Welcome to our literary series on the blog, “What’s on Our Bookshelf?” where we’re delighted to share our reading recommendations with you. Whatever your genre of choice, we’ve tried to include something for everyone. This month we’re sharing some of our recommendations for the season of Advent and Christmas.

Fiction

Advent is a time of waiting in patience and slowness and when there is the rush to get things ready for Christmas, I’m glad of reads that can encourage a little bit of stillness and quiet. Two novels are on the shelf for Advent, an old favourite and one new to me. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson is exactly the slow and steady read needed when things are frantic. Robinson’s prose is measured but beautiful. 

I realise I’m very late to the Amor Towles party, especially since his book A Gentleman in Moscow has been adapted for television. But I’m now glad to have it on the shelf to transport me to a luxury hotel in 1920’s Russia, when my mind is spinning with reminders and to-do lists! 

Moving on to those reads with a more festive theme…and to start, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This makes it onto every Christmas reading list and with good reason. Dickens’ prose is a feast for the senses and is incredibly ornamented so if it’s your first foray into his writing, be warned. However, any Dickens novel is worth the effort!

Every Christmas, the children of J.R.R. Tolkien would receive letters from Father Christmas and they are now compiled into a book for our enjoyment too. Simply titled Letters From Father Christmas, this book is full of fun and adventure with a little touch of poignancy when that last letter arrives.

If you can’t quite decide what to read then A Literary Christmas: An Anthology might just be the book for you. Published by The British Library, it contains a variety of poems, short stories and prose extracts and is a great way to visit old classics or discover contemporary writers.

Spiritual reading

In Conversation With God: Volume 1, Advent and Christmastide by Francis Fernández-Carvajal is a great little book to have on hand for both Advent and Christmas. Everyday has a short meditation that can be used for reading but also to spark ideas in personal prayer. 

Scott Hahn is one of the most well known Catholic writers and despite being a renowned biblical scholar, his books are incredibly accessible. We have a tendency to be very familiar with the story of Jesus and his birth in a stable but his book Joy to the World: How Christ's Coming Changed Everything (and Still Does) takes the familiar tale and shows it for what it really is - monumental.  

“Christ Triumphs through Humility” is a homily that was given by St Josemaria Escriva in 1963 and is published in his book Christ is Passing By. It’s a wonderful read for this time of year. What is especially enlightening about St Josemaria’s writing is how much it is steeped in Scripture and the life of Christ. It encourages us to really get to know Him too.

Children’s reading

A Children's Literary Christmas: An Anthology edited by Anna James is the companion to A Literary Christmas mentioned above and is a wonderful book to have on hand for your children during the festive season. Including excerpts from a range of stories and poetry, this book explores plenty of the magic and wonder of Christmas, and is great if you want to dip into old favourites or discover new stories for the season.

Christmas needs a little bit of drama and who better to bring it than Judith Kerr’s lovable feline Mog. Both Mog’s Christmas and Mog’s Christmas Calamity are sure to be a hit with your tiny people.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski is one of my absolute favourite Christmas books. The innocent curiosity and incessant questions of a young boy are the catalyst for healing in a disgruntled wood carver. He is carrying a heavy burden of loss and grief but in his task of carving Christmas figures for a crib, finds there is hope and redemption. The tale is made even more beautiful by the exquisite illustrations of P.J. Lynch. This is a book every one of my children sit around to listen to - from toddler to teen!

We’d love to hear your reading suggestions for this season. What’s on your list?