Top Ten Tuesday – Holiday Reads

It’s Blogmas day 3 and I’m delighted to be back with a Top Ten Tuesday post! With me accidentally taking November off blogging it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these but there are some great prompts coming up throughout December and I’m looking forward to sharing my answers with you!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

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Holiday Reads

Here’s the thing, I don’t really have books that I would regularly chose to read over and over again, there certainly aren’t ten of them that I sit down to read every Christmas. On the other hand I figured I could probably come up with 10 categories of book that I would like to get a chance to read during some well deserved time off from work – so that’s what I’ve done!

A Childhood Favourite:- Northern Lights by Philip Pullman




Nine times out of ten if you asked me which series of books from my tween/teen years I was thinking about re-reading it would probably be Harry Potter however I actually brought my childhood copies of His Dark Materials back to Scotland with me when I visited home in the summer. I had planned to re-read them before The Secret Commonwealth came out but that didn’t happen… If I leave it too much longer to re-read them and get onto The Book Of Dust Charlotte may never forgive me!



An autobiography:- Over The Top by Jonathan Van Ness



I don’t think it’s Christmas in the publishing world unless a slew of memoirs is released on the public in time to be bought as Christmas gifts. I am so fussy when it comes to memoirs, unless it’s one I’ve specifically asked for I wouldn’t advise buying me a memoir, there are plenty of people I do really like but I wouldn’t want to sit down and read about. I’ve read a few sport stars memoirs over the years, one that I have already bought myself this year though is Jonathan Van Ness’s memoir. I adore him on Queer Eye and it’s a fairly slim book for a biography so I’m planning on firing my way through it once I’ve finished up for Christmas.


We’re rapidly heading for the end of the year, it’s that time of the year when I realise exactly how many 2019 releases are sitting on my shelf feeling unloved! In my quest to get through a few of them I’ve picked a Middle Grade, Young Adult and Adult novel I’d like to make it through by the time we tick over into 2020.

A 2019 Middle Grade Release:- Frostheart by Jamie Littler

This one is a relatively recent release, only coming out in October but it’s seasonal so I think it will be a brilliant winters read!


A 2019 Young Adult Release:- A Girl Called Shameless by Laura Steven

I was late to the party with The Exact Opposite Of Okay and now I’m almost as late to the party with the follow up. I shall put this right by the end of December!


A 2019 Adult Release:- Cold As The Grave by James Oswald

I absolutely adore the Inspector McLean series by James Oswald so I really can’t explain why I haven’t sit down and devoured this story since it’s release way back in February. I have read both the books in his new series featuring Constance Fairchild though… I must set this right before the tenth book comes out in 2020


Of course this isn’t only the end of the year, it’s the end of the decade! What are we calling this decade? The Tens? Doesn’t really have a great ring to it! Anyway I think it means it’s time to think about some of the books that have been languishing on my shelves for even longer!

Backlist Middle Grade Novel:- The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth by Katherine Woodfine

I feel like including this one is cheating slightly as it’s only been on my shelf since August this year, it was released in 2016 though and there are a couple of others in the series I need to make it through to catch up and make it onto the follow up series.


Backlist Young Adult Novel:- The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

Apparently this one was released all the way back in 2015!!! It’s been sitting on my shelf for nearly two years and I know several massive Mel fans who will be most upset if I put it off much longer!


Backlist Adult Novel:- The Sentence Is Death by Anthony Horowitz

I thought The Word Is Murder Anthony’s first entry in the Hawthorn series was such an interesting concept. How many authors explicitly insert themselves as a central character in their own books?! This has also been on my shelf since its release at the end of last year and is another that must be rectified!


December Releases:- The Blossom Twins by Carol Wyer and The Girls In The Lake by Helen Phifer

As you reach the end of the year it’s very easy to get stuck looking backwards – I mean six of this top ten (well eleven as I’ve cheated in this category and included two books) are already published and sitting on my shelves. But that’s not to say there aren’t some wonderful new releases due out this month. One of my favourite crime publishers Bookouture are releasing the latest books in the DI Natalie Ward and the Beth Adams series in the next week or so. So amongst all the slightly older releases on my list also fall these two tales which I’m expecting to absolutely fly through if these wonderful author’s previous books are anything to go by!


Finally something Christmasy – The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore

I couldn’t possibly have a list of holiday reads without including a true Christmasy read! I’m not sure it’s quite enough to balance out all the death a murder appearing ahead of this list but I think it’s probably fair to say that most people who celebrate Christmas will be aware of the poem which begins

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse

Growing up my grandma had a copy of the book pictured which contained the poem, but also changing pictures and flaps. I loved this book and I wish I knew what had happened to it, I’d definitely be curling up and flicking through it this Christmas if I had it with me!

My first Top Ten Tuesday in a while complete! What would make your list of Holiday reads? Do you have books you like to sit down with every Christmas? Let me know in the comments!

19 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday – Holiday Reads

  1. Nikki @The Night is Dark and Full of Books

    I also couldn’t really think of ten holiday reads so I just went with something completely different for my list. The only book I could think of that I could read that would feel festive would be Harry Potter, but I expect that on most people’s list. I hope you get to some of these lovely books during some of your time off work. Happy reading! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Pingback: Tag Thursday – The Christmas Cracker Tag – Sarah Withers Blogs

  3. goldenbooksgirl

    I’m hoping to read Frostheart over my Christmas holidays, hopefully! There are so many books I want to get to that I haven’t yet it’s embarrassing 🙈. I’m really excited to hear your thoughts on A Girl Called Shameless and Katherine Woodfine!
    Amy x

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Pingback: Top Ten Tuesday – Books I'm Ditching From My 2020 TBR – Sarah Withers Blogs

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