"Hey! Unto you a child is born!"

Besides our house closing (phew!), it's been a pretty banal week.  I have ordered and wrapped almost all of my presents for people -- in record time!  Since we are leaving the 19th to head home for the holidays, we wanted to make sure everything was ordered and arrived in time.  Charlie's been very good about leaving the tree and presents alone.  What a good boy.

~

One of my favorite ways to prepare for the holiday season is to read some good Christmas books.  If you know me, you know that I read every night, and during the day too on the weekends.  At this busy time of year, it seems a special treat to take the time to slow down and crack open the pages of some well loved stories.

Every year I read Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, which is what I'm currently reading.  It's nice because it's a very short story and easy to read.  I love watching the George C. Scott film version too, which stays very close to the text.

Here are some others that I've enjoyed reading over the years:

The Handmaid and the Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg.  It tells the Christmas story from Mary and Joseph's perspectives.  Thought-provoking and an easy read.

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.  This one made me laugh out loud and think about going to the Bahamas for Christmas.

The Shepherd, The Angel, And Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry.  True to form, Barry induces guffaws and belly laughs through this sweet and poignant tale.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson.  Imogen Herdman.  Enough said.

Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon.  This is the eighth book in the Mitford series.  Father Tim finds the reason for the season.

Do you have Christmas books that make it into your repertoire each year?  I'm always looking for more.  Post for me and others to see!