the kind of Christmas magic that turns a simple deal into something real
One Big Happy Family: A Funny Christmas Romance About a Secret Age Gap Relationship by Susan Mallery (Author) IUt wouldn’t be Christmas without a book from Susan Mallery.
Susan Mallery, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boardwalk Bookshop, returns with the joyful and utterly irresistible story of a mother who couldn’t love her kids more but hopes that, just this once, they please don’t come home for Christmas. Perfect for fans of Mary Kay Andrews and Julie Murphy!
Julie Parker’s kids are her greatest gift. Still, she’s not exactly heartbroken when they ask to skip a big Christmas. Her son, Nick, is taking a belated honeymoon with his bride, Blair, while her daughter, Dana, will purge every reminder of the guy who dumped her. Again. Julie feels practically giddy for one-on-one holiday time with Heath, the (much) younger man she’s secretly dating.
But her plans go from cozy to chaotic when Nick and Dana plead for Christmas at the family cabin in memory of their late father, Julie’s ex. She can’t refuse, even though she dreads their reactions to her new man when they realize she’s been hiding him for months.
As the guest list grows in surprising ways, from Blair’s estranged mom to Heath’s precocious children, Julie’s secret is one of many to be unwrapped. Over this delightfully complicated and very funny Christmas, she’ll discover that more really is merrier, and that a big, happy family can become bigger and happier, if they let go of old hurts and open their hearts to love.
Don’t miss Susan Mallery’s MINGLE ALL THE WAY, a joyful and irresistible Christmas anthology featuring a beloved book and novella from her Wishing Tree series, together for the first time!
9. He Sees You When You’re Sleeping: A Naughty or Nice Novel by Alta Hensley– Not every Christmas book has to be sweet and cozy! For readers who enjoy darker romance, obsession, secrets, and a more intense holiday story, He Sees You When You’re Sleeping offers a different kind of seasonal reading.
Why choose between naughty or nice in this steamy, suspenseful Christmas-themed stalker romance that’s perfect for dark romance readers seeking a spicy, festive read.
It’s the night before Christmas and I’m alone in the house…
Popular jewelry influencer Chloe Hallman is steeling herself to spend another holiday on her own. Instead, she finds herself drawn to two different guys… a smoldering hot fan of her secret, seductive online persona, and a sexy fireman named Jack who looks out for her in their NYC neighborhood.
She has no idea that I know her better than she knows herself. Her deepest secrets, her darkest desires—she’s careful, but I’ve been watching, never leaving footprints in the snow outside her home.
Jack was the first responder to the accident that stole a beautiful young woman’s family two Christmases ago, and he’s been quietly guarding her ever since. When Jack uncovers Chloe’s secret account, his obsession only grows. Both he and Chloe are drawn to the darkness that mirrors their own.
She’s my Christmas wish come true. And I’m hers. She just doesn’t know it yet.
Will Chloe’s Christmas be a tale of fiery passion…or a dangerous game with a man whose love knows no bounds?
We’re leaving our tenth and final spot open for now because I want to find the right Christmas activity book. It might be a Christmas word search, a countdown-to-Christmas journal, an Advent-style activity book, or a Christmas coloring book for adults. I’m especially interested in something that gives moms a chance to sit down, relax, and enjoy a little quiet time of their own.
Because moms are often busy making Christmas special for everybody else, and they deserve a little something special, too! We’ll add the exact book here once we’ve chosen it. Christmas doesn’t have to be all shopping, wrapping, cooking, and checking things off a list. Sometimes, the best way to enjoy the season is to slow down for a little while.
Maybe that means reading a chapter before bed. Maybe it means sitting with a cup of coffee while everybody else is occupied. Maybe it means giving a book to a friend who needs a little encouragement or adding a new title to your own Christmas wish list.
For me, the important thing is remembering that the season is about more than getting everything done. It’s about making room for the things that matter, including the little moments that bring us joy. I hope this Christmas Gift Guide gives you a few new books to explore and a reminder to save a little time for yourself along the way.
What kind of Christmas books do you enjoy most? Do you reach for a sweet holiday romance, a cozy bookshop story, a family-centered novel, or something a little darker? And for our final spot, would you rather have a Christmas word search, a countdown journal, or a relaxing coloring book? I’d love to hear what you’d choose!
Disclosure: Greatful Moments may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through affiliate links in this post, at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.
GreatfulMoments.com
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
