Guys, it’s November, and that means it’s Christmas time — no argument. I succeeded in convincing my parents to put up the Christmas tree, but I also celebrate in my own way. This means lighting a Fraser fir candle, blasting holiday music through my headphones, and tucking away with my beloved Christmas stories.

I have always loved Christmas books. When I was younger, I yearned for the magic of unpacking my battered copy of “Santa’s Reindeer” by Rod Green from its stashed away box, and then pouring it over in wonder until it was time to put it away again. If you can’t tell, I believed pretty hard.

And while I do now know reindeer can’t fly, and Santa can’t possibly deliver billions of presents in one night, I still do wholeheartedly throw myself into the leftover magic of Christmas. So, hello, I am that girl who is still obsessed with the holidays.

That obsession manifests itself into my reading life pretty fully, mostly in the form of rom-coms. And yes, some of them are very Hallmark-ish, but I do think this time of year is for happy endings, so I’m here for it. 

So, as the year falls deeper into the -ber months and people get less prickly about me expressing my holiday enthusiasm, I find myself gravitating towards my Christmas guilty pleasure. And while I’m at it, I thought I could share a few of the books that satisfied my Christmas craving.

Lovelight Farms – B.K. Borison

Stella’s Christmas tree farm is floundering, so when she sees an influencer’s contest that could save her farm, she enters without hesitation. Except, instead of saying she isn’t in a relationship, she lies on her application and says that her best friend, Luka, owns the farm with her… as her boyfriend.

I have endless praises about this book, and it has to be one of my favorites of all time. I don’t think the short paragraph I have to write about it will do it justice. I gravitate back to it again and again, needing bits of it in between other books.

Everything about it is my perfect book: the setting, the characters, the writing. Plus, you guys must know by now that I am a sucker for friends-to-lovers, and this my ultimate, ideal, perfect representation of that trope. Stella and Luka’s friendship, and then relationship, really just tugs on my heartstrings like no other book has. They know each other so intimately that it’s like they are breathing with the same lungs, and I could just gush about them forever.

So all I can say is read this book. During the holidays or not, just read it.  

The Nightmare Before Kissmas – Sara Raasch

The Prince of Christmas and Prince of Halloween are locked in a fake competition for the hand of the Princess of Easter, except they may be more interested in each other than keeping up false pretenses.

I know, I know – the title may make you feel a little iffy. Going into this even I was expecting mediocre writing, a barely there plot line, and an insta-love romance. However, I was pleasantly surprised with its contents. The book heavily debated the reasons behind celebrating Christmas and other yearly holidays, specifically about where the joyfulness comes from and weighing the superficialness of it.

Additionally, the main character was delightfully emotional (we are here for emotionally available men), resulting in the writing following his deep feelings into something with more depth. And while the romance did feel a bit sudden, I was rooting for the couple the whole time. 

This is a great book if you want something lighthearted and effortless for your seasonal reading.

Midnight in Everwood – M.A. Kuzniar

Marietta’s passion is ballet, but her family is set on marrying her off and ending her dancing career. Except when she tries to escape her suitor, she is swept into the world of Everwood, a town that may seem magical, but is under the rule of a cruel king.

If you are a fan of ballet, this might be the Christmas book for you. As a retelling of the Nutcracker, this book features many characters from the dance, but gives them their own voice instead of just leaping across the stage. There were many ballet terms I didn’t understand, but it seemed to be educated writing on the topic.

If you are into classical Christmas, then this might be the book to add to your TBR.

Gather your holiday sweaters and curl up with a good book by the Christmas tree, because I hope these Christmas reads bring you as much joy as they brought me.