Literature for Christmastime

Is there anything better than curling up with a good book or story in front of a warm fire with a cup of hot cocoa? Probably not. I’m sharing some of my favorite Christmastime literature below. Let me know what you guys think!

A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens (1843)

Dicken’s A Christmas Carol is probably the quintessential Christmas tale. So often contemporary audiences view ghost stories as only for the Halloween season, but ghost stories were historically classic components of the Christmas season. The great thing about A Christmas Carol is that there are great film adaptations of the novel, too! Another great think about the book is that it’s rather short. One does not need to dedicate a lot of time to reading it, and can probably finish the work over a cozy weekend at home.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Pearl Poet (14th c.)

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a great story for anyone who is a fan of medieval literature. Personally, it’s one of my favorites. I read it for the first time when I was a freshman in college and have read it every Christmas since. Like A Christmas Carol it has spooky elements, but overall the themes revolve around chivalry and Christianity. Yes, a giant green knight gets his head cut off and some weird stuff happens at the Bertilak manor. But, it is definitely a good Christmastime tale, especially if you’re interested in classic literature.

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, Agatha Christie (1938)

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Agatha Christie. And again, here is another spooky Christmastime story! Now, I actually do not know exactly what this was is about as this is on my Christmas reading list this season. I just ordered it tonight actually and plan to write a review once I’ve finished it. If I know anything about Christie novels, it will be a very interesting and exciting read with a twist at the end.

“A Visit From St. Nicholas,” Clement Clarke Moore (1823)

Alright, stepping away from spooky Christmastime stories, this one by Clement Clarke Moore is a classic. It’s a short poem that tells a very exciting story and is great to read with the entire family, especially with children. There are beautiful illustrated versions of this work, also.

“The Gift of the Magi,” O Henry (1905)

“The Gift of the Magi” is a beautiful story about the love between a husband and a wife and how far they are both willing to go for the other one’s happiness. This is another classic that is rather short, and definitely a story that can be read over a weekend! It’s a romance, too.

An Unwanted Guest, Shari Lapena (2018)

I actually reviewed this book last year and loved it, and even finished the novel in one night! I literally stayed up all night and read through the book because I could not put it down. Essentially, it’s a modern adaptation of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. It’s a murder mystery and has a lot of twists.