As we enter December and embark on our favourite festivities, whether that be bingeing Christmas movies, decorating the tree or going to Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland, I think we book lovers can agree that this feeling is best mirrored between our favourite books. There’s a myriad of Christmassy books I could spend time talking about, but I think it’s safe to say that Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a classic that we all know and love.
Now, I’m sure most of you know this book a little too well from those many hours spent in the classroom during GCSEs, forever analysing the different themes and messages of the novella. I believe this is all the more reason why it’s the best Christmas book to remind us of where the magic of Christmas really lies. We all know this story well, even if you haven’t read it before and that’s what makes it special.
From beginning with the bitter, self-serving Scrooge, alone and refusing to partake in festivities, to being taken on a journey by three ghosts that open his eyes to his lack of heart. A Christmas Carol embodies a message that will never get old. It reminds us that the real spirit of Christmas lies in how and with whom we choose to spend our time, and most importantly, it is a time to reflect upon ourselves. It may be a message that we all know, but this book is here to remind us of it if we start slipping into the materialistic side of the holidays. This book rekindles the childhood Christmas nostalgia that has faded over time. However, you’re spending Christmas, whether it be with your loved ones or alone, A Christmas Carol expresses the importance of giving love and reminding us of the possibility of change.
Words by Lola Bence
With Christmas lights taking over Cardiff’s streets, everyone enjoys the festive season as the streets light up, but on those cosy nights we stay indoors, those books that capture that fizzy holiday magic are what really make Christmas cosy and warm. Sophie Kinsella’s Christmas Shopaholic nails this with a modern, hilarious spin as she describes what it’s like to be a serial shopper through her character Becky Brandon.
Becky hosts her first family Christmas after her parents relocate to hip Shoreditch, dreaming of Instagram-perfect celebrations. Instead, it spirals into Black Friday hauls and endless items that bury her flat. There’s also surprise guests, a rockstar ex and his girlfriend, turning tinsel dreams into nightmares. Kinsella portrays an unconventional holiday via Becky’s online splurges and botched feasts, far from cosy carols.
The book skewers materialism head-on as Becky’s impulse buys symbolise festive overload, where “must-have” deals eclipse real joy, leaving stress and returns piles. It whispers that presents are not the main focus, and that family and laughter are what matter instead. Becky learns this the hard way, realising Christmas thrives on imperfect togetherness, not hauls.
I read this book at the end of 2020, and I liked how it mirrors our scroll-induced frenzy and how it critiques consumer traps while keeping things light and fun. For students amid assignment dread, it’s a reminder that the holidays don’t need to be Pinterest-polished, and that we should embrace the troubles with loved ones. Becky’s ending reminds us to shop less and create more memories at home, and this book is perfect for learning to ditch excess this Winter Wonderland season.
Words by Alicia Tariq
The premise of a ‘Christmas read’ for me is not about the contents of the book being festive, but where I’m reading and who I’m with.
As I racked my brain for Christmassy books I’ve read during the festive season, I kept coming up short. It appears I don’t gravitate towards reads revolving around Christmas just because it’s December! Winter break is always the time of year when I catch up on my TBR, reading 3-4 books in the four weeks off; looking back at my logged reads, there seems to be a trend with what I am picking up in the festive season.
Since I never return home from uni before December, my mum always has a stack of books that she highly recommends and dumps (lovingly) into my bedroom. Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry, for example, which has no relevance to Christmas but I loved discussing with her once I had finished it. Another of my mum’s great recommendations was Alex Michaelides’ The Silent Patient, which leads me to my next observation on what I read during the holidays.
I love murder-mystery thrillers. It is undoubtedly my favourite genre, and although the intensity of a who-dunnit does not particularly match the calm and cozy of your living room drowning in Christmas decor, that might be why I love it so much. The cosiness of curling up with a thriller when you have nowhere to go, nothing to do except finish off that tub of Celebrations and just enjoy being around your family again after being gone for three months. My guilty pleasure is racing through some easy murder mysteries, like Nicola Sanders Don’t Let Her Stay, or Freida McFadden’s recently adapted The Housemaid.
The premise of a ‘Christmas read’ for me is not about the contents of the book being festive, but where I’m reading and who I’m with, and I can’t wait to head home this weekend and get cracking on some predictable thrillers and whatever lies waiting in my room.
Words by Kitty Connolly
Photo by Sabina Sturzu on Unsplash. License found here.
