Christmas Book Tree

You've probably heard that this year's (controversial) White House Christmas decorations include a book tree, which is a fantastic idea in theory. However, apart from the fact that the president will never read them, the only thing the books chosen by the White House have in common is that they're green. So, since a tree consisting of Esquire’s World of Golf, Robert Daley’s thriller Tainted Evidence, and Simon Stow’s political analysis American Mourning isn't the best idea, I've chosen some books which I think would make for a better Christmas book tree.


A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens, 1843)

Would any Christmas book tree be complete without this Christmas classic? Everyone knows the story. Journeying with a series of spectral visitors through Christmases past, present, and future, Ebenezer Scrooge is ultimately transformed from an arrogant, obstinate, and insensitive miser to a generous, warm-hearted, and caring human being.

The Dylan Thomas Omnibus: Under Milk Wood, Poems, Stories and Broadcasts (Dylan Thomas, 1995)

I cannot recommend this beautifully dark book highly enough. Dylan Thomas has such a way with words. This is definitely one to savour, and with its stunning cover will make a perfect addition to any Christmas book tree.

Light on Snow (Anita Shreve, 2004)

When twelve-year-old Nicky, and her widowed dad Robert, find a baby in the snow, their secluded life out in the New Hampshire's woods are suddenly not so simple anymore. This book, which made me fall in love with Anita Shreve's writing, is written from the viewpoint of thirty-year-old Nicky, recalling that fateful December day.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (J.K. Rowling, 1997)

The Harry Potter books are the perfect Christmas read - funny, magical, and comfortingly familiar - but for me the first one feels the most Christmassy. It's lighter in tone than the rest of the series, the innocence of its characters is sure to make you feel nostalgic, and Harry's Christmas Day is a crucial part of the plot.

Festive in Death (J.D. Robb, 2014)

Personal trainer Trey Ziegler was in peak physical condition. If you didn't count the kitchen knife in his well-toned chest. Lieutenant Eve Dallas soon discovers a line-up of women who'd been loved and left by Ziegler. But her ever-increasing list of suspects isn't the only list causing Dallas problems, as she also tries to juggle her Christmas shopping list, and the guest list for her and her billionaire husband's upcoming Christmas party.

The Snow Queen (Hans Christian Andersen, 1844)

In one of my all-time favourite stories, Kay and Gerda share a strong emotional bond, which is damaged by Kay's infection with the slivers from the shattered evil mirror. His eye and his heart are pricked, and it changes the way he sees the world, and makes his loving heart grow cold towards Gerda. But Gerda doesn't give up on him. When the Snow Queen steals away Kay, she goes searching for him, going on quite an odyssey and meeting some very unusual people along the way.

C. S. Lewis - A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet (Alister E. McGrath, 2013)

Everyone knows The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but not everyone knows the man behind the magic. This entertaining and highly readable biography of C.S. Lewis is the perfect addition to any Christmas book tree, especially given how gorgeous its book cover is. Alister McGrath brings the magic to life as he recounts the unlikely legacy of this Oxford don, who spent his days teaching medieval English Literature and his nights writing a bestselling fantasy series for children.

The Ice Beneath Her (Camilla Grebe, 2015)

Nordic noir makes the perfect accompaniment to winter nights, as does a twist you'll never see coming, and luckily for you this book has both. As winter descends on Stockholm, police officers Peter Lindgren and Manfred Olsson are investigating the murder of an unidentified young woman found decapitated in the house of Jesper Orre, the controversial, charismatic, and currently missing CEO of Clothes & More. What makes the case even more baffling is its remarkable similarities to an unsolved murder ten years ago.

A Wedding in December (Anita Shreve, 2005)

At an inn in the Berkshire Mountains, seven former schoolmates gather to celebrate a wedding. But their reunion becomes the occasion of astonishing revelations, as the friends collectively recall a long-ago night that indelibly marked each of their lives.


What books would you use in your Christmas book tree? Would they be linked by anything other than the colour green?