Books
Read These Christmas Books On Christmas Eve
There’s only one more sleep ’til Christmas. I’m not sure exactly how we got here, but Christmas Eve has come at last. For obvious reasons, this entire Christmas season has been more subdued than most; all across the world the phrase “Silent Night” may never have been so apt.
With all sorts of traditional holiday traditions being in flux, this got me thinking to a quieter way to spend the night before Christmas. This year provides a great occasion to re-read and re-familiarize yourself with some Christmas classics.
If you don’t know where to start, I’ve listed some of my favorite Christmas books below. They include a mix of both short children’s books and longer novels. And although you won’t be able to order any of them now and have them arrive before Christmas Day, Kindle and Audible are both available options.
A Christmas Carol: and Other Holiday Treasures by Charles Dickens
“A Christmas Carol” had to top the list. Everyone is familiar with Dickens’ tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the three ghosts, but how many have read the source material? A good collection of “A Christmas Carol” will include some of Dickens other Yuletide stories, including “The Cricket on the Hearth,” which earned him the epithet “The Man who Invented Christmas.”
The Night Before Christmas by Charles Dickens
When I was growing up, it was a tradition for everyone to gather around on Christmas Eve for a reading of “The Night Before Christmas.” Like “A Christmas Carol,” Clement C. Moore’s poem will never get old.
A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas’s prose poem “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” may not be as universally well known as “The Night Before Christmas,” but it is just as highly regarded.
Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Don’t let the creepy Tom Hanks movie turn you off to the book version of “Polar Express,” which belongs on every child’s bookshelf.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss
The Jim Carrey rendition of Dr. Seuss’s Mt. Crumpit dweller was panned when it first hit theatres two decades ago, but constant airtime has turned it into a minor holiday classic. After re-reading “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” it is impressive how much depth and detail Ron Howard’s team was able to add to such a refreshingly simple work.
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
While we are on the topic of books turned into films, let’s talk about John Grisham’s “Skipping Christmas.” You know this story better as “Christmas with the Kranks.” This novel is a departure for the master of the legal thriller, but if you like Grisham’s writing style (and can’t get enough of Luther, Nora, and their rooftop Frosty), then give “Skipping Christmas” a read.
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
“The Corrections” is my favorite Christmas book, as well as one of my favorite books of all time. Despite reading it nearly every December for the past seven years, I still can’t make it to the end without crying.
Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
A late edition to this list, I’ve actually never read Tolkien’s beloved Christmas letters. But a special 100th anniversary edition of “Letters from Father Christmas” was published this year, so it may be time to see if lives up to its reputation.
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
The first time I read “The Gift of the Magi,” I was surprised at how short it was. If you know the general story of impoverished couple Della and Jim, then you know the entire contents of O. Henry’s classic tale. Unlike “A Christmas Carol,” the written version of “The Gift of the Magi” is not filled with details that never make their way to the screen. If anything, that sparsity of extraneous information adds depth and poignancy to the story’s resolution.
Did I miss any of your favorites Christmas books? If so, let me know in the comments, and I will update the list. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix, $12.18 Paperback
Release Date: July 2021
Cozy up on your next snow day and read Gary Hendrix’s The Final Girl Support Group.
Author of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires (2020), Grady Hendrix succeeds again in tapping into our favorite horror films to deliver this mystery. Six young women make up the “Final Girl Support Group.” Each survived horrific massacres that have been turned into successful film franchises. Movies such as Friday The 13th and Halloween actually happened in this version of America. Twenty years later the spotlight has moved on and society has found new monsters and victims. Still, these women sit in a circle of chairs in a church basement trying to figure out how to live their lives. Paranoid Lynnette Tarkington reluctantly participates in group therapy sessions with Dr. Carol Elliot along with fellow survivors Marilyn Torres, who has buried her emotions in wealth; Dani Shipman, who might have killed the wrong person; Julia Campbell, whose encounter left her in a wheelchair; and Heather DeLuca, who is succumbing to addiction. Some of them are in denial about what happened. Some still live in terror, always looking over their shoulders, imprisoned by their own fears.
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
After one member of this vigilant sisterhood is murdered and a series of persistent attacks threaten the rest, Lynnette becomes increasingly suspicious that the attacks are originating way too close to their inner circle. “Does this ever end?” Lynnette asks. “Will there always be someone out there turning little boys into monsters? Will we always be final girls? Will there always be monsters killing us? How do we stop the snake from eating its own tail?” The book is creepy enough on its face, but Hendrix’s use of narrative tools heightens the unease.
The Final Girl Support Group isn’t necessarily scary, but the plot is action-packed and delivers its share of gore. The novel is an ultimately entertaining and inspiring take on horror movies, trauma, and self-determination. Available on Amazon!
I first read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo this past month after my friend and I swapped our favorite summer books. I opened the book one Saturday morning and couldn’t put it down. Despite the fact that it was published nearly five years ago, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo continues to captivate readers’ interest on BookTok, Bookstagram, and Goodreads.
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Evelyn Hugo — $9.42 Paperback/$22.36 Hardcover
This story is about renowned Hollywood actress Evelyn Hugo who, after decades of blockbuster hits, is now 79 and ready to give an exclusive interview after years of dodging the press. But the only one granted access is a little-known journalist named Monique Grant. Though she can’t understand why she’s been chosen, Monique goes to Evelyn’s home and finds out Evelyn doesn’t just want to do an interview — she wants to lay out every piece of her truth for Monique to write and sell her biography.
Though Evelyn won’t answer why she picked Monique to do the job, Monique agrees and Evelyn’s story begins to unfold from her calculated beginnings in Hollywood to the millions she enjoys in the present, each section of her life titled by each of her seven husbands and her reasons for marrying (and divorcing) them. As you journey through Evelyn’s life, it feels as if you’re being granted exclusive access to something you shouldn’t be seeing. It’s hard to believe the characters and events in this book aren’t real celebrities.
To me, a great book is one that makes you forget you’re reading in the first place, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo does exactly that. It’s an instantly captivating book, thanks in part to the story, but mostly to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing. Her stories flow smoothly, her characters are complex and realistically flawed, and I happily got lost in the pages until the very end. This is the perfect cozy fall read!
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