As we inch closer and closer to Christmas, I am diving into my festive reading with glee.  I love to read for the season all year ’round, but seasonal bookish goodness always feels especially appropriate at Christmas.  Here’s what’s on my TBR pile for 2019 holiday reading…

The Santa Klaus Murder, by Mavis Doriel Hay – I bought this BL Crime Classics re-issue a couple of years ago.  This is the season I will finally get to it!

Noel Streatfield’s Christmas Stories, by Noel Streatfield – A post-Christmas 2018 pickup; I’ve been saving this.  The cover is so shiny and pretty – I couldn’t resist it.

A Fatal Grace, by Louise Penny – My aunt, who insisted that I give Three Pines a try, was aghast that I was able to wait two months between reading the first and second books, but A Fatal Grace takes place around the winter holidays; it didn’t seem right to read it in early October.  I am expecting the characters to drink lots of mulled wine.

A Christmas Book, by Elizabeth Goudge – I love Goudge’s descriptive writing, and I think this collection of Christmas chapters and stories from her other books will be just the thing to get me into the spirit!

Home for the Holidays, by Heather Vogel Frederick – I paused my re-read of the Mother-Daughter Book Club series after book four, so as to save this one for December.

A Country Doctor’s Commonplace Book, by Philip Rhys Evans – Found under my Christmas tree last year and devoured in one big gulp, I think I am going to make a re-read of this delightful little volume an annual tradition.

The Twelve Days of Christmas, by John Julius Norwich – This slim book isn’t going to take me long, but it might be my most anticipated read of the month.  I’d really like it to be snowing when I finally open the covers, but as long as there are twinkle lights I’ll be good to go.

Christmas Crackers, by John Julius Norwich – Can’t wait to see how Norwich’s famous annual commonplace book tradition got started!  I’ll bet there are some real gems in here.

Christmas Crime Stories, a Folio Anthology – To be honest, I wouldn’t have sought this out, but I stumbled upon it on Ardis Books this summer and the price was too good to pass up, so I snatched it up.  I may or may not get to this – there are so many books on top of this one (quite literally) but gosh, it’s pretty.

I’ve already made my way through a couple of these, and am looking forward to a relaxing week between Christmas and New Year’s to read the rest!  Ideally with a big cup of tea and a small plate of of husarenkrapferl, because then I will really be living my best life.  Happy (holiday) reading!