
In the dark and cobwebby recesses of my basement is a stack of red and green Christmas tubs, one of which is labeled "Books." These books come out during Advent and disappear in January. The titles are both secular and religious, and some have nothing to do with Christmas at all, they just feel Christmasy to me. This list will increase each year, and I'm including our 2011 additions (even though we haven't gotten them yet, shh!). I've starred my favorites.

The Classics:
Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies
*Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens, includes A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, and The Cricket on the Hearth
*The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, There are several editions of this by different illustrators. Ours happens to be illustrated by Bruce Whatley. He lends a cowboy flair to the story. "As dry leaves that before the hurricane fly," my favorite line.