books to read

I love so many things about Christmas that it’s really, really hard for me to pinpoint just one. I love the tree, so beautifully decked out in our hodgepodge of ornaments, each with special meaning. I love the music that fills the house and puts joy in my heart. I love the holiday smells… peppermint, ginger, fresh oranges, nutmeg, cider, sugar cookies…. yummmm! I’m hungry now!!

But one thing that is so important to me is the sharing of Christmas books with my family. I’m a life-long reader, my mom instilled that love in me, and Ariel is too. We read together all the time and enjoy finding new authors to treasure.

But at Christmas, a lot of the regular books are set aside for reading our holiday favorites. I was given some of my old books from my mother…. and I’ve added new ones to those to make a grand new collection for Ariel. I know a lot of people edit out their books and read one a night. Not us. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten rid of any of our holiday books!! From the sweetest little board books, to the newest trade paperback, I’ve kept them all. And enjoyed them all. I keep all of our holiday books together and bring them out when we bring out our advent calendar. And then the fun begins! We will often sit down with a cup of warm beverage, hot cocoa, cider, or coffee (did you see my recipe for Chocolate Pecan Pie in a Mug? Perfect for this special reading time…. or any “morning moment”!) and read all afternoon! We’ll plow through book after book after book, enjoying and remembering some of our favorite friends. Our collection is over 100 books now… and I plan on adding more this year! Such a fun way for Ariel and me to bond, since shopping for the books is another great holiday tradition!!

Here are a few of our beloved books, just to tempt your literary tastebuds with some of our choices.

Favorites from my childhood collection of Christmas books:

Petunia’s Christmas by Roger Duvoisin–I knew every word by heart at the age of 3. Knew when my mom skipped a page (always inadvertently, I’m sure!), felt the pain and determination in Petunia’s heart, and made my younger brother listen to me “read” it to him over and over and over again. And now Ariel gets to enjoy it!

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A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz–what would the Christmas season be without that scraggly tree and the Peanuts Gang arguing over how commercialized this holiday has become? My copy is a little more than loved… my brother added a few artistic additions to the cover and some of the pages!

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Waiting for Santa Claus by Marcia Martin–a darling little book, an early reader, that cost just 39¢ when it was first new, always makes me smile when I see the cover.  Just a sweet, old-fashioned Christmas story.

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.How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss–yes, that classic is one of the tops in our stack!  We LOVE Dr. Seuss and this time-tested feel-good story is one of the best.  “Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”

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And the New Orleans influence on our collection:

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The Cajun Night Before Christmas by “Trosclair”–King Triton’s family hails from New Orleans and his Cajun-speaking grandfather read this beautifully illustrated volume on Christmas Eve. Now, KT is the family reader and it wouldn’t be Christmas Eve without listening for those Cajun gators (Gaston, Pierre, Celeste an’ Reneé) to bring St. Nicklus and his skiff full o’ toy to the children of the bayou and beyond.

Additions that came with the addition of Ariel:

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The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore–yes, this is the original story that so many of us grew up with… and ours, a gift from a friend when Ariel was born, is a perfect for small hands board book that has traveled with us on multiple family holiday escapades.

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Pooh: A Christmas Wish by Justine Korman–a small little Golden Book version of everyone’s favorite bear at Christmas time.

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Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect by Richard H. Schneider–a book that was highly recommended by a friend—and I’m so glad she did! We love this book and talk about it throughout the year. Yes, it’s that good. Great message.

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Peef The Christmas Bear and A Silent Night for Peef both by Tom Hegg–the story of a beloved bear that comes to live with a young child always gets a squeal of delight from Ariel—and the stuffed version of Peef gets a special place in her bed during the holidays. I think there’s another Peef story too, but we don’t own it. Maybe something else to shop for, eh?

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And our new books for this year:

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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens–oh, indeed, what would Christmas be like without this classic story of Scrooge and his ghostly friends? I know she knows the story from the various cartoon interpretations she’s seen, but I decided it was time to add the real deal to our reading this year.  And, I think she’ll really enjoy it!

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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson–of course, we’ve all seen the movie version–and maybe even the play–but I think Ariel and I will enjoy reading the short novel too. Such a great story!

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So now you know what will be happening in our household this holiday season! Between all the hustle and bustle of decorating and baking and shopping and wrapping and giving, we’ll be taking some laid-back literary leave (with some sort of luxurious– non-alcoholic, of course– libations) and rejoicing in the telling and telling of some of our favorite stories.

And that, my friends, is my favorite holiday tradition!

Sweet!! Tell International Delight what your favorite holiday tradition is for a chance to win a $200 Target gift card from BlogFrog. Imagine the books I could buy with that!! And what you could buy if you win!!

Don’t forget to add some cheer to your coffee or baking this season with International Delight’s holiday flavors. Enjoy the taste of Peppermint Mocha, Pumpkin Pie Spice, White Chocolate Raspberry, Vanilla Spiced Rum or Gingerbread Latte and stir up a moment of sweet inspiration. (and don’t forget your favorite holiday book to curl up with!!)

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the International Delight Brand.

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