15 All Time Best Christmas Books To Read 2023

Christmas Books

1. The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern

Our first pick for the best Christmas books is The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern. The book was first published in 1943 and it got very popular. The short story also inspired a film which released under the title, It’s A Wonderful Life. The movie too was a huge success and it even got five Oscar nominations as well.

The story revolves around a man, George Pratt. George is very unsatisfied about how his life turned out and he is about to commit suicide. Just when he is about to end his life, he met a well-dressed man with a dog. The man engages George in a conversation and asks him what’s wrong. He said, ” I wish I was never born”. With these words, his life just changed.

He experiences what’s it would be like is was never born, where would be his friends and family.

The book has a great feel in it and it is deeper than it appears. The writing style of the author is quite intuitive yet intelligent so you would be loving everything about the book. Do read this book, if for some reason you are feeling low or you want a new hope in your life or if you wanted to know what’s the greatest gift!

2. Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien is not the name you would be expected on this list. The author is popularly known for The Lord of The Rings, the popular trilogy series, and the movie series adaptations. The author has surely impressed us with this book and yet again proves that can do a lot more than science/fantasy stuff!

This book contains a few letters written by Tolkien between the years 1920 and 1943 for his children from Father Christmas! The series of the letters were published as a book on the 3rd death anniversary of the author’s death and everyone praised these letters and it turns out that these letters and the short novellas were the inspiration for the Lord of the Rings by the author!

Speaking of the story of the books, here in this letter, father Christmas tells us how the crazy things he experiences and what’s is life is like. All the adventures, the thrills, and the mischiefs that are happening in front of his eyes, he writes it all.

The book is worthy of your time and especially around Christmas or you can read this book as the bedtime stories for your children as well.

3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! By Dr. Seuss

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is another classic Christmas book that you would ever read. There are chances that you have already read this one but if you haven’t already then get going and pick this book to give a read around Christmas.

This one is a classic children’s book where they know the story of Grinch! Grinch is a grumpy and solitary creature that plans to ruins Christmas for everyone. How? Well by stealing all the Christmas presents and selling them.

He is doing all this because he never liked Christmas and he lives in a town where people celebrate this festival by singing, gathering, and dancing. But what will happen when they come to know that the Grinch is all about stealing and sell the presents? Will their Christmas be ruined?

Give it a read and know the classic tale of Grinch. The author has done an amazing job and all the children and even the adults love this Christmas book!

4. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

Holidays on Ice is another one of the best Christmas books that you can read sometimes. The book is a perfect solution if you need some Christmas guffaws. The book is an essay collection all about Christmas. The book was published in 1997 and it was written by popular American humorist and author, David Sedaris. He has won many awards and has become pretty popular as well.

This book, as we said earlier, consists of many Christmas essays. But unlike other Christmas books, this doesn’t feature just the cliche feel-good stories. The author tells a different type of story and how he spends Christmas and his adventures as well. The book is pretty balanced and got it all for you. So pick up this book if you haven’t already this Christmas and spend your holiday reading about different stories by the author.

5. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg is our next pick for the best Christmas book ever. This one was published in 1985 and it has been a popular choice for a Christmas book since then. The book has been most praised for its detailed illustrations and the experience it provides to young children.

The book is set in Michigan and it follows the character of a young boy who awakens on Christmas Eve and finds a train whistling right in front of him. The destination of the train is the North Pole and that’s either the young boy would be going. The journey and the experiences experienced by the young boy is written with such zeal and perfection that anyone can get lost in the book. Perhaps this is why the book is counted among the best Christmas books!

The book has also been adapted into a motion picture and it also got nominated for Oscars, so after reading the book, you can enjoy the movie as well.

6. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

You must have heard about the Velveteen Rabbit growing up or even read this classic. This one is one of the most popular children’s books and it got a lot of praise and appreciation from the readers and critics.

The story revolves around a stuffed rabbit and his wish to become real. The book may give you simple expectations but it will surprise you and take you by storm with its twists and turns. The book is amazingly written it certainly is a must-read book.

PS: keep tissues with yourself while reading the book!

7. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

The next book on our list is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. This book introduces you to the worst kids ever! The six children volunteer themselves to participate in a pageant. Although they are not going to make things easier for anyone, they are up to any mischief task, whether it’s blackmailing, physical violence, or arson! This has made everyone else in the pageant a little nervous. Although, since it’s Christmas, we can count on one Christmas miracle, right? Well go ahead and read the amusing story and see what it has to offer you and how does the Christmas pageant turns out!

8. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is a very popular author and she is best known for her crime novels. This one isn’t going to be a cliche Christmas book that is all about Christmas carols, mistletoe, and songs. This book is all about murder, some thrill, and secrets. Even though with all the amazing things related to a classic crime novel, the book can easily give you a very merry time.

The book is about a Christmas family reunion that goes horribly wrong. Instead of spending Christmas, they now have a murder to solve. The lead of the book is Hercule Poirot, a detective and he will surely solve the Christmas murder mystery this time. The question is can you find out who the murderer was?

9. A Letter From Santa Claus by Mark Twain

Mark Twain is a popular author and he has given us many amazing books to read so this one would surely give you a good read as well. This one too makes a good choice for a Christmas book and especially to read to your children.

In this book, the author pretends to Santa Claus and writes letters about his experiences. The book is pretty short and quick and would put you in a definite Christmas mood.

10. Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck and Mark Buehner

Christmas Day in the Morning is also quite an amazing book to read during Christmas. The book is written by a popular Nobel literate Pearl S. Buck. The story is short and sweet and would make you feel a little good for Christmas as well.

The story features a young boy, Rob. He is not very happy this Christmas because he is not able to buy gifts for his dad for Christmas. Finally, he tries to find a good present for his dad and it would warm your heart. The book is filled with some detailed illustrations by Mark Buehner.

This is a perfect book to read around Christmas to get you a good idea for a Christmas present and the generosity of this festival as well.

11. The Night Before Christmas by Nikolai Gogol

If you are looking for something different yet traditional then The Night Before Christmas should be your pick. It’s time-honored Ukrainian folklore that is already told to the children on Christmas.

The book is about a blacksmith named Vakula and all he wants is to win the favor of pretty Okhsana. I am sure this doesn’t sound that interesting, but for a moment and watch all the witches, wizards, and Czarinas get involved. It would take you on an adventure and you will get to hear a whimsical and somewhat surreal story which is perfect for Christmas!

12. A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

A Christmas Memory is another one of the best Christmas books that you can read. Truman Capote is known for his crime novels but this one is the complete opposite of that as well. The book has also featured an autobiography, a short one, by the author.

The book is set in the great depression. The author and his elderly cousin, who is best friends too, are facing a challenge. They have to make fruitcakes for thirty people and they have got no money. There are no ingredients either.

So how will they come up with a solution? Do give it a read and find out what surprises this book is gonna give you.

13. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Let It Snow is a three-book tale that you might wanna read around Christmas. The book is also written by three renowned writers are John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle.

The book is a collection of some short stories that made up quite a cozy reading experiment around Christmas. The book is also adapted as a Netflix flick so you can watch that too.

The book is based on their groups of teens who got stuck together given the snowstorm. It’s mix-up stories about different lives and their experience and how they find comfort in each other’s stories as well. It’s like a perfect teen drama.

14. The Nutcracker by Valeria Docampo and the New York City Ballet

I am sure you would be familiar with the nutcracker already and if not then this one should be your first pick this Christmas. The simple telltale is quite charming and would make you feel good about the story. It’s more of a picture book so it might be a good picture book for your children as well. Do give it a read this Christmas and enjoy some quality time with the kids.

15. One Day in December by Josie Silver

If you are looking forward to reading a romantic novel at the time of Christmas then this one should be your first pick. This is a perfect Christmas book that features a good romance.

The story features, Laurie who one day locks her eyes with a stranger while she was riding a bus. She might be a believer of love at first sight, but something causes her heart to skip a beat when she saw him. Find out what happens next and whether or not you should believe in love at first sight!

Conclusion

So these are some of the most popular Christmas books that you get. We have listed down some of the most amazing books that you can read around this festival season and you would certainly love them too. These books have got plenty of good reviews from the critics as well as the readers, so we have considered those and brought you a list of the best Christmas books ever.

Pick any of the aforementioned Christmas books and you won’t regret it. Thank you for visiting us and we hope our article was helpful for you and you got everything you have been looking for.