FIVE BOOKS YOU SHOULD READ DURING THE HOLIDAY OR WINTER SEASON

FIVE BOOKS YOU SHOULD READ DURING THE HOLIDAY OR WINTER SEASON

The holiday season is the time where you spend time with your family and friends. But it’s also a 
time where you can snuggle up with a book by the fire and enjoy your own company.

Here are some great Christmas/holiday/winter themed books that will help fill your holiday season 
with delight and adventure.

The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan

Plot (from Goodreads): “Santa Claus is the King of Forever, Land of the Immortals. When one special boy writes to Santa asking what no other child has ever asked, a miracle occurs: Santa and Mrs. 
Claus are blessed with a daughter. But the birth of Holly Claus also brings about a terrible curse--from an evil soul named Herrikhan. Holly's heart is frozen, and the gates to Forever are locked, barring exit or entry. As she grows into a beautiful and selfless young woman, Holly longs to break the spell that holds her people hostage. With four faithful and magical animal friends, she escapes to the wondrous world of Victorian New York, where she will face countless dangers, adventures, and a miracle all her own.”

Every year before Christmas, children write to Santa to express what gifts they’d like to receive but 
they never ask what Santa wants. When one little boy asks Santa what he wants for Christmas, Mr. 
and Mrs. Claus receive a Christmas miracle. The Legend of Holly Claus is one of the most beautiful 
books about Christmas. Even though it reads more like a Middle Grade, it is still a delightful read for all ages filled with magic, emotion and the spirit of Christmas.

The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia 
Hand

Plot (from Goodreads): “On Christmas Eve five years ago, Holly was visited by three ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she'd become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways. She didn't. And then she died. Now she's stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge--as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past. Every year, they save another miserly grouch. Every year, Holly stays frozen at seventeen while her family and friends go on living without her. So far, Holly's afterlife has been miserable. But this year, everything is about to change. . . .

This was a retelling of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens but it was very lighthearted and fun compared to the original. Holly is a Scrooge as she doesn’t care about anyone but herself. One Christmas she is visited by the three Ghosts but Holly doesn’t heed their warnings and dies the next day. She becomes one of the Ghost’s after she dies and it is about her life as that Ghost. It is such a fun retelling for YA readers that captures some of the spirit of Christmas.

Winterspell by Claire Legrand

Plot (from Goodreads): “The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince…but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums. New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor’s ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother’s murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer. Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes. Her home is destroyed, her father abducted—by beings distinctly not human. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they’re to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets—and a need she can’t define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won’t leave Cane unscathed—if she leaves at all. Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear.”

Isn’t a dark retelling of the Nutcracker all you ever wanted for Christmas? Well, if it happened to be a wish of yours, I am here to grant that wish. Claire Legrand’s, Winterspell is a great rendition of the beloved Nutcracker story. Yes, it is a lot darker than the original and tackles many issues that are somewhat controversial but it ultimately delivers a Christmas story.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Plot (from Goodreads): “When a letter arrives for unhappy but ordinary Harry Potter, a decade-old secret is revealed to him that apparently he's the last to know. His parents were wizards, killed by a Dark Lord's curse when Harry was just a baby, and which he somehow survived. Leaving his unsympathetic aunt and uncle for Hogwarts, a wizarding school brimming with ghosts and enchantments, Harry stumbles upon a sinister mystery when he finds a three-headed dog guarding a room on the third floor. Then he hears of a missing stone with astonishing powers which could be valuable, dangerous - or both. An incredible adventure is about to begin!”

Harry Potter is a cozy story that I happen to re-read every Christmastime. The whole atmosphere and setting give off a cozy feeling, especially in the first book. Plus, they are just fun to read over your break from school or work.

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Plot (from Goodreads): “They open a door and enter a world. NARNIA...the land beyond the wardrobe, the secret country known only to Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy...the place where the adventure begins. Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor's mysterious old house. At first, no one believes her when she tells of her adventures in the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund and then Peter and Susan discover the Magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves. In the blink of an eye, their lives are changed forever.”

Narnia is cursed by the White Queen with endless winter, which is exactly why this is a good book to read or re-read during the holiday or winter season. This book is more of a Middle Grade but I think it is a great read for all ages as it is captures the winter season and has tons of magic and adventure.

Wintersong by S. Jae Jones

Plot (from Goodreads): “Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell. All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns. But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts. Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.

Wintersong is a bit of a darker winter book that captures the darker parts of the season. This story is basically a Hades/Persephone retelling as she exchanges her life in order to help her sister. It features goblins, music and a kingdom underground. Wintersong is perfectly named as it includes music that is sung in a cold, winter setting that fills you with longing. This is a book that you can’t neglect this winter season.

Have you read any of these books during the Winter or Holiday season? If not, comment on which one you want to read down below.