20 Christmas Classics

Joy Candellaro once loved Christmas more than any other time of the year. Now, as the holiday approaches, she is at a crossroads in her life. In an instant, Joy’s world is ripped apart, and her heart is broken. On a magical Christmas Eve, a night of impossible dreams and unexpected chances, Joy must find the courage to believe in a love — and a family — that can’t possibly exist, and go in search of what she wants … and the new life only she can find.

Jennifer Chiaverini’s resonant and heartfelt novel for the season reminds us why we must continue to hear glad tidings, even as we are tested by strife. Reading Christmas Bells evokes the resplendent joy of a chorus of voices raised in reverent song.

When Father Tim’s wife, Cynthia, asks what he wants for Christmas, he pens the answer in a love letter that bares his most private feelings. Then the letter goes missing and circulates among his astonished neighbors. Poignant, hilarious, and life-affirming, My Beloved sets a generous table for millions of readers who love these characters like family. With Karon’s signature humanity shining through on every page, this is a season of life in Mitford you won’t want to miss.

This is a collection of the most magical, moving, chilling and surprising Christmas stories from around the world, taking us from frozen Nordic woods to glittering Paris, a New York speakeasy to an English country house, bustling Lagos to midnight mass in Rio, and even outer space.

First published on December 19, 1843, A Christmas Carol was an instant classic: Londoners thronged to hear Dickens read it in person and bought out the first printing in days. Even today, its characters, from Scrooge to Tiny Tim, are forever inscribed in our hearts and minds.

The award-winning Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane invite you to a festive gathering of bestselling, critically acclaimed, and award-winning writers in tribute to classic crime stories.  From locked room mysteries on Christmas Eve to devilish whodunits and tales of simmering rivalries unfolding at the dinner table, these 18 seasonal tales will delight and shock at every twist and turn.

First published in 1956, this much sought-after autobiographical recollection from Truman Capote about his rural Alabama boyhood is a perfect gift for Capote’s fans young and old.

Edgar Award-winning editor Otto Penzler collects 60 of his all-time favorite holiday crime stories — many of which are difficult or nearly impossible to find anywhere else. From classic Victorian tales by Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Thomas Hardy, to contemporary stories by Sara Paretsky and Ed McBain, this collection touches on all aspects of the holiday season, and all types of mysteries.

Molly the Maid has a whole new mystery to solve in this heartwarming novella. A magical story about the true spirit of the season, The Mistletoe Mystery reminds us that love is the greatest mystery of all.

Celebrations is a collection of timely and timeless poems that are an integral part of the global fabric. More than a writer, Angelou is a chronicler of history, an advocate for peace, and a champion for the planet, as well as a patriot, a mentor, and a friend. To be shared and cherished, the wisdom and poetry of Maya Angelou proves there is always cause for celebration.

Hoffmann’s classic Christmas fairy tale, immortalized by Tchaikovsky’s ballet, is brought to life by the gorgeous contemporary artwork of Finnish illustrator Sanna Annukka, and is the perfect holiday gift for adults and children alike. The Nutcracker captures, better than any other story, a child’s wonder at Christmas.

With the same incomparable style and warm, inviting voice that have made her beloved by millions of readers far and wide, New York Times bestselling author Fannie Flagg has written an enchanting Christmas story of faith and hope.

This Christmas classic combines solid historical fact with glorious legend to deliver the definitive story of Santa Claus. For anyone who has ever wondered, you’re right to believe in him!

Continuing in a festive annual tradition, Debbie Macomber shares a holiday novel full of romance and cheer — and the magical prospect of finding love in the most unexpected places.

A Merry Christmas collects the treasured holiday tales of Louisa May Alcott, from the dearly familiar Yuletide benevolence of Marmee and her “little women” to the timeless “What Love Can Do,” wherein the residents of a boarding house come together to make a lovely Christmas for two girls. These stories’ emphasis on generosity and charity makes them timeless embodiments of the Christmas spirit.