While the holidays are a great time to snuggle on the couch and watch your favorite seasonal films (see Bookmans Recommends: Christmas Movies to Get You Into the Holiday Spirit or Have Yourself a Vintage Television Holiday), we at Bookmans Ina tend towards cozying up with a great holiday book. It’s easy to forget the seasonal classics when movies like Elf are on, but what about a yearly read of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens? Remember ‘Twas the Nigh before Christmas, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer or Frosty the Snowman? All of these stories are available in book form and are classics no child or (let’s be honest) adult should go without reading this season. We also encourage you to go beyond the expected holiday reads.
Holiday Reads

Maybe it’s time to introduce yourself or your young ones to a new holiday favorite. We suggest The Magical Tale of Santa Dust by Patricia Cardello. In this touching tale, Jack and his sister come from an underprivileged family. Knowing they don’t have enough firewood to cast a fire bright enough for Santa, they go to sleep sure that the jolly old man won’t come. Jack wakes from his sleep to find his dog holding a small pouch of shimmering dust, dust that might be bright enough for Santa to see from the tree tops. The rest is fic-history as the children experience a Christmas unlike any they’ve ever encountered.
We also like Snow Place Like Home written by Diana Manning. This cozy tale regales us with the snow kids from Marshmallow Mountain who venture to the closed sweets factory on Candy Cane Lane. What they discover leads them to warm the hearts of not only their own town folk but those of places like Snowberry Falls and Icicle Run. Without ruining the ending, this story stops with a sweet and happy surprise.
nonfiction holiday reads
Adult holiday fanatics have no reason to worry. We’ve got holiday classic suggestions for you. Roy Rogers wrote A Happy Trails Christmas with Dale Evans. Even if you aren’t a fan of his music, you won’t want to put down this book this holiday season. It’s full of sentiment and cheer, which is what all of us hope to get out of the season. The best part of the book is when Roy recalls his own childhood Christmases. As it was for most of our grandparents or parents, finances were tight. One year Roy got a pocket knife for Christmas and all he can remember is spending the whole year whittling toys for the rest of his cousins for the following year, spreading the seasons cheer just as he had received.
We can’t forget the great holiday romance titles. Nothing’s better than a Christmas tree, a red cover and a hunk with no shirt! Debbie Macomber, Janet Dailey and Victoria Alexander, to just name a few, have large selections of Christmas titles. Check our shelves for the one you need, or ask us to suggest one.
Don’t get stuck watching A Christmas Story for the twentieth time since you were eight. Venture out by reading one of these excellent holiday picks. Bookmans has everything you’re looking for from the classics like Dickens to your new favorites like Roy Rogers.
* If you are interested in a specific holiday reads title, give your local Bookmans a call and we will happily check our shelves for you. Remember we can not guarantee stock, so if you want to be sure your local store has that Christmas romance, give us a ring. Happy Holidays!