Books
What To Read Next, Based On Your Favorite Holiday Song
The holiday vortex has consumed us, and there's no use in trying to fight back. You're going to have to listen to Mariah Carey and the Jackson Five's cover of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" approximately 30 million times in the next couple of weeks, so you might as well give in, don your ugliest sweater, take a shot of eggnog, and join the jollity. Here is the perfect holiday book to read based on your favorite holiday song, because nothing beats curling up with a good book and ignoring your family on a cold December night.
Of course, there are a lot of popular holiday songs. This is but a tiny cross section of the enormous catalog of holiday music out there, not counting covers, remixes, and synth tracks. But if you like songs that deal with snow, cold weather, staying warm in cold weather, falling in love in cold weather, Christmas, other holidays, or falling in love on Christmas or other, wintertime holidays, you'll find something to like about one of these songs and its accompanying book. So when you need a break from holiday shopping, pick up one of these delightful reads for a happy holiday season:
1If you like 'Let It Snow,' try 'Let It Snow' by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
OK, so it sounds like an obvious choice, but Let It Snow does manage to capture the warmth and the charming romance of its namesake song. A Christmas Eve snow storm transforms a small town, bringing us these three interconnected tales of Waffle House, Starbucks, and snowbound young love. Altogether, it's an adorable holiday romance by three of the greatest YA authors around.
2If you like 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas' try 'The Gift' by Cecelia Ahern
If you like a traditional Christmas carol than why not go full-on traditional and read an updated version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol? Cecelia Ahern's The Gift follows a successful, overworked executive who realizes that Christmas isn't about the money, but about family.
3If you like 'Santa Baby' try 'All I Want for Christmas' by Lori Foster
If you're going to insist on sexualizing Santa Claus, you might as well read this anthology of steamy Christmas novellas. No book could ever live up to the vocal stylings of Eartha Kitt, of course, but All I Want for Christmas is a fun, ridiculous, and very adult holiday adventure NOT suitable for the whole family.
4If you like 'Hanukkah, O Hanukkah' try 'The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming' by Lemony Snicket
Holiday songs are dominated by Christmas carols. If all that relentless Christmas makes you feel like screaming, read The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming: a Christmas Story. It's a clever ode to holiday confusion, written with Lemony Snicket's wry humor. This book is perfect for people who enjoy Christmas, Hanukkah, or anything in between.
5If you like 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' try 'Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe' by Melissa De La Cruz
Melissa de La Cruz's Christmas romance didn't come out in the 90's, but it does have the same basic theme as Mariah Carey's inescapable Christmas hit: the presents don't matter. It's not about what you have, it's about who you're with. As the title indicates, this is a gender-swapped Pride and Prejudice retelling that will warm you up faster than a cup of hot cocoa.
6If you like 'Silver Bells,' try 'Moonlight Over Manhattan' by Sarah Morgan
"Silver Bells" is the go-to holiday song for city dwellers everywhere. Not everyone gets to have sleigh rides through the snow—some of us are stuck on the subway. Moonlight over Manhattan is an enchanting holiday romance for city slickers, about a shy dog walker and her gruff-yet-handsome dog walking client.
7If you like 'Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer' try 'The Stupidest Angel' by Christopher Moore
If you like your Christmas songs to be funny and... surprisingly violent, then you have to drop everything and read The Stupidest Angel. It's a supremely silly story of Christmas terror by comedy master Christopher Moore: the Archangel Raziel comes to Earth to save Christmas, but... he's not exactly the brightest halo in the bunch...
8If you like 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' try 'Letters from Father Christmas' by J.R.R. Tolkien
Lots of parents will send letters to Santa. But J.R.R. Tolkien would write letters from Santa: each Christmas, he'd give his children a new letter from Father Christmas, detailing all the goings on up at the North Pole. This book collects all of Tolkien's letters for a delightful Christmastime adventure.
9If you like 'There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays' try 'Holidays on Ice' by David Sedaris
David Sedaris might be a touch more acerbic than most Christmas writers. But Holidays on Ice is a funny, mostly truthful account of dealing with family, making ends meet, and working at Macy's Santaland. It will remind you of all the good and the bad that the holiday season brings, and why we all love going home for the holidays (no matter how much we might pretend otherwise).
10If you like 'Winter Wonderland' try 'My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories' edited by Stephanie Perkins
This is another book which, confusingly, is named after a different holiday song. But bear with me: "Winter Wonderland" is the ultimate winter romance song. It's just so charming. And My True Love Gave to Me is a wonderfully cozy, charming collection of holiday love stories. It's not just limited to Christmas, either: every winter celebration is lovingly recorded in this cheerful, wintry book.
