So… here’s my reading list of some of my favorite christmas books…
10. Shepard’s Abiding by Jan Karon. It’s a story of a small town Christmas, with Father Tim trying to do everything for everyone…and how he makes his Christmas extra special. It’s a quick read, and gives gentle reminders of what the holiday is really all about.
9. Okay… in the total opposite side of the spectrum, A Holiday for Murder by Agatha Christie. Totally the English house party with all the trimmings including the body of your host. No problem. One of my favorite Hercule Poirot’s.
8. A Season for Miracles by Marilyn Pappano — A down on her luck girl, a sweet cop and a guardian angel all in a town called Bethlehem. I love her Bethlehem series… and it’s a definite easy read, but leaves you believing in the magic of Christmas.
7. Dude on Arrival – JS Borthwick I am a mystery junkie, and there are a lot of Christmas murder mysteries out there. J.S. Borthwick and her dry sense of humor, leaves me giggling everytime. I learned the hard way to not read her mysteries in bed, because I wake up Sean with my giggles.
6. We Wish You A Merry Murder – Valerie Wolzien. Another mystery, this one set in the suburbs. Beware, all the food in this book will make you hungry even with a corpse popping up now and then. The family dramas with the Henshaws, make the puzzle even more fun.
5. Visions of Sugarplums – Janet Evanovich. It’s not really a mystery…more of a quest, and Stephanie Plum is one of my favorite characters. She cracks me up with this mix of fantasy and reality. I have a feeling that Christmas in Jersey really isn’t this way, but it’s another fun book.
4. Sugarplum Dead by Carolyn G. Hart… Max and Annie Darling are solving mysteries again, and finding out about Annie’s long lost father. Great story, great plot and loads of great Christmas mysteries sprinkled through out the book.
3. Mistletoe Man – Susan Wittig Albert.. another fun mystery with lots of trivia this time, herbal and plant related, with a little folklore added in. I love the character of China Bayles, and this Christmas mystery is another one that I re-read every year.
2. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever – Barbara Robinson. Every kid who has been in a Christmas pageant, or every parent who has watched one, needs to read this book. I lost my copy a couple of years ago, and I have to get it from the library. It’s a wonderful book, and I keep meaning to read it aloud to the kids. This year we’re going to make it. 🙂 It brings tears to my eyes and makes my throat tight…
1. Aunt Dimity’s Christmas by Nancy Atherton, is truly a delightful book. It is a book that I try to read every year before the holiday craze hits, and it reminds me of what is the purpose of this holiday, and keeps me grounded a bit… It is a story of a women who has a lot, and learns to give to those who don’t. The heroine is so likable, and so real… that it makes the magic of this book just a wonder. It makes me wish for a fairy godmother too. 🙂
a quiet nook 