5 Rewarding Reads for Your Christmas TBR List

5 Rewarding Reads for Your Christmas TBR List

Posted on by Michele Morin

Are you looking for a good book to read this Christmas? Maybe you like to sink into a cozy story? Or do you favor something substantial to carry you through Advent? I’ve been doing my homework and have come up with a collection of five titles that should get you started on planning your TBR List. After all, we want to stay deeply rooted in biblical tradition, and a sense of anticipation during the Advent season is definitely part of the celebration.

My Beloved by Jan Karon

They say you can’t go home again, but Jan Karon’s readers might disagree when they learn that she has released the 15th book in the Mitford series. My Beloved is truly an opportunity to revisit the stories of Father Tim, Cynthia, Dooley, and all the favorite citizens of Mitford and to be reassured that they are still “taking care of their own.”

I was delighted when I realized that the plot was set during the Christmas season. Father Tim, in his usual gift-giving angst, decides to give Cynthia a love letter for Christmas, but in the chaos of the season, the letter gets lost and then passed around Mitford until it finally finds its way home on Christmas Day.

Jan Karon’s work is comfort food, but it’s also a full and nourishing meal, and this latest installment which has come almost thirty years after At Home in Mitford imparts the satisfaction and joy of a life embedded deeply in community. Employing the voices and vernacular of her beloved cast of characters, Karon turns her readers’ eyes and hearts to the bigger story of God’s persistent grace and his unconditional love that names all his children as “beloved.”

The Sing! Hymnal by Getty Music

Singing carols with my family during Advent remains one of my most treasured Christmas memories. Haunting minor keys convey the longing for Christ’s appearance while joyful anthems celebrate his arrival. It’s all there in The Sing! Hymnal with selections for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany,

Beyond that, it’s a tool for embedding the solid theology found in the timeless music of the church year-round, a sacred soundtrack for the heart. Designed and thoughtfully organized for the church gathered, the hymnal’s scripture readings and liturgical prayers are also a perfect accompaniment to the believer’s private worship and a treasure for the enrichment of family devotions.

Meditating on hymn lyrics or even softly singing to the Lord can become a priceless component of personal worship. I’m looking forward to working my way through the hymnal as part of my own daily devotional practice beginning with Advent and continuing into the new year!

The Art of Living in Advent by Sylvie Vanhoozer

When Jesus’s arrival ended the four-hundred-year silence from God, he came to a very specific location as prophesied in Micah 5:2. His landing in a little town like Bethlehem—in a stable no less—is unlikely enough to foster hope in my heart that Jesus could take up residence in the unlikely place of my heart. This is the reassuring message of The Art of Living in Advent. In 28 days of waiting and rejoicing, Sylvie Vanhoozer takes her readers into the beloved Advent traditions of her Provençal childhood, with its focus on native vegetation and delightfully local color that grafted her own small story into the story of Word made flesh.

I especially appreciated Vanhoozer’s description of the traditional Advent walk in which families climbed the hills and walked the country paths to collect beautiful natural elements (sprigs of thyme, branches of almond trees) to incorporate into the manger scenes in their homes. This became a visual sign and a tangible reassurance that the Christ will indeed make his home with us. Advent, then, becomes a delightful scavenger hunt, an invitation to watch and wait with expectation for signs of God’s with-ness, his presence and activity in every corner of our lives. This small book invites longing hearts into the joy of Advent and a true celebration of Immanuel.

Light Upon Light by Sarah Arthur

As a guide to prayer during the season of Advent, Sarah Arthur has compiled a rich assortment of poetry and prose from long ago and far away as well as from down the road and practically yesterday. The readings are arranged into eighteen sections for four weeks of Advent. Flexibility is the name of the game, so this is not another holiday straight-jacket, but, instead, a warm, comforting sweater.  Each reading has a prayer, a psalm, and suggested Scriptures, an assortment of readings to add flame upon flame, and then a suggested closing prayer.  The index of contributors is a valuable resource for further reading of favorite authors, or for answering the burning question, “Who wrote these gorgeous words?”

Partake of Light Upon Light like a delectable Christmas treat.  Let the words waft over you like the aroma of Christmas tea and hot cider.  Slow down your Christmas and find the Holy that has been right there all along.

One Star, Three Kings: The Journey of Epiphany by Rebecca Grabill and Isabella Grott (illustrator)

The three wisemen from our family’s nativity scene made the rounds every December in a game of delightful hide and seek until, finally, on January 6, they found their way to the Christ child. That was our only nod to Epiphany when our children were small, so I’m grateful that I can read One Star, Three Kings to my grandkids this year.

Beautifully crafted illustrations bring the story of Balthasar, Caspar, and Melchior to life, melding biblical story elements about the gifts of the magi with traditional lore about the identity of the gift-givers and their long journey in search of the King of Kings.

I was surprised and delighted to find that each chapter of the story is followed by teaching about the Magi, the biblical prophecies that guided their search, the theories about what God was doing behind the scenes to produce their guiding star, and the significance of the three gifts. Best of all, if you’re looking for ideas for a meaningful celebration of Epiphany in your home, the book ends with a section describing Epiphany celebrations around the world. Let the mystery of this story set your family on the adventure of seeking and finding the Light of the World, who came to give true joy throughout the year.

What books are you planning to read this Advent season?
Find more fine Advent reading suggestions for children HERE.

Are you looking for a good book to read this Christmas? I’ve been doing my homework and have come up with a collection of five titles that should get you started on planning your TBR.

Holding You in the Light,

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I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees. If you should decide to purchase any of the books or products I’ve shared, simply click on the book title, and you’ll be taken directly to the seller. If you decide to buy, I’ll receive a few pennies at no extra cost to you.

Many thanks to InterVarsity Press, Crossway, Paraclete Press, NetGalley, and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Publisihers for providing copies of these books to facilitate my reviews which are, of course, offered freely and with honesty.

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four married sons and a growing fleet of adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

22 thoughts on “5 Rewarding Reads for Your Christmas TBR List”

  1. I am reading My Beloved right now, and am delighted to find that you have appreciated it as much as I have, Michele! What a lovely, timeless reminder that it is our faithful God who is writing our story, by His grace!

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  3. I recently began reading Joe Wheeler’s Christmas in My Heart books and it has been nice. Happy Christmas reading, Michele!

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  4. It is time to think about Advent readings. This year sure is moving quickly. Happy reading, Michele, and may we all be blessed as we focus on our coming Lord.

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  5. I’ve read “My Beloved” by Jan Karon and it is wonderful. I’ve read the entire MItford series. This one is amazing. I would also like to add to the list of books to read at Christmas. I have a story in “A Holy City Christmas: Charleston Holiday Tales”. My story is “Sunrise Shells and Christmas Bells”. 🙂 Blessings!

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  6. I had My Beloved next in my reading queue, but I had missed the fact of its Christmas setting. I may hold it until December. Either way, I am looking forward to it! I’ve heard of the Sing! hymnal but am not familiar with the rest of the books and authors. Light Upon Light sounds good, though.

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  8. I have seen My Beloved going around, but the rest are new to me. I plan to read The Spirit of Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti for advent, and my book club is reading Unwrapping The Names of Jesus by Asheritah Ciuciu for our December meeting.

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  9. I’m reading My Beloved right now and am so delighted to be immersed in Mitford once again. This book is different in that Jan Karon tells the story from the points of view of many characters, not just Father Tim Cavanaugh. From Melissa’s comment above we can know in advance the ending won’t be disappointing. (Then again, Jan ALWAYS delivers a satisfying conclusion!)

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