Pick Your Favorite Christmas Movie and We'll Choose Your Next Holiday Read

Mar. 15, 2025

Christmas books covers.

Holiday movie season has arrived — and that’s as good a reason as any toadd another book to your TBR!Whether you look forward to TBS' annual 24-hour marathon ofA Christmas Storyever year or are 100 percent convinced thatDie Hardis a Christmas movie(it is, duh) there is a holiday read out there for you.Just like the festive films that viewers tune into year after year, Christmas-themed books come in every genre. From a life-swapping romance that will make you swoon just as hard as watchingJude Lawtransform into Mr. Napkin Head inThe Holidayto a gothic retelling ofThe Nutcrackerthat gives off majorThe Nightmare Before Christmasvibes, the 12 books on this list pair perfectly with a classic holiday film.Read on to find out which Christmas-themed book you should read next, based on your favorite holiday movie.

Holiday movie season has arrived — and that’s as good a reason as any toadd another book to your TBR!

Whether you look forward to TBS' annual 24-hour marathon ofA Christmas Storyever year or are 100 percent convinced thatDie Hardis a Christmas movie(it is, duh) there is a holiday read out there for you.

Just like the festive films that viewers tune into year after year, Christmas-themed books come in every genre. From a life-swapping romance that will make you swoon just as hard as watchingJude Lawtransform into Mr. Napkin Head inThe Holidayto a gothic retelling ofThe Nutcrackerthat gives off majorThe Nightmare Before Christmasvibes, the 12 books on this list pair perfectly with a classic holiday film.

Read on to find out which Christmas-themed book you should read next, based on your favorite holiday movie.

01of 12

Alan Markfield/New Line Productions; G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Elfis a special movie.Will Ferrellfully commits to the chaotic energy of someone who lives and breathes Christmas, while also having to interact with some not-so-jolly people on his quest to find his biological father.

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02of 12

Disney/The Muppets Studio; Flatiron Books

In the book, Charles Dickens isn’t feeling particularly festive as relatives constantly seek him out to ask for money and his publisher demands a Christmas story. A long walk through London — where he meets a woman named Eleanor Lovejoy — proves to be the inspiration the author needs to pen his most beloved story.

03of 12

MGM/ Everett; Little, Brown and Company

A Christmas Storyand its tale of poor little Ralphie’s quest to convince his parents that he needs a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas captures all of the holiday season’s most exhausting and disappointing moments, including traumatic visits to see Santa and disastrous holiday meals.

That’s exactly why the 1983 film pairs perfectly with David Sedaris' collection of hilarious essaysHolidays on Ice. While Sedaris includes odes to Halloween and Easter too, it’s his Christmas-themed tales of working as an elf at Macy’s and comparing Christmas traditions with people from all around the world that will leave you laughing until you cry this season.

04of 12

Alamy; Avon

Capturing the magic ofIt’s a Wonderful Lifeis no easy task. The film spans several decades of George Bailey’s (Jimmy Stewart) life leading up to the heartbreaking moment when he hits rock bottom on Christmas Eve and requires a bit of angelic intervention to remind him just how much his life matters.

05of 12

Don Smetzer/Twentieth Century Fox; Canary Street Press

06of 12

Alamy; Dutton

This dark fantasy take onThe Nutcrackerfocuses on sisters Clara and Natasha as they embark on a journey into a world full of magic, snow and plenty of danger.

07of 12

Alamy; MIRA

While not all ofLove Actually’s storylines have aged well, the Richard Curtis film remains a holiday favorite thanks to its interconnected tales of love — and let’s be real,Liam Neeson’s hot sad dad character.

08of 12

Alamy; Poisoned Pen Press

EnterThe Christmas Jigsaw Murders, the story of certified Scrooge and puzzle setter Edie O’Sullivan who has until Christmas Eve to solve a jigsaw-based mystery in order to prevent at least four deaths.

09of 12

Alamy; Gallery Books

Maelyn Jones is having a no good, very bad year when her parents tell her they’re selling the cabin where they’ve spent nearly every Christmas together. As a last-ditch effort to save the holiday season, she sends out a plea for the universe to show her what will make her happy. What she gets instead is reliving the same holiday over and over again as she meets with one disaster after another in her quest to break the time loop.

10of 12

Alamy; G.P. Putnam’s Sons

11of 12

Warner Bros/ Everett; Tiffany Gee

Poor Olivia is just trying to survive the holidays while dealing with drunken Santas, her mother’s sudden charitable inclinations and baking disasters that even Clark couldn’t put a positive spin on.

12of 12

Alamy; Harper Paperbacks

There’s no doubt that Terry Pratchett’sHogfatheris a quirkier tale thanThe Santa Clause, but they both feature unlikely people stepping into the role of “Santa” just in time to save the holiday season while also bonding with a younger member of their family. It’s just that inHogfather, the man in question is Death, notTim Allen, and he has to enlist the help of his granddaughter to ensure Hogswatch goes off without a hitch for all the residents of Discworld.

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source: people.com