Hello and Welcome to the final Reading Challenge for 2016! This month we’re going to take a look at Holiday Stories, perfect for this month of festivals and celebrations.

There are no shortage of Holiday Stories to read so you should have no trouble finding one no matter what kind of book you prefer. Classics (A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens), mysteries (Fields Where They Lay by Timothy Hallinan or Christmas Caramel Murder by Joanne Fluke) (and what is with all the murder mysteries set during Christmas?!), bestselling authors (The Christmas Train by David Baldacci and A Lowcountry Christmas by Mary Alice Monroe) and romance (A Baxter Family Christmas by Karen Kingsbury and Comfort and Joy by Kristin Hannah) Try a keyword search with the terms “christmas fiction” or “christmas mystery” in the catalog or check the displays at the libraries for lots more titles.

There are a couple of books I’d like to highlight. One is considered a classic but you may not have read it and it’s well worth tracking down. It’s A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote, an autobiographical novella. In it, a young boy stays with a distant relative; both are somewhat outcast from their family, living on the fringes, lonely souls that understand each other. Together they make a special fruitcake, gathering the ingredients and making the recipe with love and attention. This is a not a saccharine happily-ever-after story (a great antidote to those Hallmark movies), but instead is sad and wistful. It carries a powerful message of love and memory and the weight of family and the past that the Christmas season brings. Poignant and beautiful and have lots of tissues on hand.

Another, much lighter book (but still thoughtful and complex) is Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher. This is a great one to curl up with on a wintry day. A tragedy causes five lives to intersect in unexpected ways, leading them to an idyllic country house. Set in Scotland with it’s grand traditions of Christmas and Hogmanay, this heartwarming book explores the meaning of family and connecting and opening yourself up to possibilities.

This is also the season of crazy as in, everyone is crazy busy. Cooking, decorating, shopping, wrapping, entertaining – who has time to read a book?! For you I recommend going to the Children’s picture book section and looking through some of the most beautiful books available. Many carry a message, but they are all almost guaranteed to put you in the Christmas spirit and can be read very quickly. Many are short enough that it wouldn’t be too much of a hardship for the family to gather together, abandon their phones and tablets for a few minutes and listen to someone read the book aloud. My recommendation and very favorite Christmas book is The Polar Express by Chris van Allsburg (skip the movie, SKIP THE MOVIE!) Gorgeous illustrations and a truly magical story make for the perfect reminder of Christmas joy.

Of course, Christmas is not the only holiday in December, but it does dominant the book selection. A good alternative is My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories that includes Hanukkah, Winter Solstice and New Years as well as Christmas, quick reads that will get you in the holiday spirit no matter your favorite December holiday.

What about you – what is your favorite Christmas book? And what will you be reading this month?