Bestselling Author Josie Silver’s Favorites Books to Read During the Holiday Season
By Josie Silver
Is there any better gift than a book at Christmastime?
The holidays are the perfect excuse to share your favorite reads with your loved ones in the hope they will adore them as much as you do. I often lean into classic choices when picking out books to give as gifts–stories I’ve read and loved enough to keep on my bookcase forever.
This list is all about big armchairs and lazy afternoons—giving a book is the gift of time, a few magical hours away from the stress of everyday life. These are the stories I turn to for self-indulgence, and the books I share most often to help others find their own moments of escapism.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The much-adored story of the March sisters opens at Christmastime and documents the trials and tribulations of family life during the Civil War. It’s one of my enduring favorites because it really is a story with everything—searing romance, tender heartache, unfathomable loss, and soaring hope. It’s a proper curl up and lose yourself kind of read, perfect for a chilly afternoon under a blanket. Greta Gerwig’s film version is a sweeping epic, too, if you’re a fan of book-to-movie adaptations.
The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
This fabulously acerbic tragicomedy is a completely delightful romp! Set between the wars, it’s the story of an upper-class British family that revolves around Linda, the second eldest daughter, and her obsession with finding true love. It’s an understatement to say that her path does not run smoothly! Mitford writes with such effortless mastery and dazzling panache, this story will charm its way onto your shelf. It’s certainly earned its place on mine.
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie
Is it even the holiday season without an Agatha Christie whodunnit? Hercule Poirot’s Christmas has all the essential elements to make it a read-in-one-sitting sort of book—a rambling country manor, a murdered tyrannical patriarch, and a decidedly dysfunctional family, and of course, everyone’s favorite detective is on the case. Classic Christie with a delicious Christmas twist—this is one to savor by the fire.
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
I first read this over twenty years ago, and I turn to it again and again on snowy days or whenever I feel in need of book comfort. It’s the story of Elfrida and her suddenly bereaved neighbor Oscar, and the Christmas they spend together in an old house in Scotland along with a host of unexpected waifs and strays. Gentle and threaded through with warmth and hope, it’s the equivalent of a hug in book form.
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
I’m sighing with pleasure even as I type the title! I’m old enough to have loved this book since it first came out; I’m a forever fan of Bridget and her big knickers. It’s the perfect love triangle and comedy of misunderstandings, complete with terrible Christmas jumpers and perfect kisses in the snow. I’m a die-hard romance fan, and I’ll never tire of shouting for Bridget to choose Mark Darcy over dastardly Daniel Cleaver. The movies are fabulous, but the book has my Christmas heart.
Best Wishes, Warmest Regards by Daniel Levy and Eugene Levy
My only non-fiction choice, this was under the tree for me last year and it hasn’t left my coffee table since. I’m a Schitt’s Creek devotee, so to leaf through this lavish peek behind the scenes is a total joy. It’s a celebration of all things Schitt’s Creek—the characters, the town, insights into Moira’s unique vocabulary, and a full catalog of David’s fabulous sweaters! It’s jam-packed with interviews and backstage snippets, and any fan of the show will absolutely adore it.
Josie Silver is an unashamed romantic who met her husband when she stepped on his foot on his twenty-first birthday. She lives with him, their two young sons, and their cats in a little town in England called Wolverhampton. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December and The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. Her latest novel, A Winter In New York, is now on sale!