Great Reads for the Holidays

I admit that it is hard to get any reading done during the holidays. The shopping, the cooking and the parties all cut in to our already precious reading time. Nevertheless, there are some books that I try to squeeze in every year. Here are some of my favorite books to curl up with by the Christmas tree.

The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans

Though many modern Christmas stories tend to border on the sappy, the deeper meaning found in this book makes it a pleasant and thought provoking read. See my full review here.

Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies

Not many people are aware that Davies, who wrote the screenplay for the classic holiday film Miracle on 34th Street, also penned a novella version of his story. This is a wonderful and different way to enjoy this heartwarming Christmas story.

A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas

This is one that I actually discovered this year. Welsh-born poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) composed this short story as a reflection on his lost, but not forgotten, childhood in Wales. Though it is often found under children's books, I think that it is probably better suited for adults. It's a beautiful collection of reminiscences of Christmases gone by, and the sweetness and innocence of childhood. I think that the opening line is so lovely:

"One Christmas was so much like another, in those years around the sea-town corner now and out of all sound except the distant speaking of the voices I sometimes hear a moment before sleep, that I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights when I was twelve or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six."

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Finally, we have the grandaddy of all Christmas stories. Charles Dickens' classic tale is so rich and powerful, that it is a must read for EVERYONE each Christmas. See my full review here.

Now it's your turn. What are some of your favorite Christmas stories and have they changed how you see Christmas? Sound off!