My Favourite Christmas Reads!

Continuing on with the festive theme this week, it's time to share my favourite Christmas reads. Whilst I do love to curl up under a blanket and watch a festive film, you're also just as likely to find me in a comfy chair with a cup of hot chocolate and a festive book. So here are my top five festive reads. I'd love to know if you've read and enjoyed any of these yourself!

The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian Andersen, broke my heart as a child and broke it again when I re-read the story as an adult recently. It's a beautiful story, though, and one every child should read, or have read to them, at this time of year. It may not be full of festive cheer but it contains a very important message for all to hear.

Plot: "The Little Match Girl" is a short story by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. The story, about a dying child's dreams and hope, was first published in 1845. It has been adapted to various media, including animated and live-action films, television musicals, and video games."

And now for something a little more light-hearted. The Jolly Postman was one of my favourite books growing up. I adored opening the envelopes on each page, unfolding the letters and reading the correspondence. The Jolly Christmas Postman took it a step further, with the envelopes containing presents, puzzles, games and miniature books. Such fun!

Plot: "It's Christmas Eve and the JOLLY POSTMAN is delivering greetings to various fairy-tale characters - there's a card for Baby Bear, a game appropriately called 'Beware' for Red Riding Hood from Mr Wolf, a get-well jigsaw for hospitalised Humpty Dumpty and three more surprise envelopes containing letters, cards, etc."

Who doesn't love Dr Seuss? His, sometimes nonsensical, rhymes delight young and old but most beloved by many is How The Grinch Stole Christmas. So beloved, in fact, it's even been made into a movie. Another tale with an important message, though, as the Grinch finally discovers the true meaning of Christmas; "Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more."

Plot: "With a heart two sizes too small, the Grinch is the meanest creature you'll ever meet. He hates Christmas and the whole festive season. But when he hatches a dastardly plot to steal Christmas, he's in for a big surprise!"

Something for the YA fans now. Some of you may recognise Jay Asher as the author of bestselling 13 Reasons Why, now a three season show on Netflix. What Light is a festive feel-good story of love and forgiveness and truly makes for fantastic Christmas reading.

Plot: "Sierra's family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon - it's an idyllic place for a girl to grow up, except that every year they have to pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas."

And finally something for the adults, because Christmas shouldn't be all about the kids, right?! The Deaths of December surprised me with both it's ability to stick to a Christmas theme throughout what is a pretty gruesome read, and how good it was. If you're a crime fiction fan, but also in the mood for something festive, this one is worth your time.

Plot: "It looks like a regular advent calendar.

Until DC Becky Greene starts opening doors...and discovers a crime scene behind almost every one.

The police hope it's a prank. Because if it isn't, a murderer has just surfaced - someone who's been killing for twenty years.

But why now? And why has he sent it to this police station?

As the country relaxes into festive cheer, Greene and DS Eddie Carmine must race against time to catch the killer. Because there are four doors left, and four murders will fill them...

It's shaping up to be a deadly little Christmas."

Do you remember any of these from your childhood?