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  4. Christmas Books You Can Read Year-Round To Keep the Holiday Spirit Alive

Christmas Books You Can Read Year-Round To Keep the Holiday Spirit Alive

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
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Christmas Books
Credit: victoriabee/Getty Images
While we love reading Christmas-themed books during the holiday season, we've also been known to break out books with decked halls and snowy landscapes year-round. You just can't beat the happy endings, visits from Santa Claus, gift-giving, and family togetherness found in books set at Christmastime. We've included some of our favorites here: classics like A Christmas Carol and A Christmas Memory, contemporary novels including those by Anita Hughes and Jenny Colgan, and children's books by the likes of Dr. Seuss and L. Frank Baum. There's a holiday book here for every taste—and age bracket—and we're convinced that they're as enjoyable to read in the heat of July as they are on a bundled-up Christmas Eve. Take the Christmas spirit with you throughout the year with the help of these delightful Christmas books. If you're nearing the holiday season and want to give a themed novel as a present, we have plenty of Christmas book gift ideas for you too. Happy holidays and happy reading!  
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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $7.98, amazon.com

Charles Dickens' Christmas classic keeps us in the spirit during the holiday season and all year long.

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A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
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Buy it: $16.25, amazon.com

Truman Capote's Christmas tale is a holiday classic. It tells a nostalgic story of childhood memories and family togetherness.

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A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg

A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg
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Buy it: $20, amazon.com

Fannie Flagg's quintessential Southern holiday novel, A Redbird Christmas, is set in the fictional town of Lost River, Alabama.

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Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $14.99, amazon.com

Jenny Colgan's fun-to-read Christmas novel is set in the English coastal region of Cornwall, where main character Polly runs her village's Little Beach Street Bakery.

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Christmas in Paris by Anita Hughes

Christmas in London by Anita Hughes
Credit: amazon.com

Buy: $15.99, amazon.com

Anita Hughes’ novel Christmas in Paris is set in France's capital city, where the main character, Isabel Lawson, finds herself after calling off her wedding in the midst of the holiday season.

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Eloise at Christmastime by Kay Thompson, Illustrated by Hilary Knight

Eloise at Christmastime by Kay Thompson, Illustrated by Hilary Knight
Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $19.99, amazon.com

Eloise, the pint-size explorer of the Plaza Hotel, enjoys the trappings of the holiday season in this edition of Plaza adventures that's set on Christmas Eve.

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
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Buy it: $16.99, amazon.com

Dr. Seuss’ Christmastime favorite is a must-read December classic. It's also a reminder that generosity is an essential part of the spirit of the season.

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Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien

Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
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Buy it: $23.99, amazon.com

Letters from Father Christmas is made up of letters from J.R.R. Tolkien to his children. The Christmastime correspondence is collected in this volume as a veritable biography of Santa himself, replete with all his historic North Pole adventures.

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Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
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Buy it: $9.99, amazon.com

You'd never think of skipping Christmas, would you? John Grisham's comedic Christmas tale explores just what happens when a family who's known for big holiday celebrations decide to sit out the season.

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The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans

The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans
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Buy it: $14.99, amazon.com

Everyone's favorite Christmastime novelist, Richard Paul Evans, tells a heartwarming holiday story in this novel, which is part of his The Christmas Box trilogy.

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The Christmas Train by David Baldacci

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
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Buy it: $12, amazon.com

No list of popular Christmas books would be complete without David Baldacci’s The Christmas Train, which follows a journalist on a holiday train journey.

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The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum
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Buy it: $7.85 amazon.com

While he's most widely known for the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum also wrote a magical story about Santa Claus that's a perfect read for the holiday season.

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The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
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Buy it: $19.99, amazon.com

Kids enjoy reading The Polar Express, a tale about a wintertime train journey that whisks a young boy away on Christmas Eve, all year long.

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The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
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Buy it: $17, amazon.com

This picture book is filled with enchanting illustrations and tells the story of a magical wintertime adventure across a snowy landscape.

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    1 of 14 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
    2 of 14 A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
    3 of 14 A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg
    4 of 14 Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
    5 of 14 Christmas in Paris by Anita Hughes
    6 of 14 Eloise at Christmastime by Kay Thompson, Illustrated by Hilary Knight
    7 of 14 How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss
    8 of 14 Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
    9 of 14 Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
    10 of 14 The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans
    11 of 14 The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
    12 of 14 The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum
    13 of 14 The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
    14 of 14 The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

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