Pages

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

12 Books of Christmas (Adult Edition)


And now to follow up last week’s post, here is a little Christmas reading for the older set:

  1. A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens)
How do I not kick off my Christmas book list with this classic? After all, whose holidays don’t incorporate some aspects of the past, present and future? Plus, I just love the opening discussion about the phrase “dead as a doornail.”

  1. The Autobiography of Santa Claus (Jeff Guinn)
Very possibly my favorite Christmas book ever. Guinn’s later books in his Christmas Chronicles series are arguably stronger in terms of narrative, but I read this one first and it laid claim to my heart. It had me at the opening line, “You’re right to believe in me.”

  1. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (Agatha Christie)
Getting together with the family for the holidays can sometimes be stressful, but the Lee family takes dysfunction to a new level.

  1. Little Women (Louis May Alcott)
So, this book isn’t technically about Christmas, but there are enough March Christmases to make me come back to it every year around this time. And, if I’m being completely honest, tear up a little. Or maybe a lot. Whatever.

  1. Skipping Christmas (John Grisham)
If you’re feeling a wee bit overwhelmed with holiday preparations, go hang with the Kranks for a little while. They know what you’re going through.

  1. The Santaland Diaries (David Sedaris)
Ever wonder what’s going on behind the scenes with those department store elves? Look no further. Crumpet the Elf is going to give it to you straight.

  1. How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas (Jeff Guinn)
Clearly I’m a sucker for Mr. Guinn’s Christmas tales. But seriously, who could resist getting to know the Mrs. a little bit better. She so rarely gets the spotlight. And, spoiler alert, she’s awesome.

  1. Politically Correct Holiday Stories: For an Enlightened Yuletide Season (James Finn Garner)
Nothing says “Happy Festivus to the rest of us” like reading about reindeer organizing a union and how non-viable Scrooge’s buddy Jacob Marley is.

  1. The Twelve Terrors of Christmas (John Updike & Edward Goery)
Not into the warm and fuzzies? A little creeped out by elves? Got a fifteen minute break? This is the book for you.

  1. The History of the Snowman (Bob Eckstein)
It makes me so happy that there are people out there writing books like this. That way, when I suddenly wonder, Who the hell decided piling large snowballs on top of each other and slapping a face on them was a great idea?, I have a place to turn to.

  1. Rock Your Ugly Christmas Sweater (Anne Marie Blackman & Brian Clark Howard)
The perfect place to get inspiration for any Christmas party garb. And let’s be honest, isn’t it everyone’s goal in life to be showcased in a book like this? Just me? Fine.

  1. A Wallflower Christmas (Lisa Kleypas)
A lovely follow up to Kleypas’ Wallflower series. There’s tree decorating, caroling, and readings of Dickens’ Christmas Carol.

And look at that, the list has come full circle.

Happy Wednesday folks!

No comments:

Post a Comment