40 of the Best Christmas Books for Adults

Most years, as the calendar flips over to December, I dust down my copy of A Christmas Carol and re-read it. Just like most people have favourite Christmas films, it’s totally normal to have favourite Christmas books too. I’ve picked out 40 of the best Christmas books for adults this year for you to enjoy.

In my list of festive books for adults to read this season, some are comforting reads best enjoyed by the fire, some are spooky tales full of ghosts and some are Christmas classics, pure and simple.

From Christmas classics, to action and adventure; Christmas romance, and festive mysteries, and Christmas story collections, there’s bound to be something on this list for you to enjoy during this festive season.

40 of the Best Christmas Books for Adults

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40 of the Best Christmas Books for Adults

Christmas Classics

A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
The Box of Delights by John Masefield
The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern
The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Festive Action and Adventure

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
Whiteout by Ken Follet
Winter Holiday by Arthur Ransome

Christmas Romance

A Ration Book Christmas by Jean Fullerton
A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg
A Season to Remember by Sheila O’Flanagan
A Winter’s Dream by Sophie Claire
Christmas at the Beach Hut by Veronica Henry
Christmas at the Comfort Food Café by Debbie Johnson
Christmas for Beginners by Carole Matthews
Christmas Pudding by Nancy Mitford
Falling for Christmas by Debbie Macomber
Going Home by Harriet Evans
Miracle on Regent Street by Ali Harris
Someday at Christmas by Lizzie Bydon
The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
The Gift by Cecilia Ahern
The Night Before Christmas by Scarlett Bailey
Twelve Days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley
Village Christmas by Laurie Lee
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher

Festive Mysteries

A Killer in Winter by Susanna Gregory
A Maigret Christmas by Georges Simenon
Death Comes at Christmas by Gladys Mitchell
Murder Most Festive by Ada Moncrieff
The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict

Seasonal Story Collections

An English Christmas by John Julius Norwich
Christmas at Fairacre by Miss Read
Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson
Stocking Fillers: Twelve Short Stories for Christmas by Debbie Young
The Penguin book of Christmas stories

If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy my list of 25 Christmas Books for Kids!

40 of the Best Christmas Books for Adults

25 Brilliant Children’s Christmas Books

Christmas is made for books. Is there anything nicer than snuggling up with your children at bedtime and reading a Christmas story with them? If you’ve every toys with doing the Book Advent thing, or if you just want some inspiration for some new festive reading, then you’re in luck; I’ve gathered together a list of 25 great children’s books about Christmas.

25 Brilliant Children's Christmas Books

They’re are books for tiny ones and not so tiny ones, but absolutely something for everyone. There are modern classic and classic Christmas books we remember from our own childhood. There’s a book for every day leading up to Christmas, what are you waiting for?

25 Children’s Books about Christmas

  1. The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
  2. Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs
  3. Stick Man by Julia Donaldson
  4. Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R Tolkien
  5. The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
  6. The Jolly Christmas Postman by Allan and Janet Ahlberg
  7. The Best Christmas Present in the World by Michael Morpurgo
  8. Father Christmas Needs a Wee by Nicholas Allan
  9. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
  10. Construction Site on Christmas Night by Sherri Duskey Rinker
  11. Kipper’s Christmas Eve by Mick Inkpen
  12. Mog’s Christmas by Judith Kerr
  13. Dear Santa by Rod Campbell
  14. Jesus’ Christmas Party by Nicholas Allan
  15. Father Christmas Comes Up Trumps by Nicholas Allan
  16. Dream Snow by Eric Carle
  17. My First Christmas by Jan Pienkowski
  18. The Polar Express by Chris van Allsburg
  19. The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter
  20. The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden
  21. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
  22. Christmas at the Toy Museum by David Lucas
  23. Christmas Eve at the Mellops’ by Tomi Ungerer
  24. A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig
  25. The Christmas Bear by Ian Whybrow 

What is your favourite Christmas book? What Christmas book does your family enjoy reading the most? Is it a classic or a modern story? I’d love to know.

25 Brilliant Children's Christmas Books