Christmas is one of those wonderful seasons that has it’s own set of books – beautiful stories that capture the spirit of Christmastime with familiar faces and snowy settings. Many families create a Christmas book basket, adding to it with each returning year as they find new favourites. This is such a lovely idea and very simple to implement. It ticks a number of boxes – keeping things in one handy location to bring out each year (good for feeling organised!), making it part of your traditions in the run up to Christmas (why not pop the basket under the tree), creating the excitement of new bedtime stories and the chance to rediscover old friends!
Whether you are starting your basket from scratch or just wanting to find new stories, it can often be overwhelming to choose which books to add to your collection. There are so many new titles to pick from each year, all waving and smiling and vying for your attention, not to mention all the classics which we already know and love. There is the temptation to get them all, but that way book madness lies! You want amazing books but you also don’t want an overflowing basket – sometimes less is more, and the stories can be appreciated as treasured favourites, rather than just one in a sea of many. And of course it will be kinder to your bank balance!
With that in mind, I thought I would choose my top ten favourite books – both classics and new – that would be my essential picks for creating a wonderful Christmas library!