Christmas books for every kind of reader

The crowd-pleaser

Always Room for Christmas Pud by Aunty Donna

Whether you’re looking for a book to read aloud with your family or a gift for your office Kris Kringle, you can’t go wrong with this Aunty Donna classic. Based on the Australian comedy group’s viral video, this funny picture book explores an age-old question: When you’re completely full after Christmas lunch, what do you do when someone brings out the dessert?

For kids

Alice-Miranda and the Christmas Mystery by Jacqueline Harvey

Join Alice-Miranda in a delightful Christmas adventure. Featuring the protagonist of Jacqueline Harvey’s million-copy bestselling series, this fun book follows Alice-Miranda as she discovers a long-kept family secret. On top of that, she’ll try to figure out why Christmas decorations are disappearing and why local stores are empty of festive treats – of course, there’s also a bit of celebration sprinkled in!

Fantasy

The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen

Journey to a new kingdom in this darkly magical take on the celebrated Christmas story of the Nutcracker. Light and dark – this is the destiny of Natasha and Clara, bestowed on them by their sorcerer godfather, Drosselmeyer. As Clara grows into a beauty, Natasha is cursed to live in her sister’s shadow. But one fateful Christmas Eve, everything changes when Natasha meets the Sugar Plum Fairy, a maker of dread-filled bargains. Natasha must reckon with earthly and magical powers and, most importantly, decide which world she truly belongs to.

Classics

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 

Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is an age-old favourite. First published in 1843, the book’s enduring influence speaks for itself. As Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by a series of ghostly guests, he begins to learn the true meaning of Christmas. Will he be changed by his supernatural apparitions, or will he end up alone and cranky forever?

The Nutracker by E.T.A. Hoffman

This beautiful clothbound edition of The Nutcracker makes a gorgeous gift for friends and family. Not only is the book itself beautiful, but the scenery painted in this classic story is equally unforgettable. With ancient curses, battles with a Mouse King and a visit to the wonderful Kingdom of Dolls, this longstanding favourite perfectly represents a child’s wonder at Christmas time.

Mystery/crime

The Usual Santas by Peter Lovesey

These eight delightful holiday stories contain laughs, murders and plenty more. From an imposter among the mall Santas to a search for stolen diamonds, these adventures will whisk you to Christmases around the globe. From a Korean POW camp to a palatial hotel in 1920s Bombay and beyond – it’s like a holiday in a book!

Quick reads

The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman

If you prefer a short read, this novella is the perfect pick. When a son and father meet for the first time in years, the father must share a story before it’s too late. Telling his son about a courageous little girl lying in a hospital bed, he reveals more about himself than his son expected. On Christmas Eve, the father gets the chance to do something remarkable to change the girl's life, but before he can make the decision of a lifetime, he’ll need to get his son’s input.

Romance

One Day in December by Josie Silver

Two people. Ten chances. One perfect love story. Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn’t exist. But then, on one snowy day, she locks eyes with a man she’s sure is the one. A year later, at a Christmas party, they run into each other again – but there’s just one problem. He’s now dating her best friend. Determined to let him go, Laurie gets on with her life, but what if fate has other plans?

A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

Also by Josie Silver comes this wintry, New York City romance. Iris arrives in the city of dreams inspired to revamp her culinary career. While wandering the streets at a famous food festival, she meets Gio, who is in the midst of a crisis of his own. Little does he know, Iris is the one person with the answer to his problem, but she just can’t tell him that yet . . .

The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman

Christmas is a time for family, but what if you don’t have one? For ten years, Hanna and Finn have spent Christmas together, and with no family to enjoy the holidays with, they now have their own traditions. But this year everything is about to change. After a rocky year of silence, will they be able to rekindle the Christmas spirit they know and love?

Last Christmas at Ballyclare by Emily Bell

Christmas isn’t off to a great start for Natasha. She’d been planning on bringing her friend Ben to her beautiful, old family house at Ballyclare, hoping they could be more than friends. But now, Ben’s abandoned her, and no sooner does she discover that the house might need to be sold. Of course, the buyer is also brother to the bloke who broke her sister’s heart all those years ago . . . will this be the last Christmas at Ballyclare?

The Christmas Swap by Talia Samuels

This fresh, funny rom-com is the perfect queer love story to dive into this holiday season. Margot is a newly single high-flying businesswoman with zero interest in a holiday fling. Ben Gibson is an unlucky-in-love sweetheart who needs a woman to bring home for the holidays. Together they agree that Margot will pretend to be his girlfriend in exchange for a blissful two weeks in a picture-perfect manor. But Margot might actually fall in love – and it won’t be with Ben.