The air is getting colder- temperatures have hit -3 degrees, with snow predicted for next week. There are lights beginning to pop up in windows around the city, providing comforting warm glows amid the dark, frosty streets. My Christmas tree went up on Sunday, so that when the afternoons feel more like the middle of the night, I have the twinkling lights, bouncing off the red and gold baubles to make me feel a bit cosy. I’m getting in the festive mood, and feeling so ready for a cosy month of cuddling up inside and reading next to the Christmas tree.
After announcing The Christmas Readathon (alongside Ceri) last week, all that I have been thinking about since is what on earth I am going to read! I’ve gone for a mix of Christmassy books along with some other ones I want to finish this year. I’m also really excited about choosing a book to read on Christmas Eve for the Jolabokaflod prompt- I have a few candidates in mind already.
So, here are my picks for each prompt of the readathon. You can join in and pick any prompts you wish, interpret them as you like and just enjoy spending a bit of time reading this month.
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1. The Muppet Christmas Carol – a book featuring ghosts or time travel
It might be a little bit basic, given the prompt, but I just had to choose A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This is a book I read every single Christmas, usually around the start of December. It is one of my absolute favourites and always puts me in a festive mood.
It is also a great reminder each year to donate, if we can, to charities working with vulnerable people this winter. My choice is to donate to The Trussell Trust who support foodbanks across the UK, providing to people in crisis. You can donate to their Emergency Appeal Fund here.
2. The Polar Express – a book with a journey
For this prompt, I have picked a book that has been on my TBR for far too long- I’m talking several years! It’s also a short read which is very appealing given how many books I hope to read this month.
If you aren’t familiar with this book, it’s a classic epic fantasy novel written in 1968, set in the fictional archipelago of Earthsea. My copy is around 200 pages so I’m hoping to finish it quite quickly in the readathon and cross it off my TBR list. I have quite a few friends who have loved this book so my hopes are very high.
3. Home Alone – a book featuring thieves, con artists, or tricksters
A book with tricksters, misdeeds, and sabotage,- An Unfortunate Christmas Murder by Hannah Hendy is a perfect choice for this prompt. This read just sounds like a whole lot of fun. Drama between rival teachers, a lesbian mystery-loving couple, all set at Christmas time, what more could I ask for?
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4. Love Actually – a book told from multiple POVs
My copy of Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell was a gift from my new mother-in-law. She had read it earlier this year and had gone out when she was visiting us in Scotland to buy me a copy. It has the most lovely note to me on the inside of the cover and is now one of my most treasured books and I haven’t even read it yet! Hamnet seemed like a perfect choice for this prompt as this book features many different points of view. I am so looking forward to reading this book and am hoping to do so before I go to visit my husband’s family at New Year.
5. Deck the Halls – a book with a festive word in the title
For a book with a festive word in the title I am going to read Village Christmas by Laurie Lee. I believe I first heard about this book on The Calm Christmas podcast by Beth Kempton and made a note of the book to read it this year.
This book covers Christmases past in England, with lots of traditional festive memories. I think that the short story format will also help keep me reading throughout this busy time.
6. Arthur Christmas – a sweet or cosy read
This is a book with a cover that just embodies the word ‘cosy’. The dark night with brightly lit windows, beautiful wreath on the door. It totally grabbed my attention. I’m hoping the countryside- Christmas setting will be the perfect comforting read as the nights get darker and colder.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
7. Elf – Jolabokaflod – buy someone a book and spend some of Christmas Eve reading.
The book prompt won’t be confirmed until later on in the month when I go book shopping with my husband. We have completely opposite reading tastes (he reads pretty much only non-fiction historical books) so I think I will have some generous input -and vice versa- into which books we end up choosing for each other.
Check back in later- and on my Twitter and Instagram to see what I end up getting!
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I do hope you’ll join in with our readathon! We’d love to see you share your TBRs so if you post one, please do tag us on Twitter @ChristmasReads.
My lovely friend Pauliina has posted her TBR and December reading plans, with some fantastic ideas for prompts for the Christmas Readathon.
Also, if you haven’t already, check out Ceri’s YouTube video all about the readathon here.
We have fun graphics for you to fill in with your TBRs or to show your progress throughout the readathon. For those, check out our Twitter to save them.
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