What do you mean there are only six more days until Christmas? Where did this month go?
It has been a road to get to this point, but with Christmas days away, it almost seems worth it. Although we all know the last days before the 25th tend to be chaotic. Last-minute gift shopping, getting the decorations to shine again and planning exactly how you are going to celebrate with the ones you love. This year we also need to keep all precautions in mind to ensure everyone’s safety.
While this part of the holidays might be stressful, might I suggest a few books you should read during the few quiet moments? Hopefully, they can replenish your Christmas spirit while giving you a well-deserved break.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Oh, come on, don’t give me that look. Of course, this classic was going to top the list!
You may know the story off by heart, thanks to annual viewings of one of the countless film adaptations. However, I still suggest that you check out for yourself. I read it as a child back in Primary School, then reread it a few years ago. It is shorter than I remember and a light read, that truly does give you all though Christmas feels.
It’s a beloved classic for a very good reason, after all.
Spirits of the Season: Christmas Hauntings
I think this is the third time I have mentioned this novel, and it won’t be the last time either.
Spirits of the Season: Christmas Hauntings is a collection of short ghost stories set around Christmas time. Each story takes a different angle on the ghost in question. Sometimes there isn’t a ghost so much as a weird metal that cools peoples perspective. Sometimes the ghost chases someone out of the house or traps them within those walls for eternity.
It’s a frighteningly festive read. One I am currently reading and loving. I am about nine stories deep right now. So far, I think my favourite is The Christmas Shadrach, written in 1891 by Frank R. Stockton.
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
Luther and Nora Krank are sick of Christmas, of the naff gifts they need to pretend to like, office parties that are a bigger chore than their actual job and all but fighting to survive shopping malls.
So, this year, they are skipping Christmas.
They plan to set sail on the seven seas on a cruise ship on the 25th. Ditching all that Christmas stress on land. However, things don’t go to plan as it turns out, skipping Christmas might have a price of its own.
If that sounds familiar, then you might have seen the film adaptation, Christmas with the Kranks.
This hilarious novel pokes fun at all the irritating parts of the holidays. It’s on the shorter side and fast-paced, making it a perfect novel to read the night before Christmas in one sitting.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Want a magical novel that gives you those crisp winter vibes, but not necessarily about Christmas? The Night Circus is the novel for you!
The Night Circus might be the most enchanting book I have ever read. Set in the otherwordly Le Cirque des Rêves, a circus that appears to come and go without warning. A place where reality seems to hold no power over the performers or attractions.
It is also the battlefield for two magicians.
Two magicians were raised to succeed other powerful predecessors and duel. This duel has unclear rules and unforeseen costs. Only to get a bit more challenging when the two start to fall for one another.
I have ranted and raved about this novel in more detail last year. So while I do still think this book is best enjoyed blind, there is a full review here. It is pure escapism, something we desperately need these days.
Nerd Rambles 
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