As the trees shed leaves and the breeze turns chillier there are book sales that among other items serve as a reminder that Christmas is not far away. And these holidays are as good as any to curl up on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate or tea in one hand and a book in the other.
The minute conversation turns to books about Christmas, the first one to come to mind is Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Though Christmas is thought to be a time of merriment, this novella, morbidly Victorian, leaves you with a different perspective of it. Though it might not make ideal Christmas reading, the tale of transformation of the miserly Ebenzer Scrooge should not be missed out on.
Red is certainly the colour of Christmas, but this merry occasion is not one that should be painted red with blood. But not so for Belgian detective Hercule Poirot whose Christmas begins with one murder and whose job it is to ensure that no more blood is spilt. If you're one for thrillers or mysteries, this Agatha Christie book Hercule Poirot's Chritsmas could very well make this season an exciting one.
To set the mood for romance, you could perhaps pick up any of Debbie Macomber's books from the Blossom series. From Angels at the Table that endearingly relates the problems of a couple to Christmas Letters, which portrays two individuals with opposing ideas about Christmas who fall in love, they trail different journeys of love.
A short story of an English schoolboy who, along with his three friends The Outlaws, refuses to abide by convention, William's Truthful Christmas (part of Still William by Richmal Crompton) is one that's sure to give you good laugh. Though a children's book, this story is one in which his attempt at being good by telling the truth proves disastrous. This and the rest of the collection could bring home Christmas cheer.
Though Christmas for Bangaloreans will always be a green affair, The Polar Express, written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, can make it a snowy one for kids. About a young boy who journeys to the North Pole on a train with his peers, it trails his Christmas celebrations complete with elves and Santa Claus.
Christmas is about family time, and the Harry Potter series is one in which the day is truly a special one. If not spent with family, it's an intimate affair, whether fun or gloomy, with friends.