Wondering what to read this Christmas while curling up by the fire?
No worries. We’re here to help you!
Since it’s the best time of the year to curl up with a cozy book, we’ve got some of the best Christmas reads for you. Whether you’re looking for some heartwarming classic Christmas books, comforting or funny holiday romance, or touching Christmas tales, there is a book for everyone in our list of best Christmas books to enjoy this holiday season.
All these best books for Christmas will get you into the ultimate festive spirit and remind you of the true meaning of Christmas.
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Some of the Best Christmas Reads for Adults
Grab yourself a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, find a cozy spot and get into the Christmas spirit with one of these 20 best Christmas reads of the year.
1. Coming Home by Patricia Dixon
Full of wonderful characters with all the frailties of human beings, Coming Home is a perfect book to curl up with by the Christmas tree. When Carmen was just six years old, her parents had a dreadful row just before Christmas Eve and her beloved father left home; she never saw him again. Now fifty years later, she is a widow with three grown up daughters. Her mother has died and her last words gave Carmen ‘blessing’ to find her father, something she hadn’t felt able to do before. Christmas is coming and Carmen is preparing to welcome all her family, but she doesn’t know that her girls have secrets. Secrets they want to share with her…
If you love Hallmark Christmas movies featuring a BLOCKBUSTER family saga—full of secrets, lies, betrayal, and also love, support and happiness—this book is absolutely for you!
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
2. When Christmas Comes by Andrew Klavan
A murder mystery set during Christmas, When Christmas Comes is a best book to get you into the holiday mood. It brings with it all the conflicting emotions of the season with an added charm of a haunting mystery. Jennifer Dean was a beloved librarian in the idyllic small town of Sweet Haven. The community is shocked when her boyfriend, Blake, who is a war hero and belongs to the third generation Army Ranger, confesses to murdering her. But something isn’t sitting right with his lawyer. How could a beloved son of the community commit such a crime?
If you want a seasonal tale of tradition, family, and murder; this book with its chilling twists is ideal to read while curled up beside a burning Yule log.
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
3. Christmas in Peachtree Bluff by Kristy Woodson Harvey
One of the best holiday books, Christmas in Peachtree Bluff tells a wonderful story that embodies the Christmas spirit of bringing people together and setting aside one’s worries, even if it’s for a little while. Three generations of Murphy women have a mess on their hands when a hurricane devastates their beloved Peachtree Bluff. But a little Christmas spirit might help them rebuild their town and their family. A standalone book in the Peachtree Bluff series, it’s definitely one of unforgettable Christmas reads.
If you really need a wonderful Christmas read that will warm your heart, this one fits the bill perfectly.
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
4. Mistletoe Season by Michelle Major
Charming and compassionate, Mistletoe Season is one of the coziest Christmas reads with its heartening storyline, endearing characters, and a festive cheer. It’s a romcom that unites two lonely people, just in time for the holidays. Except ‘she’ was ‘his’ childhood bully, and there is a question as to whether enough time has passed to let bygones be bygones. The book tells an extremely delightful tale of love, loss, parenthood, strength, self-discovery, happiness, acceptance, and moving on.
The book is a must-read for those who love a winsome, cozy and uplifting Christmas book.
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
5. The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
A charming and heartwarming story of love, family, relationships, and redemption, The Christmas Bookshop has everything you want in a Christmas book. Laid off from her department store job, Carmen has no other choice than taking over an ancient bookshop on the streets of historic Edinburgh. The shop is on its last legs and it will take more than a miracle to turn things around before Christmas. But maybe this Christmas, Carmen might surprise us!
If you like a deep, emotional and charming holiday story, this book is highly recommended!
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
6. The Christmas Dress by Courtney Cole
A wonderful tale to warm your heart in a winter wonderland, The Christmas Dress is one of the best Christmas reads. It tells an uplifting narrative of one woman’s inheritance of a historic residential building in downtown Chicago and how she unearths its rich history to save not only herself but also her neighbors in the building. The book deals with friendship, hope, history, romance, heartbreak, grief and finding the holiday spirit.
If you’re looking for an enchanting, realistic story with a good Christmas romance, the book is definitely an ideal feat!
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
7. The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan
Funny, romantic, emotional and sensitive, The Christmas Escape is one of the best books for the festive season. The book is all about connection, relationships and friendship. The story centers on the lives of three women: Robyn, Christy and Alix, who are somehow related to each other. Over the course of one Christmas and a trip to beautiful Lapland these women face fundamental changes that brighten their views of each other and their lives.
It’s a charming, holiday book set in Lapland with all the Christmas feeling you’d expect in a holiday book.
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
8. So, This Is Christmas by Tracy Andreen
An amazing book to get you into the holiday mood, So, This Is Christmas gives you all the warmth, Christmas fuzziness and a glimpse of holiday reality. The book features private school outcast Finley returning to her hometown of Christmas, Oklahoma, with her world upended. But the last person she expects to see there is Arthur, an uptight fellow student who has come with his aunt to spend Christmas at Grandma Jo’s Hoyden Inn. If the greatly enhanced town website created by Finley to impress her snobbish classmates is to blame, how can she produce the ideal American Christmas experience their guests expect?
If you want to enjoy this Christmas with a fun, fuzzy, adorable YA holiday romance, the book is definitely a must-read for you!
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
9. Always, in December by Emily Stone
A bittersweet, beautiful, and gut-wrenching holiday tale of love, Always, in December is one of the best Christmas reads of 2021. Josie and Max meet one December in London, and eventually spend it by helping and falling for each other. But then Max disappears, without any contact information, leaving a desolate Josie behind. And since then, for a year, their paths keep intertwining as fate pulls them together but the timing is always wrong.
A touching Christmas romance, this book is absolutely perfect if you’re in the mood to have a cathartic cry with all the cozy vibes.
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
10. The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews
One of the feel-good Christmas reads, The Santa Suit is a wonderful story with the main focus being friendship and finding the Christmas spirit. The book follows newly divorced Ivy as she buys an old farmhouse sight unseen and moves from Atlanta to a small town in NC. Once there, she realizes the house needs more work than she thought and the previous owners went all out for Christmas. When she finds an old Santa suit with a note from a little girl in it, Ivy decides to track down what happened to her.
If you’re a fan of heartwarming Hallmark Christmas movies, the book is absolutely for you.
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
11. A Little Christmas Spirit by Sheila Roberts
Grab some hot cocoa with gingerbread cookies and snuggle up to the most heartwarming Christmas read of the year. A Little Christmas Spirit is a modern-day version of A Christmas Carol featuring a solitary widower and a single mom with her sweet little boy. The book tells a beautiful story about friendship, grief, loss, being a single parent, loneliness, and more. And there’s also a ghost. It’s an amazing festive read that will remind you of the true spirit of Christmas.
If you’re looking for a sweet story about neighbors with an extra dose of holiday cheer, don’t hesitate to pick up this book!
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
12. Midnight in the Snow by Karen Swan
One of the ultimate cozy Christmas reads, Midnight in the Snow is an intriguing, atmospheric tale that offers the same exquisite armchair travel as all Karen Swan novels. The story follows the award-winning director Clover who rose to fame after her documentary about Cory, a surfer who had a life changing accident. But how can she follow that up? She must have to pull something special out of the bag to compete with such an epic story, and she has an idea..
If you want an immersive escapist read with a wonderful atmospheric setting, pick this one up!
Get the book on: Amazon | Audible
13. The Winter’s Fail by Sara Madderson
Witty, charming and relatable, The Winter’s Fail is a perfect holiday read. The story focuses on Emmy, Rosa and Stacy; all strong and independent women, navigating friendship, love, and careers with all the highs and headaches they bring. Each character’s storyline is so compelling as they’re fighting for their men, their wealth and their families. Sara’s classy, intelligent and witty writing style together with plenty of drama, passion and suspense makes The Winter’s Fail one of the best Christmas reads you can enjoy this year.
This book is recommended to all those who love a bit of raunchy, scandalous gossipy reads. Fun and fast!
Get the book on: Amazon | Audible
14. A Very Perry Christmas by Marie Landry
A Very Perry Christmas is a best holiday book to enjoy while snuggled up by the fire with a cup of coffee. The book follows a relationship already in progress as Evan Perry takes his girlfriend Gwen to celebrate Christmas with his slightly-estranged siblings, whom she’s never met. Though it reads more of a family saga than romance, you’ll enjoy it all the same. The story is chock-full of holiday goodness from visiting a tree farm, to sleigh rides, to Christmas baking and holiday meals.
If you love family holiday gatherings and the chaos and cheer they bring, this one is ideal for you.
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
15. In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren
A quick holiday romcom, In A Holidaze is one of incredibly adorable and delightful Christmas reads. It’s a Groundhog Day style book where one Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones. She must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop and finally get her true love under the mistletoe. From the Christmas tree shopping to the snowman building, the book has everything that a good holiday book needs.
If you’re looking for something you can read in one sitting and that will make you smile all through, fingers crossed you’ll find this one in your stocking.
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
16. One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan
A delightful read, One More for Christmas is a beautiful blend of family drama and the magic of Christmas. The book tells the story of two sisters, Samantha and Ella, who are estranged from their workaholic mother, Gayle. It has been five years since they last saw her and a lot has happened since then. But when their mother ends up in the hospital, the family is drawn back together and Gayle is determined to make things right. The book is full of love, family, friendships and new beginnings.
If you’re looking to fill your day with an entertaining read that will really get you into the Christmas spirit, this one can be the perfect fix.
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
17. The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
The Twelve Dates of Christmas is a cozy, comforting, and entertaining holiday romance. Kate is done with relationships. She’s a 34 year old fabric designer who has returned to her childhood hometown, Blexford, where she is reunited with her best friends Laura and Matt. When one of her friends signs up for a dating agency in the hopes of finding someone special, she thinks ‘What’s the harm?’ And so she embarks on a journey of twelve dates with twelve different men, with each date more disastrous than the previous ones.
If you’re in need of a festive story with a lot of heart, this book is highly recommended!
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
18. Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes
A delightful and charming holiday love story, Christmas in Vermont is about the magic of synchronicity and fate during the most festive time of the year. Set in a snowy small town in Vermont, the book gives all the cozy vibes with the most wonderful scenic setting. It tells the story of two people who were in love during their college days. But their lives got in the way until they both ended up at the same inn together in rural Vermont during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
If you’re looking for a cozy, cheerful book to curl up with by the Christmas tree, look no further! This book is, no doubt, one of the best Christmas reads.
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible
19. The Christmas Surprise by Jenny Colgan
A short, light, and entertaining read, The Christmas Surprise is a must-read for the festive season. Rosie loves running her little sweet shop and her life in her little cottage with wonderful boyfriend Stephen. However, as things start going not as expected, how will Rosie cope with this new surprise? The beautiful description of Lipton village at Christmas time, the weather being cold with an out pour of snow all the time, the chills breeze and the beautiful calm village with rolling mountains glowing in stars and light bulbs here and there decorated with green and red holly make this book a fantastic Christmas read.
If you’re looking for a fun book to read around the holidays, this can be the best fix.
Get the book on: Amazon | Audible
20. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
An iconic Christmas ghost story, A Christmas Carol is a heartwarming must-read. The story is about a man named Ebenezer Scrooge, a bitter, cold-hearted elderly miser who doesn’t care about anyone around him. He doesn’t like Christmas and rudely refuses his nephew’s invitation for Christmas dinner. But everything changes when he’s visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas past, present, and yet to come.
If you want a really beautiful and heartwarming Christmas read, this might do the trick.
Get the book on: Amazon | Bookshop | Audible