A Literary Christmas 2020 TBR

As per usual, I’m signing up for the Literary Christmas reading challenge a few weeks later than I could have. This is my third time participating, and I still forgot that I could have signed up around Thanksgiving. It just didn’t cross my mind until I started working on my December reading/blogging plan! I love seeing all of the Christmasy books that the participants read, and I’m looking forward to reading about them even more this year.

This challenge is hosted by Tarissa at In the Bookcase. To participate, make a list of Christmas-themed books you want to read this season, and get started! You can linkup on the host’s site (linked above) and share as many reviews or relevant posts as you feel like. If you want some inspiration, here is my wrap-up post from last year’s challenge.

My December / Literary Christmas TBR List

Three Christmas Books (At Least):

• The Christmas Plains by Joseph Bottum – Nonfiction, Memoir

Wreaths and holly, fruitcakes and mistletoe, ornaments and snowflakes, St. Nick and Scrooge’s humbug, Joseph and Mary, a young child in a manger and magi from the East. These words automatically stir up the season of Christmas and invoke memories of family and friends and hope and faith. By turns sweet and comic, sentimental and serious, the former editor of First Things magazine shares his reflections of the mad joys and wild emotions of the season while growing up on the South Dakota plains.

This book caught my eye when a customer checked it out from the library recently. Two years ago I greatly enjoyed reading Vintage Christmas by Marlene Campbell, a collection of short nonfiction stories about Christmas on Prince Edward Island. I’m hopeful that The Christmas Plains will have the same atmosphere and enjoyment.

• The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs – Nonfiction, Theology

A sacred season is about to unfold for three women whose hearts belong to God.
Elizabeth is barren, yet her trust in God remains fertile. Mary is betrothed in marriage, yet she is willing to bear God’s Son. Anna is a widow full of years, yet she waits patiently, prayerfully for the Messiah to appear in the temple courts. Following in their footsteps, you too can prepare for the Savior to enter your heart, your mind, and your life in a vibrant, new way. 

Another semi-spontaneous choice, this nonfiction title came to my attention at the perfect time. Even though I have read several books about the life of Mary and those that take a closer look at the events celebrated at Christmas, there is always something new and interesting to see.

• The Christmas Swap by Melody Carlson – Fiction, Christian (clean) Romance Novella

All Emma Daley wants this holiday season is a white Christmas. But the young teacher and struggling musician sure can’t find that in sunny Arizona. Luckily, there’s someone living in a perfect mountain home in the Colorado Rockies looking to make a vacation trade this year.

Tyler Prescott is an in-demand songwriter and talented musician who put his own singing career on hold to write songs for celebrity acts to perform. When his mother convinces him to do a vacation trade for Christmas, he never imagined one of the houseguests would be so sweet–or so strikingly pretty. Naturally, he decides to stick around, and, to get better acquainted, he poses as the house’s caretaker. But when Emma’s friend Gillian discovers his true identity and sets her sights on him, things get . . . messy.

Melody Carlson is one of my go-to feel-good authors. Her Christmas books are (to my knowledge) always light and easy to read, and usually short enough that you can sneak one in during December even with a dozen other things going on. I’m optimistic this will be the case here!

I’m also hoping to finish these carry-over books from November:

• A Very Bookish Thanksgiving by various authors
• Faithful in Love (Cliff Walk Cousins #1) by Cecily K. Wolfe

And this one that I randomly started last week:

Library Wars Vol. 3 by Kiiro Yumi

Are you participating in any seasonal reading challenges this month? I would love to hear about your celebrations, and any enjoyable reading you’re doing.

There are several great posts already linked up for the Literary Christmas reading challenge – head over to the linkup to check them out and be inspired to add more Christmas books to your own TBR list!

Until the next chapter,

Jana