The Christmas Collection

If you haven’t already cracked opened your favourite festive fiction (or non-fiction for that matter), now is the perfect time to get cosy and Christmassy with the help of a good book.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Let it Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle and Maureen Johnson

With interconnecting stories from three bestselling authors, this is a book I pick up year after year. It follows three teenagers over the Christmas period as they navigate first love, friendship, snow storms and a tea cup pig! It was made into a Netflix film a couple of years ago which is worth a watch but the book, as in most cases, is MUCH better. In fact, it was my favourite festive read until I discovered the next book in our list.

Stay Another Day by Juno Dawson (Parent/guardian advisory: YA, mature content)

I LOVE this book. Anyone wishing to borrow it will find themselves having to prise it from my hands. Remind me that I have my own copy at home and I should eventually relinquish it. Stay Another Day begins four days before Christmas as university students Rowan and Fern travel home to Edinburgh to spend the holidays with their family. Fern is bringing her new gorgeous boyfriend and wants everything to be perfect; Rowan is more interested in partying than spending time the family; And their little sister Willow is the reason that Christmas was cancelled the previous year. The books sensitively explores issues such as eating disorders, self harm and sexuality and is busting with secrets, shocks and lots of laugh out loud content. One I recommend for older readers.

The Very Merry Murder Club by various authors (great for younger readers)

This is a wonderful collection of mysteries and mayhem, all set in the winter months. Editors, Robin Stevens (Murder Most Unladylike series) and Serena Patel (Anisha Accidental Detective series) are the perfect authors to pick and present this festive bundle of short stories. There are ski trips, cat nappers, Christmas covens, beasts in the park and sinister games of scrabble, all sprinkled with dose of merry murder. It’ll be time to hang your stocking up by time you’ve solved all the clues.