As Christmas season looms, seasonal jingles and decorations conjure images of sleighs, snowmen, and Santa Claus. We may not have snow over here in the tropics, but we can still immerse ourselves in the spirit of the season through gatherings or, for the introverts, novels with Christmassy themes.
Like Santa, we've looked into our sack of goodies for titles to get you into the Christmas mood: cosy, mellow, warm and fuzzy. We hope the following will do the trick...
Always, in December by Emily StoneDell
9780593496879
Every December, Josie posts a letter to her deceased parents, even though they would never read it. But on the latest December, she encounters Max and ends up spending the holiday with him. Just when it feels like this could be a new beginning for both of them, Max vanishes without even a goodbye. Yet, they keep bumping into each other several times, in unexpected places. A poignant tale of love, loss, heartbreak, and learning how to start over.
The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny ColganSphere
9780751584226
Carmen loses her job when the department store she works in shutters permanently. Out of options and not too enthusiastic about moving in with her sister Sofia, she accepts a new job as a retail assistant at a struggling, run-down bookshop, with the goal of helping the place turn a profit by Christmas. With this deadline, she probably doesn't have time to mull who to pair up with – should she go for the self-help author or the university lecturer?
The Christmas Boutique by Jennifer ChiaveriniHarperluxe
9780062944276
A series of books about people who make quilts? And this Christmas novel is the twenty-first? In The Christmas Boutique, the annual church fundraiser in the small town of Waterford, Pennsylvania is threatened after wintry weather damages the venue. An old lady puts up the ballroom of her stately manor as an alternative, and soon various quilters set up booths and decorations in the hall. Will the event be a success?
Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie KinsellaBantam Press
9781784165277
Think Christmas, think Christmas shopping, think shopaholics (maybe). And there's probably no bigger shopaholic than Sophie Kinsella's Becky Bloomwood, now married with child. This novel sees Becky given the task of hosting the family's Christmas dinner, while catering to the tastes of friends and family members. Shopping list in hand and an eye for deals and promos, she's all set to make the family Yuletide bash a banger ... won't she?
Comfort & Joy: A Fable by Kristin HannahBallantine Books
9781984800848
Christmas used to be Joy's favourite holiday, until her marriage falls apart. She boards a plane bound for the Pacific Northwest that crashes in a forest. On top of her miraculous survival, Joy stumbles onto a lodge owned by a widower living with his young son, who has shut himself off from the world and only speaks to an imaginary friend after his mother's passing. What will the future hold for these three people in this modern Christmas fable?
The Christmas Spirit by Debbie MacomberBallantine Books
9780593500101
Pastor Peter and bartender Hank are best friends who, after the former's remark, switch jobs until Christmas Eve. Turns out bartending isn't too different from being a pastor, as both involve serving people and listening to their woes, but the learning curve is a bit steep. With each mile they walk in the other's shoes, Peter and Hank learn more about each other. However, their lives could change in a big way at the end.
In a Holidaze by Christina LaurenPiatkus
9780349426877
Poor Mae Jones. She's stuck at a dead-end job, her parents divorced, and during the last annual Christmas outing at her friends' snowy cabin in Utah, she makes a huge romantic blooper. Unable to return to life post-holiday, she makes a wish that remarkably comes true. A car accident sends her back in time, on board the plane en route to her holiday destination. Mae eventually learns that unless she makes the correct life-changing choice, she may never escape the time loop she finds herself in.
A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn CarrMira Books
9780778311805
After three years of caring for her husband who was wounded in Iraq, Marcie Sullivan becomes a widow. Seeking closure, she ventures into the tiny mountain town of Virgin River, looking for the man who saved her husband several years ago. Haunted by the incident, Ian Buchanan retreated to a recluse's life in Virgin River and wants nothing to do with her. But slowly, at Marcie's persistence, Ian learns to comes to terms with the past and, maybe, harbour some hope for the future.
The Christmas Train by David BaldacciWarner Books
9780446615754
Many would know Baldacci for his thrillers, but a Christmas novel? What a change of pace. In The Christmas Train, journalist Tom Langdon needs to get from Washington to Los Angeles – from one side of the United States to the other – in time for Christmas. A snafu prevents him from taking a flight, so he opts to go by rail. The journey takes days and would prove far more eventful that Langdon would expect. Might this novel be a wonderful companion on your next long-distance train ride?
This is all we have for now – let's save any other titles for next year, all right?
Wishing you a safe, joyful and comfy Christmas.
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