Following on from my post the other day about why I love festive books, I thought a good follow up might be to talk about what makes a good festive book. And feel free to let me know your own thoughts on the topic or the kind of things you think make good winter reads.
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Not every festive book is the same, of course, and there’s no specific formula that’ll immediately make a festive themed book good. It’s like with any other book – there are tropes writers can use, and different elements they can bring in, but a lot comes down to skill and talent at the end of the day. Many things that make a good book in general apply, of course – an interesting plot, characters you want to read about, dialogue that doesn’t sound stilted and forced – but there are some things that make festive themed books really shine.
Aesthetic
I think aesthetic impacts some books more than others – you can’t have gothic books without that gothic atmosphere! But in festive themed books, there really needs to be that sense of the holidays. Whether it’s decorations, events, weather, or the type of food the characters consume. There needs to be that strong sense of the time of year.
Love
This goes for the lighter side of festive reads rather than, say, horror, but even non-romance festive books have some element of love in them. A reoccurring theme is to do with connection and community, whether it comes from family, the area, a partner or friends. If characters start off a little Grinch-y and lonely, guarantee by the end of the book they won’t be.
Celebrating…In Their Own Way
This comes up in books where one character (or maybe both, occasionally) doesn’t like Christmas, or isn’t looking forward to the season for some reason, or is maybe just a little indifferent towards it. When they come around, however, usually thanks to a kind, patient partner, they realise they don’t have to do Christmas or the holidays in a specific way because everyone else is, but can celebrate it in their own way, with their loved ones, however they feel comfortable. I love when books do this, and it’s one of my favourite versions of grumpy/sunshine.
Magic!
Some of the best festive books I’ve read contain some element of magic, even if it’s very subtle. I think it ties in with mid-winter festivals feeling slightly magical themselves, the light in the darkness idea. Whether it’s a white-bearded gentleman nudging a couple together, or an animal causing a little trouble at the exact right moment, or maybe just a few coincidences, there’s usually something that nudges you towards believing, if only for a second – and that’s not even going into the books which have stronger magical elements involved in them!
As always I’d love to hear your thoughts – what do you think makes a good festive/winter holidays book? Do you have any recommendations? I’d love to branch out a bit more from romance for my winter reading next year.
Unwrapping Words 