If I Could Only Read One Book At Christmas// Bookmas Day 9
If I could only read one book at Christmas, it would be A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
It isn’t a surprising choice, and I’m very comfortable with that. I re-read it every year on the 1st of December, almost like a personal ritual. That first chapter immediately puts me in the Christmas mood. It’s not the glittery, frantic version of the season, but the quieter, more reflective one.
I’ve always loved Dickens. His writing style, the rhythm of his sentences, the way he creates atmosphere with such confidence. It feels rich without being exhausting. A Christmas Carol is an older text, but it never feels like hard work. In December especially, when energy is limited and everything feels louder and faster than usual, I don’t want a book that demands too much of me. This one doesn’t. It invites you in and lets you move at your own pace.
The story itself is so familiar that it becomes comforting. It has been adapted countless times, reimagined and retold across generations, to the point where most of us know it before we ever read it. My favourite adaptation is The Muppet Christmas Carol, which also happens to be my favourite Christmas film. That version, for all its humour and nostalgia, still captures the emotional core of the story remarkably well. The regret, the kindness, the possibility of change. Knowing the story so well makes re-reading the book feel less like consuming something new and more like returning to something trusted.
What I love most, though, is the humanity at the heart of it. Following Scrooge through his reckoning reminds me that change doesn’t have to be loud or performative. It can be uncomfortable, slow, and deeply personal. Christmas is simply the setting, a moment where reflection is unavoidable. But the message stretches far beyond December. It’s about how we treat people, how we hold empathy, and how we choose to show up. Not just at Christmas, but all year round.
Re-reading A Christmas Carol every December grounds me. It reconnects me to the season in a way that feels meaningful rather than overwhelming. If I could only read one book at Christmas, it would always be this one.
So I’m curious, if you could only read one book at Christmas, what would it be? Would you choose comfort, tradition, or something entirely new? Do you re-read the same book every year, or does your festive reading change with your mood?
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As always, thanks for reading…
