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In my family, a solid 30 percent of our conversation around the holidays is made up of quotes from our favorite holiday movies. “You’ll shoot your eye out.” “It’s not going in the yard, Russ. It’s going in our living room.” “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.” And of course, Tiny Tim’s classic: “God bless us, everyone.”
If you can also pretty much recite your top Christmas films word-for-word, we’ve got a new way to experience them this season: Pick up the books that started it all! Maybe it’ll even inspire you to start a new tradition of reading together, too.
‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens x ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’
Table of Contents
- ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens x ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’
- ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ by Dr. Seuss x ‘The Grinch’
- ‘The Polar Express’ by Chris Van Allsburg x ‘The Polar Express’
- ‘The Greatest Gift’ by Philip Van Doren Stern x ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
- ‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’ by E.T.A. Hoffmann x ‘The Nutcracker’
- ‘Skipping Christmas’ by John Grisham x ‘Christmas With the Kranks’
- ‘In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash’ by Jean Shepherd x ‘A Christmas Story’
- ‘The Man Who Invented Christmas’ by Les Standiford x ‘The Man Who Invented Christmas’
- ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ by Roderick Thorp and ‘Die Hard’
- ‘Let It Snow’ by John Green, Lauren Myracle, Maureen Johnson x ‘Let It Snow’
Puffin Books
There have been a slew of adaptations of the Charles Dickens classic about a man named Scrooge who’s visited by three ghosts to convince him to be a decent human being. Check out the book to see just how many lines from your favorite film are pulled from the original text — The Muppet Christmas Carol is shockingly faithful!
‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ by Dr. Seuss x ‘The Grinch’
Random House Books for Young Readers;Getty
This Dr. Seuss picture book has been a holiday staple at many households for generations. And with its colorful illustrations, signature Seussical rhyme scheme and inspirational message, it’s not hard to see why. And while there are also several Grinchy flicks, we’re especially partial to the Jim Carey version.
‘The Polar Express’ by Chris Van Allsburg x ‘The Polar Express’
Clarion Books;Moviestore/Shutterstock
When my brother and I were little, we’d read this beautifully illustrated story on Christmas Eve and then shake the little bell that came with it to see if we were still true believers. Now that there’s a film version, you and your kids can watch the movie and then flip through the book to experience the story in a different way.
‘The Greatest Gift’ by Philip Van Doren Stern x ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
Simon & Schuster;RKO Pictures/Archive Photos/Getty
You may already know that Clarence the Angel was reading Tom Sawyer when he took his icy plunge, but did you know the heartwarming Christmas Eve story started as a book? The tale came to its author in a dream one night, and he published the story in a small pamphlet and sent it out as his 1943 Christmas card. One of those 200 cards found its way into the hands of Frank Capra, who shared it with Jimmy Stewart — and the rest is holiday history.
‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’ by E.T.A. Hoffmann x ‘The Nutcracker’
First Second;Laurie Sparham/Walt Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock
The vibrant ballet began as a picture book, and the classic is beautiful. But consider picking up this graphic novel for slightly older readers — it’s the same story, reimagined in a the popular visual style that will have kids asking for “just one more page.”
‘Skipping Christmas’ by John Grisham x ‘Christmas With the Kranks’
Doubleday; Zade Rosenthal/Columbia/Revolution/Kobal/Shutterstock
The 2004 movie starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Tim Allen as a couple who decide to skip Christmas and go on a cruise instead is full of laugh-out-loud moments: The tanning bed scene is burned into my memory (IYKYK). But before it was a film, it started as a festive book by the famed author of books like Camino and The Firm.
‘In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash’ by Jean Shepherd x ‘A Christmas Story’
Crown;Mgm/Ua/Kobal/Shutterstock
Who doesn’t love the story of Ralphie, the kid who’s desperate for a Red Ryder bb gun for Christmas, despite his parents’ insistence that “you’ll shoot your eye out.” Before The Pink Nightmare, the scariest department store Santa ever and the tongue stuck to a flagpole, it all started with this humorous and nostalgic book.
‘The Man Who Invented Christmas’ by Les Standiford x ‘The Man Who Invented Christmas’
Crown;Kerry Brown/Mazur/Kaplan/Kobal/Shutterstock
It was Christmas 1843, and Charles Dickens was down on his luck. He wrote A Christmas Carol hoping to revive his career and when he used his last few pennies to put it out himself, it did more than that: It launched the Christmas holiday back into popularity. The book is just as lovely as the 2017 movie by the same name.
‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ by Roderick Thorp and ‘Die Hard’
Graymalkin Media;20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock
Setting aside the discussion of whether or not Die Hard counts as a Christmas movie, don’t miss the pulse-pounding book that inspired it. If you like thrillers — and the film — this one’s a treat.
‘Let It Snow’ by John Green, Lauren Myracle, Maureen Johnson x ‘Let It Snow’
Speak;Netflix
This trio of interconnected holiday romances from three popular authors is worth picking up all on its own, and the movie is also a ton of fun. Even if you’ve never found love when snowed in, the deeply relatable stories are perfect for a cozy winter watch or read — or both.
