These delightful narratives are a perfect addition to your cozy holiday traditions.
’Tis the season to grab some cocoa, light a fire, and crack open a good book. We’ve got a sweet collection of both fiction and nonfiction titles to complement your snowy holiday morning or a cozy night in.
Sign up for the free Celadon Books newsletter, and get book giveaways, news, and recommendations sent straight to your inbox.
Charles Dickens’s Christmastime classic gets a reimagined backstory in Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva. With the failure of his most recent book and the family purse strings pulling ever tighter, Charles Dickens isn’t feeling particularly jolly. And now his publishers are demanding a Christmas story, which he has staunchly refused to write. But then, during a late-night walk through London, Dickens encounters a mysterious woman who challenges his beliefs about charity and cheer, and inspires a story that will do the same for others for many holidays to come.
The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan is a “literary hot chocolate with a bourbon shot: hot, sweet, but with a surprising emotional kick” (The Times [UK]). Carmen is unemployed and out of options, so despite the less than desirable conditions, she moves in with her too-perfect sister, Sofia, for the holidays. When she’s offered a job helping to revitalize an old Edinburgh bookshop, she can’t afford to turn it down. With the bookshop’s dusty charm and an appearance by an equally charming author, Carmen might find some joy where she wasn’t expecting it.
Holidays on Ice, David Sedaris’s beloved and uproarious collection of essays, takes on everything from global Christmas traditions and competitive generosity to pageant reviews and Secret Santas. Its latest edition includes six new holiday stories, branching out into Easter tales and Halloween treats. With his signature wit and warmth, Sedaris infuses the holiday season with goodwill and wry humor for all.
Bestselling mystery author Nita Prose expands her Molly the Maid series with a holiday-themed novella, The Mistletoe Mystery. The captivating mystery is a perfect read for a snowy afternoon. A lifelong lover of the holidays, Molly is excited to celebrate the season with her beau, Juan Manuel. However, a puzzling gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel prompts Molly to question whom she can trust, leading her on a personal search for the truth.
New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah delivers a heartwarming holiday fable, aptly titled Comfort & Joy. Newly divorced Joy Candellaro is ready for a reset. So, without telling anyone, she hops on a plane and ends up in the Olympic rainforest. In the tiny town of Rain Valley, she meets six-year-old Bobby and his father, Daniel. The father and son are about to face their first Christmas without Bobby’s mother. Together, the three form a bond, finding comfort in one another’s company and a path to healing. But there’s something special about Rain Valley, as will soon become clear on a magical Christmas Eve….
Inspired by the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem of the same name, Christmas Bells by Jennifer Chiaverini is a tale told in two timelines. In 1860, the Wadsworth home approaches the holiday season with joy, despite the threat of war and the political turmoil of the era. In present-day Boston, a public school music teacher holds onto the holiday spirit in the face of budget cuts that she fears will shutter her classroom and leave her students without music. Kirkus calls Chiaverini’s novel “a gentle exploration of tragedy, hope, the power of Christmas, and the possibility of miracles.”
The bestselling novel that inspired the movie Christmas with the Kranks, John Grisham’s holiday hoot, Skipping Christmas, follows Luther and Nora Krank as they decide they’re just not celebrating Christmas this year. The holiday season can be chaotic and overwhelming, and the Kranks choose to skip it all for a Caribbean cruise. Of course, things don’t go exactly as planned in this charmingly comedic holiday tale.
From celebrated American author Truman Capote, A Christmas Memory is an endearing collection of three holiday season stories — “A Christmas Memory,” “One Christmas,” and “The Thanksgiving Visitor.” Together, they make a perfect pairing with your evening cocoa. Across the three narratives, Capote draws inspiration from the rituals of his childhood holidays in rural Alabama and reminisces on a Christmas spent making fruitcake with a beloved family member. Nostalgic and evocative, A Christmas Memory is a lasting holiday favorite.
Christmas Stories offers a stellar collection of festive short fiction, conveniently curated into one anthology. From Dickens to Chekhov, Cather, Nabokov, and Capote, this centuries-spanning collection showcases a diverse range of great writers. With charmingly dysfunctional families, holiday pageantry, and even a graveyard goblin, you’re sure to find a tale to satisfy your holiday tastes!
Subscribe to get articles about writing, adding to your TBR pile, and simply content we feel is worth sharing. And yes, also sign up to be the first to hear about giveaways, our acquisitions, and exclusives!