Christmas is just around the corner. Something about even typing that out fills me with just a bit of anxiety. It's not that I don't enjoy Christmas. It's more the fact that it seems to speed by and I'm always left feeling two steps behind.
Let me get to the point here... while routinely checking my inbox this morning, I found an email from a book seller encouraging me to stock up on Christmas classics.
Christmas classics? I'm lost.
I know they exist, of course, but do people, like, stock up on Christmas classics? I guess the question I want to pose to the blogging community is this: what's your opinion of holiday books? Do you love them? Do you hate them? Indifferent?
While perusing said classics on this site, I realized that I had never, as an adult, picked up a novel about Christmas. For book club last year, we chose The School of Essential Ingredients, which had nothing to do with Christmas, but was thought to provide a warm feeling with so many promised descriptions of mouth watering dishes. It was sort of related to the holiday, especially since most places you visit after the holiday point out how you should be thinking about losing all the weight you gained from all the food you've probably been eating.
I think I vaguely remember reading a very sad novel about shoes and a family death with an underlying Christian message, as a teenager, because my Nana insisted that it was just wonderful. I think I liked it, but can't, for the life of me, remember the name. I went crazy about the RIP VI Challenge, stocking up on mysteries and thrillers to celebrate Halloween and the inherent spookiness of the Fall season. But I don't think I'd ever sign up for one for Christmas.
Perhaps I just don't really get into seasonal reads; although, it's something I've never quite pondered until now. It could be that this time of year is already so busy that I can't even think of compiling a list and actually sticking to it.
Am I missing out? What are some Winter/Christmas classics that I'm overlooking? Feel free to share some titles that you love!
I've to say as an adult I'm not a big Christmas/Holiday book reader.Though I remember loving The Polar Express and some other Children's Christmas books when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteI found this list on Goodreads of popular Christmas books: http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/christmas
The David Sedaris title might be worth checking out. Other than that, I think the list looks pretty gimmicky.
Beth,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I think the title that you couldn't remember is called something to the effect of "The Christmas Shoes." But I could be wrong.
After getting through last year's holiday season, I promised myself I would read Dickens A Christmas Carol during this year. I still plan to do that, but I think I'd be hard-pressed to come up with a list of other Christmas book titles.
Brenna, thanks for posting that list, I bet that would solve that problem for me. And I agree, Sedaris is great, so I bet his holiday stuff would be great as well.
Brenna,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the link! I immediately thought of children's books when I first saw the Christmas email. David Sedaris is pretty hilarious and I've heard that his Santaland Diaries play is really good. I'll check it out.
Brent,
Yes! That is the book I read. Isn't that also a song? Haha. I've never really enjoyed A Christmas Carol in movie form, so I'm not sure that I'd really enjoy the book either. I'd be interested to see what you think. Please share!
Obviously Christmas Carol comes to mind, but not many others. I connect Little Women to Christmas because it starts with a Christmas scene. That's a tough question!
ReplyDeleteI'll admit to reading a few Christmas stories the last couple of weeks because I saw them listed on different FB pages like Pixel of Ink. A couple were short stories or novellas and one was a longer novel. I'll even admit to writing a novel with Christmas in it, but it's more about the romance. I also have a short story involving Christmas on my blog, but again, it's more about a mother/daughter relationship where the sick daughter is waiting for a heart. I think the holidays can make a great backdrop for a story by contrasting, setting the mood or just evoking reader emotion right away.
ReplyDeleteMelissa,
ReplyDeleteThe Christmas Carol was the only novel that came to mind! However, when people started sharing other titles on twitter and elsewhere I suddenly realized there are far more than I had managed to think about. I think I got more winter reads and not Christmas though.
Kristen,
I wouldn't mind taking a peek at shorts. I realize that it probably is a good way to set a story up that includes a family-- it's certainly a time that brings people together and can elicit fond memories. Thanks for stopping by!
I usually don't read very many Christmas classics or Christmas themed books, so I can't help you there. What I can't live without is watching my favorite Christmas Classic movies: It's A Wnderful Life, A Christmas Story and there are 3 verision of the CHristmas Carol that I have to watch.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to second Holidays on Ice. I don't read it every year, but try to pull it out every couple years. It is HYSTERICAL and well worth the short read. The stories "Merry Christmas from the Family!!!!!!" (a family's Christmas card letter gone HORRIBLY wrong) and "Dinah, The Christmas Whore" are stand-outs.
ReplyDelete