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One of the best part of the holidays is having time off to take a break from your busy everyday life, but what should you fill this newfound free time with? Well, what better time to read! Here are 10 classics to read during the holidays!
Thank you Ink for Thought for collaborating on this post with us! Check out the link to their blog at the end of this post!
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
When the four Pevensie children are sent away to the English countryside due to the London bombings during World War 2, they come across a magical wardrobe that sends them into the whimsical world of Narnia. They are told that the four of them were prophesied to come to Narnia and defeat the White Witch, who has trapped the land in an eternal winter. The White Witch thinks that she is the true queen of Narnia and the Pevensies must end her reign in order to take their rightful place as the kings and queens of Narnia.
Although this book is not directly a Christmas story, it is still perfect to read during the holiday season. With a wintery landscape, a White Witch, and even a surprise visit from Saint Nicholas (AKA Santa) This book deserved to be on our list. Besides, C.S. Lewis based this book on the story of Jesus, and Jesus was born on Christmas.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, live with their mother in New England while their father is off serving in the Civil War. Jo takes it upon herself to help her family through these hard times. Jo is not considered a typical girl, she is passionate and driven. She has big dreams of being a writer and practices by writing plays for her and her sisters to act out as well as stories to read to them. As the March sisters grow up, they slowly drift away from home, all going out in the world to make something of themselves. But no matter how far away they go, they always come back to each other.
Christmas is a very important and influential time of year in this classic. When you think about it, many of the important events that happen during this book, all happen around Christmas. We love this book and it is one of our personal favorites around the holidays!
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
When a little boy receives a small stuffed rabbit for Christmas, he thinks nothing of it. He simply tosses it aside to play with his other gifts, but one night everything changes. The little boy loses his toy right before bed, then his Nanny brings him the rabbit as a replacement. From that night on, the two were inseparable. The boy loved the rabbit so much and they played together all the time, until he caught scarlet fever. The boy was sick for a long time, but when he finally got better his parents were told to burn all of his toys and books in order to disinfect his room, including the velveteen rabbit.
This whole book kicks off on Christmas and results in the most bittersweet story on our list. The Velveteen Rabbit is a beautiful story about the magic of childhood. Even though this is a children's book, we think that everyone could use a little Christmas magic in their lives and this book is perfect for that.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
When Lockwood, a new tenant at Thrushcross Grange, falls ill from walking in the snow, his housekeeper tells him a story about a family called the Earnshaws. The Earnshaws live in Wuthering Heights with their servant, Lockwood’s housekeeper. When Mr. Earnshaw brings home an orphan boy, he decides to raise him as his own son and begins to neglect his other children. As the children grow up, a tragic romance unfolds between the orphan boy and the Earnshaw's daughter.
By far the darkest novel on our list, Wuthering Heights wonderfully combines the gothic genre with the winter season resulting in a chilling novel that you won’t be able to put down. The drama and tragedy laced throughout this classic add to its allure and make it the perfect addition to this holiday list!
The Nutcracker and The Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffman
When Clara is given a nutcracker for Christmas, her whole world is turned upside down. Her Nutcracker is actually alive and needs to defeat the mouse king to restore peace to his world. So, Clara goes with the Nutcracker to the Land of Sweets to help him fight the mouse king and his soldiers.
We all know this classic tale, but it is originally a book! The Nutcracker and The Mouse King was written in 1816 and sparked the inspiration for the world famous ballet. This story is all about the magic of Christmas and is a story that everyone knows, so we felt that it was only fitting to include this timeless story on our list!
I loved the recommendations! Thank you for this great collaboration!