Welcome, book friends!
If you’d prefer to listen to this book list, you can check out the full episode on The Bookmarks ‘n Blankets Podcast on your favorite podcast platform or listen below.
I invite you over to Instagram or X (aka Twitter) to let me know what you’re reading this month or what you want to read before the end of the year or what you thought of any of the books on my list.
As you’re holiday shopping for your loved ones, don’t forget that you can get $5 off your first order of $25+ on Book Outlet, which is a heavily discounted bookstore that I LOVE! USE my link here.
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December is here, and so is the perfect excuse to curl up with a cozy blanket, a warm drink, and a stack of festive books! This year, my Christmas reading list has something for everyone—heartwarming romances that spark holiday cheer, historical fiction to transport you to snowy past eras, and middle-grade adventures filled with magic and wonder. Whether you’re looking for love, nostalgia, or a little holiday magic, these books capture the spirit of the season. Let’s dive into my December picks for a truly bookish Christmas!
15 Christmas Books on My Book List
A Cross-Country Christmas by Courtney Walsh
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Clean
Average GR Rating: 3.95
Read more on GoodReads
Available on KU
GR Description: Lauren Richmond isn’t a fan of Christmas.
Which is why she rarely makes the trip home to the Midwest for the holidays. After all, she has plenty to keep her busy—namely, her duties as a set decorator on a TV sitcom.
But this December, Lauren’s brother and his wife are expecting a baby, so her brother arranges a ride home for her with his good friend, Will.
Unfortunately for Lauren, she’s been trying to forget college baseball coach and childhood crush Will Sinclair for more than ten years.
Now, thanks to her fear of flying, she’s stuck in a car with him from California to Illinois.
She’s circumspect and organized. He’s flirty and spontaneous.
She’s convinced that people don’t change. He’s trying to prove to her (and himself) that he has.
On this cross-country road trip, they’ll both discover that history doesn’t exactly repeat itself. . . but like any good Christmas carol, it does have a second verse.
Better Watch Out by Natalie Walters
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Clean
Average GR Rating: 4.35
Read more on GoodReads
Available on KU
GR Description: An accidental meet-cute, a case of mistaken identity, and a bucket list of Christmas activities befitting a Hallmark movie make this holiday romantic adventure the perfect Christmas read.
Leave the candy canes, and take the pepper spray!
Nothing screams Christmas like a week spent ice skating, visiting Santa, and sharing a kiss or two under the mistletoe. Frannie Frost has crafted the perfect bucket list of romantic activities to surprise her boyfriend in the most magical place at Christmas time—New York City. When he unexpectedly becomes her ex, her plans are derailed leaving her with a choice. Wallow in self-pity at Christmas time or take matters into her own hands.
Former NHL defenseman turned personal protection agent, Andrew Bishop, loves his job—when things go as planned—but Frannie Frost is definitely not part of the plan. Still, when her brother, the man who saved Andrew’s life last year, asks him to deliver his sister safely to the airport, he can’t say no.
The only problem? Frannie isn’t leaving. She’s determined to make the most of her trip by checking off a bucket list of cliché Christmas activities that would make even Santa’s elves jealous. Andrew’s content to let her go until he learns that Frannie’s been mistaken for his client and thrust into the midst of danger.
Better Watch Out is a sweet romantic holiday adventure that gives you all of laughs of a rom-com while adding a touch of suspense. Tropes you’re sure to love include the new girl in the city vibe, stranded at Christmas, under the mistletoe, forced proximity, and a touch of enemies to lovers. Enjoy this romantic adventure that’s sure to make your holidays merry and bright.
Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Average GR Rating: 4.06
Read more on GoodReads
Available on KU
GR Description: She’s meant to be catching flights, not catching feelings…
Molly and Andrew are just trying to get home to Ireland for the holidays when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight.
Nothing romantic has ever happened between them: they’re friends and that’s all. But once a year, for the last ten years, Molly has spent seven hours and fifteen minutes sitting next to Andrew on the last flight before Christmas from Chicago to Dublin, drinking terrible airplane wine and catching up on each other’s lives. In spite of all the ways the two friends are different, it’s the holiday tradition neither of them has ever wanted to give up.
Molly isn’t that bothered by Christmas, but—in yet another way they’re total opposites—Andrew is a full-on fanatic for the festive season and she knows how much getting back to Ireland means to him. So, instead of doing the sane thing and just celebrating the holidays together in America, she does the stupid thing. The irrational thing. She vows to get him home. And in time for his mam’s famous Christmas dinner.
The clock is ticking. But Molly always has a plan. And—as long as the highly specific combination of taxis, planes, boats, and trains all run on time—it can’t possibly go wrong.
What she doesn’t know is that, as the snow falls over the city and over the heads of two friends who are sure they’re not meant to be together, the universe might just have a plan of its own…
A totally gorgeous and escapist friends-to-lovers festive romance with a swoon-worthy hero.
A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Average GR Rating: 3.72
Read more on GoodReads
GR Description: Three bickering half sisters. One unique antiques shop. The coziest holiday season of their lives.
Wildly different half sisters Maggie, Simone, and Star have hardly seen one another since their sprightly summers at Rowan Thorp, their eccentric father Augustus’s home. Known for his bustling approach to the knick-knack shop he ran, Augustus was loved by all and known by none, not even his daughters.
Now, years later, the three estranged women are called upon for the reading of Augustus’s will and quickly realize he’s orchestrated a series of hoops through which they must jump to unlock their inheritance—the last thing any of them want to do. But Maggie and Star desperately need the money. And who would Simone be to resist?
Through hilarious goose chases, small-town mishaps, and one heart-warming winter solstice celebration, love, hope, and reconciliation is in the air, if only the three sisters can let themselves grasp it.
Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Average GR Rating: 3.49
Read more on GoodReads
GR Description: With a name like Astra Noel Snow, holiday spirit isn’t just a seasonal specialty–it’s a way of life. But after a stinging divorce, Astra’s yearly trip to the Milwaukee Christmas market takes on a whole new meaning. She’s ready to eat, drink, and be merry, especially with the handsome stranger who saves the best kringle for her at his family bakery.
For Jack Clausen, the Julemarked with its snowy lights and charming shops stays the same, while the world outside the joyful street changes, magically leaping from one December to the next every four weeks. He’s never minded living this charmed existence until Astra shows him the life he’s been missing outside of the festive red brick alley.
After a swoon-worthy series of dates, some Yuletide magic, and the unexpected glow of new love, Astra and Jack must decide whether this relationship can weather all seasons, or if what they’re feeling is as ephemeral as marshmallows in a mug of hot cocoa.
The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Average GR Rating: 3.98
Read more on GoodReads
GR Description: Peter Armstrong and Hank Colfax are best friends, but their lives couldn’t be more different. Peter, the local pastor who is dedicated to his community, spending time visiting the flock, attending meetings, and, with the holiday season approaching, preparing for the Christmas service and live nativity. As a bartender, Hank serves a much different customer base at his family-owned tavern, including a handful of lonely regulars and the local biker gang.
When Peter scoffs that Hank has it easy compared to him, the two decide to switch jobs until Christmas Eve. To their surprise, the responsibilities of a bartender and a pastor are similar, but taking on the other’s work is more difficult than either Peter or Hank expected. As the two begin to see each other in a new light–and each discovers a new love to cherish–their lives are forever changed.
Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
Genre: Historical Fiction
Average GR Rating: 3.78
Read more on GoodReads
Available on KU
Amazon Description: Charles Dickens is not feeling the Christmas spirit. His newest book is an utter flop, the critics have turned against him, relatives near and far hound him for money. While his wife plans a lavish holiday party for their ever-expanding family and circle of friends, Dickens has visions of the poor house. But when his publishers try to blackmail him into writing a Christmas book to save them all from financial ruin, he refuses. And a serious bout of writer’s block sets in.
Frazzled and filled with self-doubt, Dickens seeks solace in his great palace of thinking, the city of London itself. On one of his long night walks, in a once-beloved square, he meets the mysterious Eleanor Lovejoy, who might be just the muse he needs. As Dickens’ deadlines close in, Eleanor propels him on a Scrooge-like journey that tests everything he believes about generosity, friendship, ambition, and love. The story he writes will change Christmas forever.
The Enchanted Sonata by Heather Dixon Wallwork
Genre: YA Fantasy | Nutcracker Retelling
Average GR Rating: 4.04
Read more on GoodReads
Available on KU
GR Description: Clara Stahlbaum has her future perfectly planned: to marry the handsome pianist, Johann Kahler (ah!) and settle down to a life full of music. But all that changes on Christmas Eve, when Clara receives a mysterious and magical nutcracker.
Whisked away to his world—an enchanted empire of beautiful palaces, fickle fairies, enormous rats, and a prince—Clara must face a magician who uses music as spells…and the future she thought she wanted.
The Enchanted Sonata, a retelling of The Nutcracker Ballet with a dash of The Pied Piper, will captivate readers of all ages.
The Family Game by Catherine Steadman
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Average GR Rating: 3.84
Read more on GoodReads
GR Description: Harry is a novelist on the brink of stardom; Edward, her husband-to-be, is seemingly perfect. In love and freshly engaged, their bliss is interrupted by the reemergence of the Holbecks, Edward’s eminent family and the embodiment of American old money. For years, they’ve dominated headlines and pulled society’s strings, and Edward left them all behind to forge his own path. But there are eyes and ears everywhere. It was only a matter of time before they were pulled back in . . .
After all, even though he’s long severed ties with his family, Edward is set to inherit it all. Harriet is drawn to the glamour and sophistication of the Holbecks, who seem to welcome her with open arms, but everything changes when she meets Robert, the inescapably magnetic head of the family. At their first meeting, Robert slips Harry a cassette tape, revealing a shocking confession which sets the inevitable game in motion.
What is it about Harry that made him give her that tape? A thing that has the power to destroy everything? As she ramps up her quest for the truth, she must endure the Holbecks’ savage Christmas traditions all the while knowing that losing this game could be deadly.
The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Series: Book #2 in the Boy Called Christmas series
Average GR Rating: 4.15
Read more on GoodReads
GR Description: If magic has a beginning, can it also have an end?
When Amelia wants a wish to come true she knows just the man to ask – Father Christmas.
But the magic she wants to believe in is starting to fade, and Father Christmas has more than impossible wishes to worry about. Upset elves, reindeer dropping out of the sky, angry trolls, and the chance that Christmas might be canceled.
But Amelia isn’t just any ordinary girl. And – as Father Christmas is going to find out – if Christmas is going to be saved, he might not be able to do it alone…
Diary of a Christmas Elf by Ben Miller
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Average GR Rating: 4.01
Read more on GoodReads
GR Description: All Tog wants to do is work in Santa’s workshop and one wonderful day, the letter from Santa Tog has been selected as an apprentice elf! Making toys is a lot more technical and a lot less fun than Tog had imagined, and even though his new friend Holly tries to help him, he’s quickly relegated to cleaning out the reindeer stables. But someone has been stealing the presents from the workshop and a case of mistaken identity finds Tog accused of being the culprit! Can Tog use his special Christmas magic to discover the real thief and save all the presents before Christmas Eve is over?
Krampus and The Thief of Christmas by Eldritch Black
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Average GR Rating: 3.82
Read more on GoodReads
Available on KU
GR Description: Krampus Night is coming and even though Gabrielle Greene has only been staying in her Uncle’s strange alpine city a few weeks, she’s already earned the reputation of the worst girl who ever lived. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s also leapt to the top of Krampus’s list.
Krampus, the sinister Winter King, the anti-Father Christmas who comes calling once a year seeking wicked children to haul back to his realm.
When Gabrielle’s younger brother goes missing, she sets out in search of him but soon finds herself hurtling into a shadowy otherworld. A place of terrible trolls, murky forests, coal-black mountains, Christmas charms, and fearsome beasts.
Can Gabrielle save her brother from the fiendish Krampus? Will she become The Thief of Christmas?
The clock is ticking as Gabrielle discovers her decisions have created terrible consequences, consequences that must be faced if Christmas is to survive.
Krampus & The Thief of Christmas is a magical adventure of yuletide thrills, dark comedy, and festive delights.
Bonus New Releases:
Christmas With a Crank by Courtney Walsh
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Clean Sweet Romance
Average GR Rating: 4.26
Read more on GoodReads
Available on KU
GR Description: A second chance with your first crush.
Doesn’t happen often.
For Liam Fisher, that first crush was his next-door neighbor, Olive Witherby.
Childhood was lazy summers, treehouse stargazing, and endless games of hide and seek at Pine Creek, the Christmas tree farm that’s been in Liam’s family for generations.
When Liam moves away, he and Olive say goodbye the only way they know how—with a fumbling first kiss neither of them will ever forget.
Even though twelve-year-olds’ promises of keeping in touch feel eternal, time and distance eventually make Olive and Liam practically strangers.
Twenty years later, Liam’s parents announce they’re retiring and selling the tree farm.
Twenty years later, Pine Creek is the last place grown-up Liam wants to be. Inherit this legacy? Not on your life.
And twenty years later, grown-up Olive is stuck.
Her work life is a lot like her love life—floundering. After a humiliating business failure, loads of debt, and one too many laughable first dates, she’s in no hurry to put herself out there again, in business or in romance.
When Olive is hired by Liam’s parents to rekindle the lost magic of the farm one final time before it’s sold, she sets out to make this the last, best Pine Creek Christmas, for the town and for a very cranky, not-so-talkative, surprisingly attractive Liam.
Part of her mission? Convince the crank to fall in love with Christmas.
The other part? Not fall head over heels in the process.
Christmas With a Crank is a grumpy/sunshine, childhood crush, opposites attract romance with plenty of sizzle but none of the steam.
Five Stolen Rings by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Clean Sweet Romance
Average GR Rating: 4.41
Read more on GoodReads
Available on KU
GR Description: FIVE stolen rings, FOUR calling birds, THREE French kisses, TWO falling in love, and a Partridge in a pear tree…
Stella Partridge never expected to move back to her hometown. She never expected to be a house-sitter for the twelve days leading up to Christmas as a desperate bid to earn some extra money. And she definitely never expected to recognize the thief that breaks into the house she’s watching: Jack Piorra, her childhood best friend, the one who turned cold and distant overnight and never told her why.
Jack insists there’s something in this house that belongs to him. But Stella’s not going down without a fight–not in house-sitting, and not in love. If only locking the windows and doors could keep Jack from stealing her heart…
FIVE STOLEN RINGS is a wacky romcom mashup of Home Alone and Twelve Days of Christmas, perfect for fans of love, laughter, and holiday warm fuzzies!
Holiday Hideaway by Mary Kay Andrews
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Short Story
Average GR Rating: 3.80
Read more on GoodReads
Available on KU & Audible
GR Description: Tilly Farriday isn’t feeling very jolly this season. Recently divorced and broke, she’s squatting in one of her rental agency’s properties until her new home is ready. The sprinkles on top of the burnt Christmas cookie that is her life? The new owner shows up early, forcing Tilly to hide in the attic to save her job…and what remains of her dignity.
George Holloway is here to sell his granduncle’s house—and to reconsider whether he and his fiancée are right for each other. Amid home repairs, George notices strange noises and missing food, but as much as he gets his rental agent on the phone, Tilly dodges every invitation to meet. He’s sure that someone’s here with him, and it’s certainly not the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, or Future.
As Tilly and George circle each other, they both wonder where their lives are headed and if, maybe, meeting each other is just the Christmas miracle they need.
