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17 Must-Read Christmas Books For Book Clubs
With Christmas coming up, it’s the perfect time to pick out some book club books for Christmas! These holiday-themed reads are great for getting into the spirit, whether you’re looking for Christmas books to read with your reading group or funny Christmas books for a laugh. You’ll find charming Christmas romances, cozy mysteries, and inspiring Christmas books too. Plus, I’ve included general book club questions that will work for any Christmas book on this list.
Best Christmas-themed Book Club Books
The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
The Christmas Bookshop follows Carmen as her life gets upside-down when the department store she works at closes down. With very limited options, she decides to move in with her “perfect” sister, Sofia, in Edinburgh. Soon, Carmen finds herself helping with an old, struggling bookshop and even managing attention from two very different men. There is so much to talk about this book. From Christmas shopping chaos, sibling rivalry, and romance, your book club will love this book. Also checkout book club question for The Christmas Bookshop for more detailed book club guide.
Perfect for the holidays! A brand-new heartwarming Christmas novel from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner and Christmas at the Island Hotel.
When the department store she works in closes for good, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. She doesn’t want to move in with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered Edinburgh life.
Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want Carmen there either. Her sister has always been sarcastic and difficult. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs a retail assistant for his ailing bookshop, so welcoming Carmen might still have some benefits for everyone.
At Sofia’s behest, Carmen is thrown into the daily workings of old Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the streets of the old dark city. Can she use her design skills to revamp the store and bring it back to popularity in time to benefit from Christmas shopping traffic? Can she choose between bad boy literary rock star Blair and quiet Quaker student Oke? And will she heal the rift with the most important people of all: her family?
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Holidays On Ice by David Sedaris
How about a funny and uplifting book for your Christmas book club discussion? David Sedaris’s Holidays On Ice brings laugh-out-loud stories about everything from life as a Macy’s elf to the quirks of international Christmas traditions.
David Sedaris’s beloved holiday collection is new again with six more pieces, including a never before published story. Along with such favorites as the diaries of a Macy’s elf and the annals of two very competitive families, are Sedaris’s tales of tardy trick-or-treaters (Us and Them); the difficulties of explaining the Easter Bunny to the French (Jesus Shaves); what to do when you’ve been locked out in a snowstorm (Let It Snow); the puzzling Christmas traditions of other nations (Six to Eight Black Men); what Halloween at the medical examiner’s looks like (The Monster Mash); and a barnyard secret Santa scheme gone awry (Cow and Turkey).
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The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere
The Christmas Shoes tells a heartwarming story about an unlikely event on Christmas Eve. Robert, a successful attorney on the brink of losing his family, crosses paths with young Nathan, who’s out shopping for his sick mom. That meeting changes both their lives. This book is a heartwarming reminder that even the smallest gestures can make a big difference.
Sometimes, the things that can change your life will cross your path in one instant-and then, in a fleeting moment, they’re gone. But if you open your eyes, and watch carefully, you will believe….
Robert is a successful attorney who has everything in life-and nothing at all. Focused on professional achievement and material rewards, Robert is on the brink of losing his marriage. He has lost sight of his wife, Kate, their two daughters, and ultimately himself. Eight year old Nathan has a beloved mother, Maggie, whom he is losing to cancer. But Nathan and his family are building a simple yet full life, and struggling to hold onto every moment they have together. A chance meeting on Christmas Eve brings Robert and Nathan together-he is shopping for a family he hardly knows and Nathan is shopping for a mother he is soon to lose. In this one encounter, their lives are forever altered as Robert learns an important lesson: sometimes the smallest things can make all the difference. The Christmas Shoes is a universal story of the deeper meaning of serendipity, a tale of our shared humanity, and of how a power greater than ourselves can shape, and even save, our lives.
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Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas
Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor brings together three people in need of a little holiday magic. When Mark Nolan suddenly finds himself caring for his young niece, he meets Maggie, a toy shop owner who understands loss all too well. And as they begin to get to know each other, they discover that Christmas may just be the perfect time to start a new family.
New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas’s new series begins during the most magical time of year
ONE LITTLE GIRL NEEDS A FAMILY
One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.
ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE
The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.
SOMETIMES, IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC…
Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.
…TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE
Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home…
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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
This hilarious classic follows the Herdman siblings aka the “worst kids in the world”. Now somehow they end up starring in the annual Christmas pageant. Full of mishaps and heart, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a funny, unforgettable story that tells us even the most unexpected people can bring magic to the holiday season.
Laughs abound in this bestselling Christmas classic by Barbara Robinson! The Best Christmas Pageant Ever follows the outrageous shenanigans of the Herdman siblings, or “the worst kids in the history of the world.” The siblings take over the annual Christmas pageant in a hilarious yet heartwarming tale involving the Three Wise Men, a ham, scared shepherds, and six rowdy kids.
Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie, and Gladys Herdman are an awful bunch. They set fire to Fred Shoemaker’s toolshed, blackmailed Wanda Pierce to get her charm bracelet, and smacked Alice Wendelken across the head. And that’s just the start! When the Herdmans show up at church for the free snacks and suddenly take over the Christmas pageant, the other kids are shocked. It’s obvious that they’re up to no good. But Christmas magic is all around and the Herdmans, who have never heard the Christmas story before, start to reimagine it in their own way.
This year’s pageant is definitely like no other, but maybe that’s exactly what makes it so special.
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Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon
Set in the cozy town of Mitford, Shepherds Abiding is all about the quiet beauty of Christmas. Father Tim takes on the project of restoring an old nativity scene, hoping it will bring joy to his wife. As he works, he finds that this simple act of kindness brings the true spirit of Christmas to life.
The eighth novel in the beloved Mitford series, by the bestselling author of At Home in Mitford and Somebody Safe with Somebody Good
Millions of Americans have found Mitford to be a favorite home-away-from-home, and countless readers have long wondered what Christmas in Mitford would be like. The eighth Mitford novel provides a glimpse, offering a meditation on the best of all presents: the gift of one’s heart.Since he was a boy, Father Tim has lived what he calls “the life of the mind” and has never really learned to savor the work of his hands. When he finds a derelict nativity scene that has suffered the indignities of time and neglect, he imagines the excitement in the eyes of his wife, Cynthia, and decides to undertake the daunting task of restoring it. As Father Tim begins his journey, readers are given a seat at Mitford’s holiday table and treated to a magical tale about the true Christmas spirit.
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Catching Christmas by Terri Blackstock
Next book in the list of Christmas book club is a charming holiday story about a cab driver named Finn, who finds himself repeatedly chauffeuring Miss Callie. What begins as an inconvenience soon turns into a beautiful journey filled with warmth, humor, and unexpected romance. Catching Christmas is an uplifting book club book about second chances and Christmas wishes.
This Year, Christmas Comes Just in Time
As a first-year law associate, Sydney Batson knows she will be updating her resume by New Year’s if she loses her current court case. So when her grandmother gets inexplicably ill while she’s in court, Sydney arranges for a cab to get her to the clinic.
The last thing cab driver Finn Parrish wants is to be saddled with a wheelchair-bound old lady with dementia. But because Miss Callie reminds him of his own mother, whom he failed miserably in her last days, he can’t say no when she keeps calling him for rides. Once a successful gourmet chef, Finn’s biggest concern now is making his rent, but half the time Callie doesn’t remember to pay him. And as she starts to feel better, she leads him on wild goose chases to find a Christmas date for her granddaughter.
When Finn meets Sydney, he’s quite sure that she’s never needed help finding a date. Does Miss Callie have an ulterior motive, or is this just a mission driven by delusions? He’s willing to do whatever he can to help fulfill Callie’s Christmas wish. He just never expected to be a vital part of it.
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The Christmas Dress by Courtney Cole
Another uplifting book for your Christmas book club and this time the story is set in Chicago. Fashion-lover Meg returns to her Chicago hometown and takes on the daunting task of managing her late father’s apartment building. Among the quirky tenants, she meets Ellie, who gives her a special dress that sparks more than just holiday spirit. The Christmas Dress is a feel-good story about friendship, chasing dreams, and the magical connections.
An enchanted Christmas dress brings two generations of women together for the magic of the season in this delightful holiday story from author Courtney Cole.
One Dress. Two Women. The Magic of the Holiday Season.
When hopeful fashionista Meg Julliard must return to her hometown of Chicago to manage her late father’s apartment building, she thinks her dreams of making it in the fashion business are over. Add in her father’s eclectic roster of tenants who all need Meg’s attention (ASAP!), a host of building related disasters, and a handsome handyman she keeps embarrassing herself in front of, and this has all the makings for the worst Christmas she’s ever had.
Ellie Wade, one of the building’s longtime residents, is also not feeling the Christmas Joy this year. She is preparing to move into a nursing home (reluctantly), and is in the process of sorting through her belongings to downsize. Every corner of her apartment holds memories, some good, some bad. But there’s one dress she hesitates to pack up as it represents both the best and worst night of her life.
Ellie and Meg strike up an unlikely friendship and the story of Ellie’s dress comes out. Ellie gifts the gorgeous dress to Meg, hoping that it will bring her more luck, on the condition that she wear it to the building’s Christmas party.
The dress magically fits, and while it eventually leads to the best night of Meg’s life, it also acts as inspiration for Meg to follow a life-long dream of her own, a dream that will help save the crumbling Parkview West, and restore it to its former glory, and keep it as a safe home for all of the current tenants.
The dress and the magic of the holiday season helps both Meg and Ellie find their own happy endings.
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A War of Gifts by Orson Scott Card
A War of Gifts is set in the world of Ender’s Game, the rules of Battle School are clear: no religion, no holidays. But when a student secretly leaves a small Christmas gift, it triggers an unexpected rebellion and challenges the school’s rules.
Orson Scott Card offers a Christmas gift to his millions of fans with A War of Gifts, a short novel set during Ender Wiggin’s first years at the Battle School where it is forbidden to celebrate religious holidays. The children come from many nations, many religions; while they are being trained for war, religious conflict between them is not on the curriculum. But Dink Meeker, one of the older students, doesn’t see it that way. He thinks that giving gifts isn’t exactly a religious observation, and on Sinterklaas Day he tucks a present into another student’s shoe.This small act of rebellion sets off a battle royal between the students and the staff, but some surprising alliances form when Ender comes up against a new student, Zeck Morgan. The War over Santa Claus will force everyone to make a choice.
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A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg
In A Redbird Christmas, Fannie Flagg takes us to a small Southern town where holiday magic is everywhere. When Oswald, a lonely man , moves to Lost River, he discovers an unexpected sense of family and community that changes him forever. This another great book club book with the true message of Christmas.
From the beloved author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe comes her latest New York Times bestseller–a new Yuletide classic about small-town America and larger-than-life wonders.
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Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright
Christmas Jars is the story of to Hope Jensen, a journalist who solves the mystery behind jars of money left anonymously at Christmastime for people in need. Along her journey, Hope discovers a community’s incredible generosity.
Where had it come from? Whose money was it? Was I to spend it? Save it? Pass it on to someone more needy? Above all else, why was I chosen? Certainly there were others, countless others, more needy than me…
Her reporter’s intuition insisted that a remarkable story was on the verge of the front page.
Newspaper reporter Hope Jensen uncovers the remarkable secret behind the “Christmas Jars”, glass jars filled with coins and bills anonymously left for people in need. But along the way, Hope discovers much more than the origin of the jars. When some unexpected news sets off a chain reaction of kindness, Hope’s greatest Christmas Eve wish comes true.
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Nora Bonesteel’s Christmas Past by Sharyn McCrumb
If your book club loves Christmas ghost stories, here is a good book. In Nora Bonesteel’s Christmas Past a quiet holiday gets stirred up by ghosts and old memories as Nora senses a presence in an old house, while the local sheriff deals with his own holiday dilemma. This hauntingly beautiful story is all about holiday warmth with Appalachian folklore.
When someone buys the old Honeycutt house, Nora Bonesteel is glad to see some life brought back to the old mansion, even if it is by summer people. But when they decide to stay through Christmas, they find more than old memories in the walls. On Christmas Eve, Sheriff Spencer Arrowood and Deputy Joe LeDonne find themselves on an unwelcome call to arrest an elderly man for a minor offense. As they attempt to do their duty, while doing the right thing for a neighbor, it begins to look like they may all spend Christmas away from home.
In a story of spirits, memories, and angels unaware, Sharyn McCrumb revisits her most loved characters who know there is more to this world than the eye can see, especially at Christmastime.
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A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
In A Christmas Memory, Truman Capote shares a beautiful story from his childhood. When his cousin Miss Sook declares it’s “fruitcake weather,” and start a cherished holiday tradition. This book has so much nostalgia and innocence. If you are looking for a classic Christmas book for your reading group, get this one.
The mill owner’s wife persists: ‘A dollar, my foot! Fifty cents. That’s my last offer. Goodness, woman, you can get another one.’ In answer, my friend gently reflects: ‘I doubt it. There’s never two of anything.”
‘A Christmas Memory’ is a short story written by Truman Capote, first published in 1956. This much sought-after autobiographical recollection of Capote’s rural Alabama boyhood has become a modern-day classic.
Seven-year-old Buddy knows that the Christmas season has arrived when his cousin, Miss Sook Falk exclaims: “It’s fruitcake weather!” Thus begins an unforgettable portrait of an odd, but enduring, friendship between two innocent souls—one young and one old—and the memories they share of beloved holiday rituals.
The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
This classic fantasy novel takes place on Midwinter’s Eve, when young Will Stanton discovers his connection to an ancient, magical order. If your book club loves a bit of adventure and mystery in a winter themed book, The Dark Is Rising is good book.
It’s Midwinter’s Eve, the day before Will’s eleventh birthday. But there is an atmosphere of fear in the familiar countryside around him. This will be a birthday like no other. Will discovers that he has the power of the Old Ones, and that he must embark on a quest to vanquish the terrifyingly evil magic of the Dark.
The second novel in Susan Cooper’s highly acclaimed Dark is Rising sequence.
Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck
In this heartwarming tale, Rob wants to give his father a meaningful Christmas gift but has no money. Then, he realizes that the best gift doesn’t require spending a thing. Christmas Day in the Morning is a beautiful story about love and gratitude, understanding the true meaning of Christmas.
From Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck and acclaimed artist Mark Buehner comes a heartwarming story that illustrates the true meaning of Christmas.
Rob wants to get his father something special for Christmas this year—something that shows how much he really loves him. But it’s Christmas Eve, and he doesn’t have much money to spend. What could he possibly get? Suddenly, Rob thinks of the best gift of all…
The acclaimed author of nearly a hundred books for children and adults, Pearl S. Buck captures the spirit of Christmas in this elegant, heartening story about a boy’s gift of love. Originally published in 1955, this timeless story with glorious full-color art by Mark Buehner will be a welcome addition to your holiday collection.
The Twelve Jays of Christmas by Donna Andrews
The Twelve Jays of Christmas is a perfect cozy mystery for fans of Christmas with a twist. When a wildlife artist ends up murdered in the middle of Meg and Michael’s holiday festivities. Between solving the mystery and catching escaped birds, Meg has her hands full in this charming and witty holiday whodunit. It’s
The cast of Donna Andrews’ New York Times bestselling Meg Langslow mystery series is back for an unforgettable holiday story in The Twelve Jays of Christmas .
Meg and Michael’s annual holiday celebration is well underway, with a throng of out-of-town relatives staying at their house. Hosting these festivities is a little harder than usual―they have to relocate all the events normally held in their library, currently occupied by Roderick Castlemayne, the irascible wildlife artist who’s creating twelve paintings of birds to illustrate Meg’s grandfather’s latest nature book.
Still, the celebrations continue―and the entire family rejoices to learn that Meg’s brother Rob and his longtime fiancée Delaney have finally decided to tie the knot. Unfortunately, they decide to do this in the middle of Meg and Michael’s annual New Year’s bash, dashing their mothers’ hopes of planning the wedding to end all weddings.
Delaney’s mother sneaks into town so she and Meg’s mother can secretly plot a way to talk the happy couple into having a big bash. Hiding her only adds to Meg’s holiday stress―it’s almost a full-time job fending all the visitors who want to confront Castlemayne―reporters, bill collectors, process servers, and several ex-wives in search of unpaid alimony.
Then someone murders Castlemayne in the middle of a blizzard and sets loose the birds he was painting. Can Meg help the police crack the case before the killer strikes again? Can she keep Christmas merry in spite of the body in the library? Can she negotiate a compromise between Rob and Delaney and their disappointed mothers? And can she recapture the twelve escaped jays before they begin nesting in the Christmas tree?
This intrigue-filled Christmas mystery takes readers home to Caerphilly to join in Meg’s family’s holiday celebration―including, of course, another baffling mystery.
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Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews
This holiday mystery follows Meg as she hosts a group of Canadians working on a genealogy project for her brother’s company. When their rude boss turns up dead, Meg finds herself in the middle of yet another mystery. If you are looking for a Christmas-themed cozy mystery to discuss Dashing Through the Snowbirds is a good choice. It combines holiday vibes with the right amount of mystery.
Dashing Through the Snowbirds is the next merry installment of Donna Andrews’s New York Times bestselling Meg Langslow mystery series.
Christmas in Caerphilly is wonderful! Unless you’re a Canadian whose inconsiderate boss is forcing you to spend the holiday there, far from family and friends, with only a slim chance of a white Christmas. Meg already has her hands full, trying to make the season festive for the dozen programmers who are staying with her and Michael while working on a rush project with her brother’s software company. At least it’s an interesting project, since the Canadian company is doing forensic genealogy and DNA analysis.
When the inconsiderate boss is found murdered, there are too many suspects. Even before their Christmas in exile, his own employees had plenty of motives, and the growing number of people suing the company for faulty DNA analysis and invasion of their genetic privacy include at least one notorious murderer. Can Meg crack the case in time to keep the Yuletide bright?
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Book Club Questions For Christmas Book Clubs
Now let’s check out some general book club questions you can use with these Christmas book recommendations.
1. Which character did you connect with most, and why?
2. How did the holiday setting change the mood of the story? Would the story feel different in another season?
3. What holiday themes (like love, kindness, or family) described in the story?
4. Did the main character change by the end? How?
5. What message do you think the author wanted readers to learn from this story?
6. Did the relationships feel real and relatable? Why or why not?
7. Would you want to spend the holidays in the book’s setting? Why or why not?
8. Were there any holiday traditions or customs in the book that were new to you?
9. If you could invite one character to your holiday gathering, who would it be, and what would you ask them?
10. How did the author use humor, romance, or sadness to show the holiday spirit?
11. Did family dynamics play a big role in the story? Did they feel realistic?
12. Did any twists or surprises catch you off guard? How did you react?
13. If the story included magical or mysterious parts, did they change the mood or message?
14. How did you feel about the ending? Did it wrap things up well, or did you want more?
15. Did any holiday detail (like the decor, food, or music) stand out to you? Why?
16. Did any character remind you of someone in your life or yourself? How did that affect your reading?
17. If you were giving this book as a gift, who would you give it to, and why?
18. Did this book make you want to start or go back to any holiday traditions? If so, which ones?
19. How did the author make the holiday setting feel real? Which details made it feel cozy or festive?
20. What’s one lesson from this story you think is good to remember during the holidays?
More Christmas-themed Books for Book Clubs
22 Best Christmas Romance Books Guaranteed To Get You in the Holiday Spirits
18 Christmas Murder Mystery Books To Read During The Holiday Season
24 Best Holiday Books for Adults To Read
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Stephy George
