Tuesday Top Ten

Ten Novels To Enjoy This Christmas Season

I have to admit that there's something I love about curling up with a Christmas novel. I usually don't like cheesy sappy romances but when Christmas comes, I am all for them! In fact, the cheesier and sappier, the better. So here are some great new (and some old) Christmas books for you to check out from your library or add to your collection (I included the Amazon links for each one). If the idea of curling up with a cup of something hot by a warm fire for a heartwarming story is your idea of a good time, you've come to the right place!

The Christmas Letters by Lee Smith. I pulled this out the other day and read it in two treadmill sessions. It's more a novella than a novel. I love the premise. It's one of those ideas I wish I'd thought of. Three generations of women tell their family's stories via those Christmas missives we all love to hate. Lee Smith is one of my favorite authors and was a huge influence on me as a young writer. She's a great writer, plain and simple.

Comfort And Joy by Kristin Hannah is the story of a woman who gets in a plane crash and wanders into the lives of a widower and his son after she stumbles from the wreckage. A sweet story about trusting and loving again, this book held my attention to the end. That's saying something. It requires a certain amount of suspending your disbelief... but isn't that what Christmas is all about?

Christmas At Harrington's by Melody Carlson. I read this this year. It's a sweet story about a woman who's been released from prison and starts a new life in a small town. Through the gift of a stranger, she lands a job as "Mrs Santa" at a department store and her life-- and others-- are changed as a result. It's a good story and I enjoyed the fact that most heroines are not recently released prisoners, so that adds a unique aspect to the story.

The Treasure of Christmas by Melody Carlson is a 3-in-1 collection of Carlson's previous novellas. This one is sure to keep you busy reading all the way to the big day. The stories in this one include The Christmas Bus, The Gift Of Christmas Present, and Angels in the Snow. If you have a friend who likes Christmas novels, this would make a great early Christmas present for her!

The Joy of Christmas by Melody Carlson is another 3-in-1 collection of Carlson's previous novellas. The stories in this one are An Irish Christmas, All I Have To Give, and The Christmas Dog.

Christmas With Tucker by Greg Kincaid is the prequel to the book mentioned below, but it came out this year. This tells the story of the dad in A Dog Named Christmas... and why he's so guarded about having a dog for a pet.

A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid was a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie last year. A story about a developmentally delayed boy who fosters a dog for Christmas so the dog won't have to be in the pound. He gets so passionate about this fostering program that he lobbies for his whole town to also foster animals for the holiday.

I'll Be Home For Christmas by Julie Cannon. If you love WWII novels, you'll love this book from the new "When I Fall In Love" series by Summerside Press, a series of books that all revolve around famous songs. Cute idea! Of course it makes sense that they would do this famous Christmas song as one of their first books.

Call Me Mrs Miracle by Debbie Macomber is not one I've read, but it's on my list. Debbie has inspired me through her non-fiction: Knit Together and God's Guest List (just read that one a few weeks ago). This story is a Hallmark Channel movie this year so be on the lookout for it!

On Strike For Christmas by Sheila Roberts. I read this last year and I remember it being a cute, entertaining read. It kept me turning pages til the very end and that's saying a lot. I guess I could identify with the idea of going on strike for Christmas a little too easily. :) This book has been made into a movie that comes out this year on Lifetime, I think. I also saw that she has another Christmas title out this year called The Snow Globe. Looks interesting.

I've been playing with a Christmas novel idea this month while I am in the Christmas spirit (ie, in the mood to write about Christmas). So far I've written 15,000 words of it and am liking how it's coming. Maybe someday my novel will be on someone's top ten Christmas reads list.

What books have I missed? I'd love to hear your faves!