If You Love the Festive Season, Read These Books
Recommending three great novels to curl up with in December
Ah, December. Candles and twinkly lights; gifts and resolutions; office parties and time with family. There’s certainly plenty of content to keep a writer inspired at this time of year — and lots of great novels set in this time period. For me, December also means Betwixtmas — that delightful period between Christmas and New Year when there’s nothing to do but eat leftover pigs in blankets and lie in bed reading. It’s why I never write my “best books of the last twelve months” lists until the very end of December — I get my best reading in the last week of the year.
The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
I thoroughly enjoyed this rom com. It features Rachel, a Jewish author who loves all things Christmas and secretly (and shamefully) writes rom coms set around the holiday. But this year, her publisher wants something Hanukkah-themed, and she’s struggling. Perhaps she’ll find it at the Matzah Ball? There’s just one problem — her childhood summer camp crush, Jacob, is organising it. Only, perhaps that’s not actually a problem, as such…
Bookshop US | Bookshop UK | Blackwell’s | Libro FM
The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman
As a Christmas Orphan myself, I was intrigued and delighted by the premise of this book about a group of friends who spend 25th December together each year as a kind of chosen family. I heard a lot of buzz about this one, which sometimes makes me nervous — but in this case, it was entirely justified. This is a delightful novel, an easy read because it’s so well written, and full of New York atmosphere, too. There are some strong rom com themes and plotlines, but I’d call it primarily a book about friendship. Highly recommended!
Bookshop US | Bookshop UK | Blackwells | Libro FM |
Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
In this 2017 novel, the Birch family are quarantined away over Christmas after one of them returns from deploying her medical skills in an epidemic abroad. And to make matters worse, even the Wi-Fi is uncooperative and they might have to talk to each other. Secrets and tensions and an unexpected guest are all part of what awaits them. I gobbled this down in a couple of great reading days a few Christmasses ago and it was perfect for the occasion.
Bookshop US | Bookshop UK | Blackwell’s | Libro FM
Want more?
More great festive books can be found here (US) and here (UK).
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