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It’s that time of year again! Here’s a list of 7 Christmas books for your book club to check out in 2022.
I’m so excited about this year’s holiday season! It will be my son’s second Christmas and we have lots of fun plans in store, which will be so fun and joyful.
And I’m ready for some holiday-themed books! I know that several book clubs like to select a Christmas-themed story for their book club meeting. Last year was the first time I put together a Christmas book club list, which was so fun.
And this year, I have 7 options for you all!
This list includes both new releases and previously-released books. And bonus, for the older books, I have already written book club questions for those! Also, keep an eye out for my list post dedicated to all new holiday releases as well. There are so many that it deserves two posts!
New Releases
Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle
So if you’re looking for a more unique take on a the holiday-tale, you must check out Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle. It features a woman who accidentally conjures up the Holiday Spirit. Yes, you read that right! It promises plenty of humor and heart. Here’s the synopsis:
Bettie Hughes once knew the comfort of luxury, flaunting a collection of designer purses and an enviable dream home in Hawaii. That was before she lost all her money. Long obsessed with her public image, Bettie boasts an extravagant lifestyle on social media. But the reality is Bettie is broke and squatting in Colorado, and her family has no idea.
Christmas, with its pressure to meet familial expectations, is looming when Bettie plays a vinyl record of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” backward and accidentally conjures up Hall, the Holiday Spirit, in the form of a charming and handsome (if offbeat) man. Once the shock wears off, Bettie knows she’s stumbled upon the greatest gift: a chance to make all her holiday wishes come true, plus a ready-made fiancé.
But as some of Bettie’s wishes lose their charm, she finds herself thrown off-kilter by Hall’s sweet nature. Suddenly, grumpy Bettie is finding her heart merry and light. But the happier she gets, the shorter Hall’s time on earth grows. Can Bettie channel the Christmas spirit and learn to live with goodwill toward all men? Or will her selfish ways return as soon as the holidays are over?
Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert
Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert sounds like such a delightful holiday read—and what a fantastic title! In this story, you’ll find a one-of-a-kind Christmas market, plenty of romance and holiday cheer. Here’s the synopsis:
With a name like Astra Noel Snow, holiday spirit isn’t just a seasonal specialty—it’s a way of life. But after a stinging divorce, Astra’s yearly trip to the Milwaukee Christmas market takes on a whole new meaning. She’s ready to eat, drink, and be merry, especially with the handsome stranger who saves the best kringle for her at his family bakery.
For Jack Clausen, the Julemarked with its snowy lights and charming shops stays the same, while the world outside the joyful street changes, magically leaping from one December to the next every four weeks. He’s never minded living this charmed existence until Astra shows him the life he’s been missing outside of the festive red brick alley.
After a swoon-worthy series of dates, some Yuletide magic, and the unexpected glow of new love, Astra and Jack must decide whether this relationship can weather all seasons, or if what they’re feeling is as ephemeral as marshmallows in a mug of hot cocoa.
One Last Gift by Emily Stone
For those looking for a more serious holiday read that may make you cry, be sure to check out One Last Gift by Emily Stone. It follows a woman as she goes on an emotional journey after her brother’s passing. Here’s the synopsis:
Cassie and Tom lost their parents at a young age and relied on each other—as well as a community of friends—to cope. They were especially close with Tom’s best friend, Sam, who always made sure that Tom and Cassie were surrounded with love. But, twenty years later, Cassie has lost Tom as well. And in a way, she’s also lost Sam; over the years they’d drifted apart, and now the man she always had a crush on is someone she doesn’t even recognize anymore.
She’s never felt more alone.
Then Cassie finds an envelope with her name on it, written in Tom’s terrible handwriting, and she knows immediately what it is. It’s the first clue in the Christmas scavenger hunt that Tom made for her every year; he’d promised her for months that this year’s would be the grandest one yet. At first, she’s too scared to open the envelope—what if she can’t figure out the clues without his help? Or what if she does figure them all out and her last connection to Tom is gone?
Tom’s present sets Cassie on a heart-wrenching and beautiful journey that will change her life—if she lets it. And as she travels from London to the Welsh mountains to the French countryside, she reconnects with old friends, rekindles a lost love, and, most important, rediscovers herself. But once she’s solved the final clue, will she be brave enough to accept the gift her brother has given her—and the love it’s led her to?
Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery
If you’re already watching Hallmark Christmas movies, Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery is the pick for you! It features two friends who find love in a town called Wishing Tree. The story sounds heartwarming and full of Christmas cheer. Here’s the synopsis:
Until Camryn Neff can return to her “real” life in Chicago, she’s in Wishing Tree to care for her twin sisters. She’s not looking for forever love, not here. But handsome hotelier Jake Crane is a temptation she can’t resist, so she suggests they pair up for the season. No golden rings, no broken hearts. At his side, she sees her hometown through Christmas-colored eyes. The cheer is cheerier, the joy more joyful. She thought she had put her future on hold…but maybe her real life was here all along, waiting for her to come home.
New in town, River Best is charmed by Wishing Tree’s homespun traditions and warmhearted people. When she’s crowned Snow Queen, she’s honored but wary. Dylan Tucker, her king, seems like the stuff of sugarplum dreams, but she can’t shake the feeling that he’s hiding something big. As they perform their “royal” duties—tasting cookies, lighting trees—Dylan’s good humor and melty kisses draw her to the brink of love. But she can’t let herself fall until she uncovers his secret, even if her lack of faith means losing him forever.
Older Titles
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox is a wonderful pick and also very similar to a Hallmark movie. Holiday baking + twin swap + two romances + small town vibes (and a LA vibe too) = the ideal holiday story!
The Holiday Swap is the definition of a feel-good romcom. It follows identical twins who swap lives 12 days before Christmas. I’ve noticed on TikTok, how people are obsessed with The Parent Trap so if you love that movie, you must read The Holiday Swap. It’s fun, sweet and truly gives you those warm holiday feelings. Here’s the synopsis:
When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell—both critical to her success as show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie’s identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family’s bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won’t get the memo that they’re over.
With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven’t done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix. Will the twins’ identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track?
Check out my book club questions here.
A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan
For those who are more romance fans, A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan is a great pick. It features a Christmas wedding in Aspen, which sounds so scenic and lovely. While the title and cover are both light and whimsical, there is quite a bit of depth as well.
A family gathers for a wedding in Aspen during Christmas. But there are plenty of family secrets and now the bride is having second thoughts as well. Here’s the synopsis:
In the snowy perfection of Aspen, the White family gathers for youngest daughter Rosie’s whirlwind Christmas wedding. First to arrive are the bride’s parents, Maggie and Nick. Their daughter’s marriage is a milestone they are determined to celebrate wholeheartedly, but they are hiding a huge secret of their own: they are on the brink of divorce. After living apart for the last six months, the last thing they need is to be trapped together in an irresistibly romantic winter wonderland.
Rosie’s older sister, Katie, is also dreading the wedding. Worried that impulsive, sweet-hearted Rosie is making a mistake, Katie is determined to save her sister from herself! If only the irritatingly good-looking best man, Jordan, would stop interfering with her plans…
Bride-to-be Rosie loves her fiancé but is having serious second thoughts. Except everyone has arrived—how can she tell them she’s not sure? As the big day gets closer, and emotions run even higher, this is one White family Christmas none of them will ever forget!
Check out my book club questions here.
Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
Seven Days of Us examines complicated family dynamics during the holiday season, which is always an appealing read. But this also happens to feature a family quarantining during the holiday season because of an illness (in this case, similar to ebola).
I know, I know. But keep in mind this was written in 2018. And it might provide an interesting look and perspective after what we all have dealt with the past couple of years.
When I read it in 2018, I remember I liked it overall. Holiday stories tend to follow the same formula and this one is different. It is focused on a family struggling with secrets, miscommunication and more. Here’s the synopsis:
It’s Christmas, and for the first time in years the entire Birch family will be under one roof. Even Emma and Andrew’s elder daughter—who is usually off saving the world—will be joining them at Weyfield Hall. But Olivia, a doctor, is only coming home because she has to. She’s just returned from treating an epidemic abroad and has been told she must stay in quarantine for a week…and so too should her family.
For the next seven days, the Birches are locked down, cut off from the rest of humanity, and forced into each other’s orbits. Younger, unabashedly frivolous daughter Phoebe is fixated on her upcoming wedding, while Olivia deals with the culture shock of first-world problems.
As Andrew sequesters himself in his study writing scathing restaurant reviews and remembering his glory days as a war correspondent, Emma hides a secret that will turn the whole family upside down.
In close proximity, not much can stay hidden for long, and as revelations and long-held tensions come to light, nothing is more shocking than the unexpected guest who’s about to arrive….
Check out my book club questions here.
Have a wonderful holiday season!