11 Best Holiday Book Club Picks
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There’s something especially fun about a holiday book club meeting. Maybe it’s the Christmas cookies, the festive drinks, or simply having an excuse to escape the holiday chaos for a few hours and talk about books.
But finding the right book for a December gathering isn’t always easy. You want something that captures the spirit of the season without sacrificing a good story – or leaving everyone struggling to find something to discuss.
These 11 holiday book club picks offer a little of everything: heartwarming family dramas, festive romances, atmospheric mysteries, and stories that explore friendship, traditions, and second chances. Whether your group prefers something lighthearted or a novel with a little more substance, there’s plenty here to keep the conversation going.
The best holiday book club picks combine festive atmosphere with memorable stories and plenty to discuss. From family dramas and holiday romances to mysteries and historical fiction, these 11 novels offer something for every reading group.
- The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
- Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
- The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
- The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Moran
- The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
- Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin & Marissa Stapley
- Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
- One Day in December by Josie Silver
- Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
- The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
- A Home for the Holidays by Taylor Hahn
11 Best Book Club Picks for the Holidays
From cozy Christmas stories to twisty mysteries and thought-provoking family dramas, these holiday reads offer plenty of variety for your next book club gathering. Let’s find your group’s next great read!
The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
Why It’s a Great Book Club Pick: Beyond its charming Edinburgh bookshop and festive atmosphere, this story explores sibling relationships, career disappointments, and the courage to start over. Book clubs can discuss family expectations, finding a sense of purpose, and how unexpected changes sometimes lead us exactly where we need to be.
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
Why It’s a Great Book Club Pick: With its richly developed characters and intertwined lives, Winter Solstice offers plenty to discuss about grief, loneliness, friendship, and second chances. The Scottish setting adds wonderful atmosphere, while the relationships between the characters invite conversations about the families we’re born into and the families we create.
My Take: I absolutely loved this book, although it’s been quite a few years since I read it. What I remember most is that wonderful, almost sweeping family-saga feeling, with characters whose lives become beautifully intertwined. And the Scottish setting! Just thinking about it makes me want to read it again – which is exactly what I plan to do.
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
Why It’s a Great Book Club Pick: What could be more fun for a holiday book club than solving a Christmas mystery together? With an English country estate, a missing mystery writer, and a cast of suspicious characters, there’s plenty of opportunity to compare theories, debate motives, and see who figured out the clues first.
The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan
Why It’s a Great Book Club Pick: Three sisters, a Christmas reunion, and years of complicated family history make this a natural choice for book clubs. The story offers plenty to discuss about sibling rivalries, family expectations, forgiveness, and how differently people can remember the same events.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
Why It’s a Great Book Club Pick: A New Year’s gathering at an isolated Scottish lodge turns deadly, and nearly everyone has something to hide. With shifting perspectives, old resentments, and unreliable characters, this atmospheric thriller gives book clubs plenty to debate about friendship, loyalty, jealousy, and who can really be trusted.
My Take: I’m a big Lucy Foley fan, and I’ve read and enjoyed all her books, including this one. What I particularly remember about The Hunting Party is the atmosphere. That isolated Scottish setting, with a group of people who may not be quite what they seem, is exactly the kind of suspenseful story I love. If you enjoy Lucy Foley’s atmospheric mysteries, you can explore more of her novels in my Lucy Foley Books in Order guide.
Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin & Marissa Stapley
Why It’s a Great Book Club Pick: Not to be confused with Four Weddings and a Funeral! This lively holiday novel brings together Christmas, Hanukkah, and Eid, offering a wonderful opportunity to discuss different traditions, cultural expectations, friendship, and finding common ground. There’s romance and humor, too, making it an entertaining choice for a festive book club gathering.
Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
Why It’s a Great Book Club Pick: Imagine being quarantined with your entire family over Christmas, with nowhere to escape and everyone keeping secrets! This entertaining family drama invites discussions about honesty, complicated relationships, personal boundaries, and how well we really know the people closest to us.
One Day in December by Josie Silver
Why It’s a Great Book Club Pick: Is there really such a thing as love at first sight? And what happens when romance threatens an important friendship? This story gives book clubs plenty to discuss about fate, loyalty, missed opportunities, and the choices we make when love and friendship collide.
Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
Why It’s a Great Book Club Pick: This imaginative look at Charles Dickens struggling to write A Christmas Carol offers plenty to discuss about creativity, ambition, financial pressure, and family responsibilities. Book clubs can also explore how personal struggles influence an author’s work and whether generosity and compassion can truly change someone’s outlook.
The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
Why It’s a Great Book Club Pick: Behind the humor and holiday romance, The Matzah Ball explores Jewish identity, family expectations, chronic illness, and the sometimes complicated relationship between personal beliefs and professional success. It offers book clubs a chance to discuss Hanukkah traditions while enjoying a funny, heartfelt story about being true to yourself.
My Take: Well, I haven’t read this one yet, but apparently all it took was hearing the premise for it to land immediately on my library request list. LOLOLOL! A Jewish author secretly writing Christmas romances who suddenly has to write a Hanukkah romance? How could I possibly resist?
A Home for the Holidays by Taylor Hahn
Why It’s a Great Book Club Pick: Family secrets, grief, and unexpected friendships give this holiday novel plenty of emotional depth. As the main character discovers a side of her late mother she never knew, book clubs can discuss how well we really know our parents, the stories families keep hidden, and what it means to find belonging after loss.
How I Chose These Holiday Book Club Picks
Not every Christmas novel makes a great book club selection. For this list, I looked for books that met a few specific criteria:
- A genuine holiday connection: Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s, or other holiday celebrations play a meaningful role in the story – not simply a snowy setting.
- Plenty to discuss: Each book offers something beyond the plot, whether it’s complicated family relationships, moral dilemmas, cultural traditions, character motivations, or a mystery worth debating.
- Broad book club appeal: I focused on full-length adult novels that could appeal to readers with different tastes, rather than books aimed primarily at a niche genre audience.
- A variety of reading experiences: The selections include family dramas, contemporary fiction, romance, historical fiction, and suspense, with both lighthearted and more thought-provoking choices.
- A manageable holiday read: I wanted engaging, accessible stories that book clubs could realistically enjoy during the busy holiday season, even if a few are longer than others.
Most importantly, I wanted books that would give everyone something to say when the discussion begins – even if the conversation eventually wanders back to Christmas cookies!
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Holiday Book Club Picks
What makes a good holiday book club book?
A good holiday book club book combines an engaging story with characters, relationships, or themes that inspire conversation. Look for books that offer more than festive atmosphere, whether that’s complicated family dynamics, interesting moral choices, or a mystery your group can solve together.
Does a holiday book club book have to be about Christmas?
Not at all! Hanukkah, New Year’s, and other seasonal celebrations can provide wonderful settings for book club discussions. Stories featuring different holiday traditions can also introduce readers to new perspectives and experiences.
Should book clubs choose lighthearted books for the holidays?
That depends on your group! Some book clubs enjoy a cozy romance or feel-good family story during the busy holiday season, while others prefer mysteries, historical fiction, or more thought-provoking novels. The best choice is one that matches your group’s reading preferences.
Are holiday mysteries good for book clubs?
Absolutely! Mysteries can make especially entertaining book club selections because everyone gets to compare suspects, debate clues, and discuss character motivations. A holiday setting adds a festive twist without sacrificing the suspense.
How can you make a holiday book club meeting more festive?
Consider serving refreshments inspired by the book’s setting, organizing a small book exchange, or asking everyone to share a favorite holiday reading tradition. You can even choose a discussion question about the story’s holiday themes to get the conversation started. Need a few conversation starters? My 60+ Generic Book Club Questions work with just about any book, including your holiday selection.
Find Your Book Club’s Next Holiday Read
Whether your book club loves a heartwarming family story, a festive romance, or a mystery that keeps everyone guessing, there’s no shortage of wonderful books to enjoy together during the holidays.
The best choice is one that suits your group’s reading tastes and gives everyone something to talk about. After all, a great book club meeting isn’t just about the book – it’s about the conversations, laughter, and friendships that come with it.
And if you’re looking for more ways to make your next gathering memorable, be sure to explore my Book Club Resources for more reading inspiration and ideas.
Happy holiday reading!
