When the twinkling lights go up, the cocoa starts simmering, and the scent of pine fills the air, there’s nothing better than curling up with some great Christmas books.
Whether you’re looking for a timeless classic to share with the kids, a swoon-worthy holiday romance, a cozy mystery, or even a festive thriller to keep you up past your bedtime, the right story can make the season feel a little more magical.
To help you fill your December with plenty of festive cheer, we’ve rounded up 32 of the best Christmas books to read this holiday season. From childhood favorites like The Polar Express to new hits in holiday romance, and even Christmas coloring books, this list has something for every reader (and every cozy reading nook).
So grab a blanket, light a candle, and settle in. Your perfect holiday read is waiting.
Christmas books for kids
Here are some Christmas books (both new and old) for the children to read this holiday season.
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
A young boy is whisked away on a magical train called the Polar Express, bound for the North Pole on Christmas Eve. At Santa’s village, he is chosen to receive the first gift of Christmas, a silver bell that only true believers can hear.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss
High above Whoville, the Grinch hates everything about Christmas. Determined to stop it, he sneaks into town to steal the Whos’ presents and decorations. But when the Whos still celebrate joyfully, the Grinch realizes Christmas means more than things and his heart grows three sizes as he brings everything back and joins the celebration.
The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling
Jack loves his toy pig, DP, more than anything. When DP is lost on Christmas Eve, Jack’s new toy (the Christmas Pig) guides him into the Land of the Lost. Together they travel through strange and magical places in search of DP.
The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan
In the magical world of Forever, a young girl named Holly Claus is born to Santa and Mrs. Claus. But a curse freezes her heart and traps her in time. Holly escapes to the human world, where she works to break the curse and bring hope and kindness to others.
The Willows at Christmas by William Horwood
Set in the beloved world of The Wind in the Willows, this story follows Mole, Rat, Toad, and their friends as they prepare for Christmas. When Toad Hall faces trouble due to a mischievous plan, the friends must work together to save the holiday.
The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg
When a mysterious stranger arrives in town and opens a candy shop, children are curious about his most unusual treat, the candy cane. He explains its Christian symbolism: the shepherd’s staff, the letter “J,” and its stripes of sacrifice and forgiveness.
The Littlest Christmas Tree by Jane Chapman
A tiny tree in the forest dreams of becoming a beautiful Christmas tree, but feels overlooked next to the taller, fuller trees. When the animals need a place to celebrate Christmas together, the littlest tree becomes the perfect centerpiece, showing that even the smallest among us can shine brightly.
Christmas romance books
Now that the kids are sorted with their Christmas books, it’s time to round up something for the adults. Here are our favorite Christmas romance books for a holly jolly good time.
Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey
Laurel Grant has fudged her résumé: she doesn’t own a farm, but her twin sister does. When her boss sees the “farm life” Instagram and invites himself for Christmas dinner, Laurel panics. She pretends to be her sister and enlists her sister’s friend Max (her sworn nemesis) to pose as her husband.
Then a blizzard traps everyone on the farm for the holidays. What begins as a desperate, chaotic con quickly evolves: the forced proximity, holiday charm, and fake-dating setup give Laurel and Max time to see each other in a new light.
Grace and Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman
After both lose their spouses in tragic circumstances, Grace (a single mom) and Henry (a widowed bar owner) are brought together by well-meaning mothers. Neither is ready for romance, but grief draws them to a tentative friendship.
When Henry suggests a holiday movie-watching marathon, Grace agrees to join. As they binge classic holiday films night after night, shared sorrow gives way to healing and unexpected attraction.
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
Mae is dreading what might be her last Christmas vacation at her beloved family cabin in Utah, a tradition she grew up with and associates with comfort and nostalgia. She’s unhappy with her job, grieving her unrequited crush, and facing the end of tradition.
In desperation, she silently wishes for happiness, and then promptly gets into a car accident. When she wakes up, she’s suddenly back at the start of the vacation. Mae is trapped in a time loop, reliving the same holiday over and over.
She gets multiple do-overs to fix mistakes and finally act on feelings she’s long ignored. This is a whimsical, “holiday- meets-Groundhog Day” romance full of snow-ball fights, cozy cabins, and second chances.
Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
Vivian Forest, a 50-something woman from California, gets a holiday detour when her daughter lands a styling gig for British royalty and insists Vivian tag along.
What begins as a sightseeing Christmas in England becomes something more when Vivian meets Malcolm Hudson, the Queen’s private secretary. Their attraction sparks immediately. As their fling intensifies against regal backdrops and festive London, they must question whether this is just a seasonal fling, or the kind of love worth keeping.
The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
The Twelve Dates of Christmas follows 34-year-old Kate Turner, who signs up for a holiday matchmaking program in her small English village, agreeing to go on twelve festive blind dates leading up to Christmas.
The dates range from awkward to hilarious to surprisingly sweet, but none seem to spark the lasting connection she hoped for. As the season unfolds, Kate begins to realize that the person who might truly understand her is her longtime friend Matt, who runs the local café.
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
Stella Bloom owns a Christmas-tree farm that’s seen better days. To save it, she enters a contest promising $100,000 but with a catch: the farm must appear to be co-owned with a boyfriend. Problem is, she’s single.
She enlists her best friend Luka Peters to pretend to be her partner. As they fake date, cozy farm life slowly blurs the lines between pretend and real. Their decade-long friendship turns into a slow-burn romance.
How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn
Cole Black hates Christmas, and the town where he lives celebrates it all year long, nonstop. When Storee Taylor, his childhood nemesis, moves in next door to care for her aunt and joins the town’s Christmas decorating contest, Cole is forced to confront his anti-holiday grumpiness and old feelings.
To sabotage her victory, he enters the contest too, pretending to win her over. But as they fake a relationship to get ahead in the competition, sparks fly. What starts as rivalry and banter amid tinsel and lights becomes something real, messy, and heartfelt.
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox
Identical twins Charlie and Cass decide to swap lives for the holidays after Charlie loses her sense of taste and smell (critical for her job as a reality baking show judge). Cass goes to Los Angeles to take Charlie’s place and Charlie returns to their small mountain hometown to run the family bakery.
What starts as an attempt to keep both their careers afloat turns into two very different romances unfolding concurrently.
Classic Christmas books
We already gave the kids a couple of the classics (looking at your Polar Express) but there are plenty more classic Christmas books to enjoy during the holiday season. Here are some of the best:
The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
This beloved poem tells the magical story of St. Nicholas visiting a family’s home on Christmas Eve. Told from the perspective of a father awakened by the sound of Santa’s arrival, the poem paints vivid images of Santa, his sleigh, and his reindeer, capturing the excitement and wonder of Christmas night for children everywhere.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old man who despises Christmas, is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, and three spirits representing Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.
Through these supernatural visits, Scrooge confronts the consequences of his greed, learns the value of compassion and generosity, and transforms into a kind-hearted benefactor.
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
This is a tender short story about a young, impoverished couple, Jim and Della, who each sacrifice their most prized possession to buy a Christmas gift for the other.
Della sells her long, beautiful hair to buy a chain for Jim’s watch, while Jim sells his watch to buy combs for Della’s hair. The story highlights the selfless nature of love and the true spirit of giving.
Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
This collection of whimsical letters recounts Father Christmas’s annual adventures at the North Pole, as written by Tolkien to his children. The letters feature playful mishaps with elves and polar bears, personal notes, and illustrations, capturing the magic and charm of the Christmas season from the perspective of Santa himself.
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
A Christmas Memory is a poignant memoir-like story that reflects Capote’s own childhood experiences. It follows the warm friendship between a young boy, Buddy, and his elderly cousin as they prepare for Christmas in rural Alabama.
Their preparations, including baking fruitcakes and sharing simple joys, are tinged with bittersweet nostalgia and the gentle melancholy of fleeting childhood moments.
A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd
Here is the book that inspired the instant classic film of the same name: A Christmas Story. Follow Ralphie on his quest to get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. This book has it all, the Ovaltine decoder ring, the school yard bullies, and even the infamous leg lamp.
Christmas books for adults
Not all Christmas books for adults are rom-coms! Here are some thrillers, mysteries, comedies and more to help you feel festive.
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
Luther and Nora Krank decide that this year they’re done with the commercial, stressful frenzy of Christmas. Instead, they plan a relaxing 10-day Caribbean cruise, using the money they’d otherwise spend on gifts and holiday extravagance.
Their decision to “skip” the season quickly turns into chaos: their neighbours and community dislike their plan, and when their daughter calls at the last minute telling them she’s coming home with her fiancé, the Kranks rush to stage a full-blown Christmas in less than a day.
The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman
The Christmas Orphans Club follows four New York City friends who have built their own version of family through a long-standing Christmas tradition.
Hannah and Finn, inseparable since college, began spending the holidays together when they had nowhere else to go, eventually welcoming Priya and Theo into their annual “misfit Christmas” celebrations. But when Finn announces he’s moving to Los Angeles, the group faces the possibility that this year might be their last Christmas together.
Hannah fears losing the only family she’s ever chosen, even as her boyfriend pushes her toward a more traditional future, while Finn wrestles with leaving behind both his found family and his unspoken feelings for Theo. As the holidays approach, each of them must confront what growing up really means, and whether change will break them apart or bring them closer than ever.
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
This is a collection of essays and short stories (sometimes darkly humorous, sometimes poignant) all set around Christmas and the holiday season. Its most famous piece, “SantaLand Diaries,” recounts Sedaris’s experience working as a department-store elf, offering a cynical but hilarious look at holiday consumerism and the absurdities of festive traditions.
Other pieces in the collection revisit odd family gatherings, strained relationships, and the weird contradictions of Christmas cheer, making it a witty, irreverent take on what the holidays can sometimes feel like.
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
This is a festive, locked-room mystery with a rom-com edge, following dueling authors Maggie Chase (the reigning queen of cozy mysteries) and Ethan Wyatt (a bestselling thriller writer she can’t stand).
Both receive an enigmatic invitation to a Christmas house party at a remote English estate, only to discover their host is none other than Eleanor Ashley, the world-famous “Duchess of Death.” But when a storm traps everyone inside and Eleanor vanishes overnight from a locked room, Maggie is torn between solving the case and wondering whether the disappearance is a staged challenge.
Forced to work with Ethan, Maggie finds herself untangling clues, navigating rivalries, and fighting growing sparks between them. As the snow piles up and tensions rise, Maggie and Ethan must become partners if they hope to uncover the truth and save Eleanor.
One Day in December by Josie Silver
One Day in December follows Laurie, who doesn’t believe in love at first sight until she locks eyes with a stranger through a bus window one snowy December day and feels an instant connection. Convinced fate will bring them back together, she searches London for him for months, only to finally “meet” him when her best friend introduces her new boyfriend, Jack.
What unfolds is a decade-long story of friendship, missed chances, heartbreak, and complicated love as Laurie, Jack, and Sarah navigate the moments that shape them and the unexpected paths that lead them toward happiness.
Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
This novel centers on a family who, for the first time in years, come together for Christmas at their ancestral country home. However, they end up quarantined together for a week due to a sudden lockdown.
With no distractions, Wi-Fi, or outside contact, the lockdown forces long-held tensions and secrets to surface. Over the close-quarters holiday week, relationships are tested, hidden truths emerge, and each family member must confront their personal and shared past.
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand
Winter Street follows the Quinn family as they gather at Kelley Quinn’s Nantucket inn for Christmas, each carrying their own secrets and dramas. From love triangles and career dilemmas to an unexpected pregnancy, a small house fire, and even a federal crime, the holiday weekend quickly turns chaotic.
Amid the laughter and chaos, the Quinns navigate family tensions and surprises, proving that even the most dysfunctional families can come together for the holidays.
You Better Watch Out by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth
In this suspenseful Christmas thriller. Jessica Kane wakes up injured and disoriented, trapped in a deserted town with five other strangers who have all been attacked. As they struggle to survive, a ruthless killer begins eliminating them one by one, turning the town into a deadly playground.
With Christmas just 48 hours away, Jessica must unravel the mystery and escape before she becomes the next victim.
Bonus: Christmas coloring books
Not all Christmas books are for reading. Make the holidays fun and cozy with Christmas coloring books for children and adults!
Fuzzy Hygge by Vivi Tinta
Cozy Christmas by Coco Wyo
Johanna’s Christmas: A Festive Coloring Book for Adults by Johanna Basford
Want to create your own Christmas story?
As you can see, there’s no shortage of magical, heartfelt, and downright fun Christmas books to enjoy during the holiday season. But if reading all these stories has sparked an idea for a festive tale of your own (whether it’s a children’s picture book, a cozy romance, or a nostalgic holiday memoir) we’d love to help you bring it to life.
At selfpublishing.com, we work with writers every day to turn their ideas into beautifully crafted, professionally published books. From guiding you through the writing process to helping you design, format, and launch your book into the world, our team is here to support you every step of the way.
So if you’ve ever dreamed of adding your own story to the list of Christmas classics, there’s no better time than now. Your holiday book could be the next one families reach for year after year, and we’d be honored to help you make it happen.
Ready to start your Christmas book? We’re here when you are.
