What’s On My Holiday Reading List

Here’s the holiday reading list I promised to share! As I mentioned earlier this month, now that we are in the holiday season, I’m all about reading books based around the holidays, December, or Winter months! Most of these books are thought provoking and put into perspective what is really important in life. Most of these books are feel good fiction books. Maybe it’s just me but during the holidays reading things like evolutionary biology just doesn’t feel right haha. Pretty much I scratch out anything nonfiction.

Even though these are Christmasy books, they’re not all appropriate for young kids since there are several based on relationships.

A lot of these books take place in a small town in the United States or outside the country. Which really ignites my urge to want to travel again!

Holiday Reading List

1 Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

A holiday rom com when two identical sisters swap lives for 12 days. One sister lives in L.A. and is a famous pastry chef and the other sister lives in their hometown running their family bakery. They thought this switch would be as easy as their childhood. But it turns out, it has made each other’s lives more complicated.

2 Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews

Mary Kay Andrews is the queen of writing beach reading books and this time she is able to create a book filled with Christmas magic. Ivy Perkins moves to an old farmhouse and quickly realizes it’s more work and money than she realized. While she adjusts to her new living situation, she finds out she lives in a welcoming town, solves a mystery, and a family gets reunited.

3 The Christmas Dress by Courtney Cole

A Christmas dress brings together two women from different generations. Meg is a fashionista from Chicago and Ellie is about to move into a nursing home. While Ellie is downsizing she gifts Meg her dress and it magically fits Meg. Both women end up having a very uplifting Christmas experience and it strikes an amazing friendship.

4 So This Is Christmas by Tracy Andreen

Finley returns to her hometown to find out her best friend is dating her ex-boyfriend, her parents are separating, and her archnemesis is working at her grandmother’s inn. Finley also tricked a boy that her hometown is a holiday paradise and it is up to her to fulfill that promise.

5 Nick and Noel’s Christmas Playlist by Codi Hall

Nick just got out of the military and finds out his girlfriend has been cheating on him. He knows he can rely on his best friend, Noel, and her Christmas tunes to lift his spirits. They had a fun night together to forget about his ex and then they kissed and it felt right.

6 A Magical New York Christmas by Anita Hughes

Sabrina is a struggling journalist and can’t believe she’s been given the opportunity to stay at The Plaza for 6 nights. She meets a handsome British visitor, Ian, at the hotel bar and doesn’t correct him when he thinks she is another wealthy visitor. After all, he is British aristocracy. The truth is, Ian is not a wealthy Lord and works for a Lord. As the week continues, will Sabrina and Ian learn the truth about each other?

7 Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey

All the windows in Manhattan are decorated in red and green. Stella stops at the Vivant window and a man asked for her opinion. She gives her honest feedback and what should have been done. Turns out, this man works at Vivant and Stella will be working for him. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, and she is doing her best to try to ignore the chemistry.

8 A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli

Niki is recently laid off as a Data Analyst. She’s always dated men that seemed great on paper instead of what gives her butterflies. She books a last minute trip to India to attend to her friend’s wedding. Niki celebrates Diwali in India and meets Sam. Their flirtatious banter makes it clear that there is an attraction. Niki gets a job offer back at home and now has to decide what she wants in her next chapter of life.

9 Blame It On The Mistletoe by Beth Garrod

Elle is a social media star. Holly loves everything from Christmas. Elle wants to grow her social media count and wants to switch lives with a British fan. Holly wants to escape. Elle meets a cute boy across the street and Holly did not realize Elle has two cute brothers.

10 Christmas By The Book by Anne Marie Ryan

Two booksellers are facing tough times and decide to spread Christmas cheer. Their bookshop is on the verge of closure. They decided to deliver books to those who are feeling down this Christmas. As the town prepares for Christmas, the books begin to give the recipients hope. Unfortunately, the future of the bookshop is still up in the air.

11 The Holiday Switch by Tif Marcelo

Lila was planning on working extra hours at her job at the Inn. She’s been trying really hard to save as much money as she can. Her plans are crushed when her boss’ cute nephew, Teddy, becomes her coworker. Lila is Type A and Teddy is Type ‘Anything But Lila’s Way’. One day they accidentally switch phones and realized they’re both hiding things from each other.

12 Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis

Two strangers, Noelle and Sam, meet during a blizzard and spend a perfect day together assuming they’ll never see each other again. However, fate comes in and they would bump into one another at difference places. They begin to realize that maybe there is no such thing as coincidence.

13 The Mistletoe Pact by Jo Lovett

Eight years ago, Dan and Evie made a pact on Christmas Eve – if they’re each not married by thirty then they will marry each other. Of course, they never took this pact seriously. But then it happens the night before Evie turns 30. They went to Vegas and got married. Now they’re trying to figure out if they can have a quickie divorce and forget about it even though they’ve been secretly in love with each other.

14 Not So Quiet Christmas by Suzie Tullett 

Antonia prefers a quiet Christmas celebration like watching Hallmark movies in her pajamas, eating what she wants, etc. Her friend Jules is the complete opposite and prefers big celebrations. Unfortunately, Jules broke her leg and can’t go to Yorkshire Dales. So she offered it to Antonia. Antonia hesitantly agrees and now there’s a strong attraction between her and Oliver. She could choose to return to back to her quiet life or choose love and have a not so quiet Christmas.

15 The Secret Of Snow by Viola Shipman

Sunny used to be a SoCal meteorologist until she was replaced by a virtual meteorologist that will never age, gain weight, or renegotiate a contract. The only station that will hire a 50 year old is back in her hometown. She is humiliated but makes the move and finds her past blindsiding her everywhere. So she covers every major snow storm in each town to distract herself. It just so happens there’s someone who is undermining her efforts.

16 A Cross-Country Christmas by Courtney Walsh

Lauren is not a fan of Christmas and rarely goes back home and is not a fan of flying. This time her brother arranged a ride for her with his good friend Will from California to Illinois. Unfortunately, Lauren has been trying to forget about her crush with Will and now she’s stuck with him. They’re complete opposites. During this road trip, they’ll discover that history doesn’t exactly repeat itself.

17 Always, In December by Emily Stone

Every December, Josie writes a letter to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago. This year, her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off by a bike collision with a handsome stranger, Max. It turns out Max has also avoided the Christmas season. Josie thought they started something special until Max decided to disappear without saying goodbye. Over the course of next year, fate continues to bring them together – NYC, Edinburgh, English countryside. Max has every reason to leave and stay. Now that Christmas is approaching, what will fate hold for Max and Josie.

18 Kiss The Girl by Melanie Jacobson

Grace and Noah have undeniable chemistry. For Grace, staying in Creekville is temporary and she’s trying to leave as soon as she can. Noah is burnt with love and talks Grace into fake dating his coach. Then one day Grace and Noah have an unplanned kiss.

19 A Season For Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss

Anne’s restaurant is fine without her, her kids are all grown up and her 26 year marriage ended. So she decides to leave her city life to the country. It seems that everyone in Willow Bay has welcomed her with open arms. As Christmas approaches, her future seems to be more uncertain.

20 The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

Carmen is laid off from her job and is short on cash. She reluctantly agreed to move in with her sister and takes a job at a shabby bookshop. The bookshop is disorganized and dusty yet charming. Carmen wonders if she can bring it back to life. And what will happen when a famous author walks in.

1 One Charmed Christmas by Sheila Roberts

Catherine is hoping for a more jolly Christmas since it’s the first without her husband and kids. Catherine explores the world when she gets invited to a Christmas cruise and meets a new friend Sophie. Then Catherine and Sophie meet the charming Dr. Nichols who seems like a perfect match for Sophie. But there is also Trevor who is interested in Sophie as well. Now Catherine and Sophie wonder if anything can happen during Christmas.

2 The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler

Graham is a grumpy local and named his diner The Tourist Trap to mock the tourists. Instead, it has lead several tourists to his diner. Zoey’s bucket list is to see the entire of Alaska. An act of kindness brings Zoey into Graham’s world and realizes there’s more to the grumpy local.

3 Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenhaler

This is book 2 from The Tourist Attraction. Lana is what this small town of Alaska can’t stand – rich socialite who thinks they can make things better. Lana is out there to prove the locals wrong. The last few years has been rough on Rick and Lana accidentally tranquilizes him instead of the moose. This turns out to be an all out Christmas war, but they need to capture the moose before it destroys the town. Lana and Rick might finally find a place where they belong.

4 One Christmas Morning by Isabelle Broom 

Evangeline is not feeling festive this December because it is reminder her that she lost her mother. She’s been feeling so alone until she discovers her birth mom’s identity. Now that Evangeline is traveling to New Zealand, can she confront the mother that gave her up?

5 In A Holidazae by Christina Lauren

Christina is having a mental meltdown. She hates her going no-where job, made a romantic error, and it is her last Christmas at her favorite place in the world, their Utah Cabin. As she was driving away, she ask the universe to please show me what makes me happy. Next thing she knows, tires screech and everything goes black.

6 One Christmas in Paris by Mandy Baggot

Ava and her best friend arrived in Paris just when the snow starts to fall and the entire city looks magical. Ava is trying to get over her cheating ex and reminds herself there’s more to life than men. Then she meets the charming and handsome Julien. She can’t deny the chemistry they have. But can Ava really trust Julien?Or will she go home with a broken heart.

7 The Twelve Dates of Christmas

When it comes to relationships, Kate is ready to say ‘Bah humbug.” There’s rarely any prospects and she is fulfilled in her career. But her best friend signs her up for a dating agency that promises she will find love before the holidays. It’s 23 days until Christmas which means 12 dates with 12 different men. Each date seems to be more and more disastrous.

8 A Princess For Christmas by Jenny Holiday

Leo has a lot on is plate from taking care of his younger sister Gabby, driving a cab, to being a super in his apartment. One day, Gabby spots a princess trying to hail a cab and convinces Leo to help her. Princess Marine is a damsel in distress after the death of her mother, her father is in deep depression,  and she has to save her country. Leo agrees to be her driver the entire trip. But it turns out Leo discovers the princess is all  wrong for him.

9 I’ll Be Home For Christmas by Karen Clarke

Nina Bailey loves Christmas but this year her husband-to-be cheated on her and she’s not in the jolly mood. So she decides to stay with her Aunt Dolly and meets Ryan. Ryan overhears him make fun of her which leads them to not getting along. Aunt Dolly is going through great lengths to make sure Nina has the best Christmas and now makes Nina wonder if she can resist the magic of Christmas.

10 The Little Shop On Silver Linings Street by Emma Davies

Daisy has worked for the Buchanan’s Family Jewellers for a long time. The owner decides to retire and give the shop to one of the three sons that can create the perfect Christmas jewelry for Daisy. Daisy has a secret. When the shop closes, she creates her own sparkles. As each son try to swoon her, Daisy starts to fall for Kit. But she questions if Kit is just doing all this to win the competition and shop.

11 Christmas in London by Anita Hughes

Louisa is works at a bakery and a week before Christmas a show’s cooking assistant walks wanting to buy all the cinnamon rolls since the original rolls were burned. Next day, Louisa finds out her cinnamon rolls are hit and is asked to step in for a Christmas TV Special. Lousia sees this as an opportunity, but also finds her self stuck with dealing old and new flames.

12 Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes

Emma walks in a pawn shop and discovered a watch she engraved for her ex-boyfriend Fletcher. Bronwyn, Emma’s best friend, is convinced it is a sign and sets her up to stay at inn in Vermont where Fletcher is. When Emma arrives, she sees Fletcher with his daughter and fiancée. This fairytale trip seems to fail and it will take a miracle to save the inn and her heart.

1 Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory

Vivian tags along with her daughter’s work trip to England to style a royal family member. Vivian is so excited about her holiday and explores all the British sites. What she didn’t expect is to fall for the private secretary. This private secretary falls for her too and they try to find excuses to spend time together. The only thing is that they only have until the New Year. I love this book. It is so cute and I shared my thoughts about it in this post.

2 25 Days ‘Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander

Kate Potter loved Christmas. She’d start wrapping presents in September and start counting down to Christmas in October. That all changed when her husband left for the army and never came back one holiday season. And now she can’t stand December. She realizes that her son needs to experience a true Christmas and tries to make an effort this year. Through this process, she learned that even if you have the most laid out plans, you can’t plan for the unexpected.

3 Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

It’s been years since I read a Sophie Kinsella book. This is the same author that wrote Confessions of a Shopaholic (which later turned into a movie featuring Isla Fisher). Becky has been looking forward to going back to her parents to celebrate Christmas. It is in a cute town where they celebrated all their Christmas traditions. This time around, things changed. Her parents want to move out of their town to a trendier town and asked Becky to host Christmas this year. Her sister demands a vegan turkey, and pretty much the holiday season has been chaotic and Becky wonders if she can bring back the joy of Christmas. Just like all the Shopaholic books, this book has a lot of hilarious great lines.

4 We Met in December by Rosie Curtis

Jess moved to London to follow her dreams. She ends up falling for one of her neighbors and plans on how they will see each other more often. She left for a Christmas holiday and when she returned, Alex (the neighbor she fell in love with) has a new girlfriend and it is their other neighbor. Now she runs into them and tries to figure out how to avoid them.

5 One Day in December by Josie Silver

This is also from the 2019 Summer reading list you all recommended! Laurie swears she found the man she’s supposed to spend the rest of her life with. One day at a bus stop she spots this man and instantly felt a connection with him. They never said a word to one another and after that day she spent a year looking for him. Then her best friend introduces her to her new boyfriend and it is the guy from the bus stop. Laurie is torn because she’s still in love with him. For 10 years, it goes through all 3 of their lives on friendships, heartbreaks, and destinies.

6 Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand (Book 1)

Elin Hilderbrand books is known for beach reading, but with the Winter Street series it is more of a holiday book. This is book one of the Winter Street series. Kelley Quinn is the owner of the Winter Street Inn and is a father of four. All 4 of his kids are grown up and living in different states and all have a story. Kelley decided he wanted to get all his kids together for the holidays. But when they all came together there’s a love triangle, unplanned pregnancy, federal crimes, and tons of drama & chaos. Somehow it all comes together in the end.

7 Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand (Book 2)

Winter Stroll is the second book of the Winter Street series. The Quinn family is together for the 2nd time during Christmas. Just when things are finally slowing down and becoming peaceful, Kelley’s estranged wife shows up. The Inn is filled with surprise guests, past lovers, and now the Quinn family is asking for a Christmas miracle.

8 Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand (Book 3)

This is the third book of the Winter Street series. There’s a historic blizzard approaching Nantucket which is threatening the Quinns to stay away from the Inn. This could mean they all won’t be together for the holidays and can’t celebrate a family wedding. The Quinns will have to figure out how to survive this blizzard.

9 Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand (Book 4)

The final book of the Winter Street series. It’s been awhile since the Quinn family got together for the holidays. There is good news happening with the Quinn family and they want to celebrate together during Christmas. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Quinn family gathering if it all goes smoothly. All in all, this book is about celebration of love.

10 Christmas at the Little Knitting Box by Helen J. Rolfe

This is another Christmas series, and this is the first book. Christmas is happening in New York. The Little Knitting Box in the West Village is about to have a change. This store has been in Cleo’s family for four decades and she’s been doing an incredible job running it. Dylan is a stay-at-home dad trying to pick up the pieces from a tumultuous few years – marriage broke down, his mother passed away, and lacks stability. When Dylan and Cleo’s worlds collide, they both have to make hard decisions. Will Cleo allow herself to be part of another family while her own fell part? Will Dylan follow his heart or his head?

11 Snowflakes and Mistletoe at the Inglebook Inn by Helen J. Rolfe

Second book of this series. New York is approaching the holidays and Darcy is heading back to Manhattan. She’s in charge of the Inglebrook Inn and the inn needs a boost of bookings. Darcy thinks hosting Christmas will give the Inn the boost it needs. She unexpectedly runs into someone from the past (Myles), and disaster strikes. Can Darcy and Myles set their differences aside?

I didn’t list this but the 3rd book of this series is Wedding Bells on Madison Avenue.

12 An Heirloom Christmas by Megan Squires

Chrissy Davenport loves Heirloom Point (a small town) during the Christmas season. During the annual wreath auction, Chrissy starts receiving handwritten notes and she can’t make sense of the memories coming back. Nick is a hockey superstar and his career ended due to an injury. The town is chattering about his failed career and relationship. Suddenly he finds himself back to a Christmas tradition he thought he left behind. Will Nick and Chrissy discover that some Christmas heirlooms aren’t actual things but instead bring back nostalgic memories?

More Reading Recommendations

As you can tell, the majority of the books I shared are based around the holiday season / Christmas season. But if you just want a really good book to read during this season, I highly recommend checking out Bill Gates’ holiday reading list. I recently discovered this and had no idea he gives out a list of his favorite reads. And it looks like a good list too!

Basically, Bill Gates consumes over 50 books a year and he shares his top 5 books! I’ve noticed most of these books have million copies sold.  Bill Gates shares a genre of books from civil war to science fiction to World War II to even short stories! If you’re really into meditation, he recommends one book that he and his wife are into. For me, I’m into a memoir he recommended, Educated.

 

What holiday books will you read this year?

xo RD

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