does anyone know of any good Christmas novels?

Question

i want to start reading a christmas novel at the beginning of november. so preferalbly about 200 pages and for teens! thanks!

Answer 1

Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" is still the best.

Answer 2

Hi,
Probably the best Christmas novel is Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL, good for all ages. There will be a new novel published at the end of November, Stephen V. Masse's A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW, about a kidnapping that takes place in Boston around Christmas time. You should be able to get it on Amazon.com at the end of November. Best wishes!!
Biggusdictus

Answer 3

A Christmas Carol

Answer 4

Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol.

I know it isnt a teen novel, but dickens was a great author and you should probably read this book and many of his others. They might be a little dusty considering age but they still have a place among us.

Also harry potter , because its always christmas when you read potter...lol

Answer 5

Here are some that I've read:

Christmas Cruise - Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark
Christmas Thief - Mary Higgins Clark
Skipping Christmas - John Grisham

Answer 6

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.

It is really short and easy to read, ideal for the hectic festive season and it has loads of laugh out loud moments in it!

It was made in the film, Cranks at Christmas, which is also hilarious and might heighten it's appeal for teens.

Answer 7

The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan and Laurel Long

Answer 8

Try Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. It is about a family who decides not to celebrate Christmas and the consequences. It is funny and I think you will really enjoy it.

Answer 9

Amazon has a list of "Best Christmas Novels" - see link below - including ones by John Grisham, David Baldacci and Fannie Flagg.

And from the NY Times:

"Of all the great themes for a writer to explore, there can be none so noble as the true meaning of Christmas. Imagine: to be part of a literary tradition that goes straight back to the Bible. To take as one's inspiration the questions that lie at the very core of our existence. And, more to the point, to make a whole lot of of money. If you can hit the nail on the head, if you can capture people's hearts with just the right twist, just the right amount of pathos, just the right moral -- then, my friend, you will be on the receiving end of a real-life Christmas miracle.

Last year's winner was a man named Richard Paul Evans, who wrote a little Christmas fable entitled ''The Christmas Box.'' It sold a zillion copies and was a wild success, so much so that it has triggered an onslaught of ''Christmas Box'' wannabes, novellas with the print very widely spaced and the covers very prettily embossed.
Of course, Christmas means much more than fables. It also means cute books about pets, including Laurie Loughlin's HOLIDAY HOUNDS (Chronicle, $7.95) and A CAT'S CHRISTMAS (Dutton, $14.95), by Stefanie Samek; satiric comedy, including Cathy Crimmins and Tom Maeder's REVENGE OF THE CHRISTMAS BOX (Dove, $9.95), and all those books by well-known writers from other genres who are attempting their own Christmas statement in rather the same way that country stars make Christmas albums. And, like their musical counterparts, some of these attempts can be surprisingly good.

At the top of the list is the wonderful Irish writer Maeve Binchy. She has a new book of short stories called THIS YEAR IT WILL BE DIFFERENT (Delacorte, $15.95). You have to marvel at how many times she can go to the well -- 15 in this volume -- and still come back with a touching, funny, bittersweet story that illustrates the odd human truths behind those horrible fights you get into with your relatives during the holidays.

Also worth reading is THE CHRISTMAS LETTERS (Algonquin, $12.95), in which the American novelist Lee Smith tells the story of a woman's life as revealed through those letters that people print up and enclose in Christmas cards. It's a great idea, even if it doesn't quite live up to its potential.

One book that lives way beyond its potential is A MAGICAL CHRISTMAS (Topaz/Dutton Signet, $14.95), by Heather Graham, who turns out to be the Judith Krantz of holiday fiction. Her story about a yuppie family -- she sells real estate, he's a lawyer, the son takes drugs -- that goes to spend Christmas at an old inn in Virginia involved me to a shameful degree. It's soap opera, but it glides along with such enormous authority that it establishes Ms. Graham as the most natural writer of the bunch."
"id I find anything really good? Really, really good? As a matter of fact, I did. It's called CERTAIN POOR SHEPHERDS (Simon & Schuster, $15), and it's by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, the woman who wrote ''The Hidden Life of Dogs.'' It tells the story of a sheepdog named Lila and a goat, Ima, who play a Rosencrantz-and-Guildenstern-type role in the drama surrounding the Nativity. Out of such unlikely material, with the humans peripheral to the action, Ms. Thomas has fashioned a Christmas fable that lives up to the potential of the form. It's both touching and original. Moreover, it has the one quality you can't fake: a certain mysterious magic, a sense of wonder and awe."

Certain Poor Shepherds looks like a winner - here are two reviews. It's 128 pages long.

"A Unique and Poignant Christmas Tale, November 18, 2001
By Treeseed "Treeseed" (Little Chute, WI USA) -

This book is a little treasure and one of my favorites. It's the story of the night of Christ's birth as perceived by the animals. It is told with great sensitivity by reknowned animal lover Elizabeth Marshall Thomas and as such it is filled with eye-opening empathy and poignant beauty. It has an interesting take on angels as seen by animals, showing them to be very non-human and free of human stereotypes. Perhaps our perceptions of ourselves do color our perceptions of angels as well. It taught me a lot about the way animals might perceive the strange, crude doings of humans and helped me view my relationships with animals with more thoughtfulness. In that sense alone, it is a worthy addition to any library and especially to a holiday collection. I love this book very much. The hard cover is out of print but is pleasingly compact and makes a wonderful heirloom that is worth searching for. This paperback edition is nicely affordable and will make a perfect gift for anyone who loves and lives with animals.
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Certain Poor Shepards: A Christmas Tale, December 7, 2000
By "fickl" (New Jersey)
This is one of the most wonderful stories I have ever read. I read it every year. It brings back the true meaning of Christmas.
It is sad, but very beautiful. My husband gave it to me on Christmas Eve when it was first published, which also makes the book very special. I have a dog named Sabrina, which reminds me of Lila.