As December rolls around once again, it brings with it the beloved festive season, and whilst Christmas can bring peace and calm for some, for others it is a period of time that is overloaded with stress and anxiety. However, there are ways of combating this and simultaneously getting into the spirit of the holiday.
In a 2009 study by the consultancy Mindlab at the University of Sussex, it was discovered that “reading reduces stress levels by 68%, making it a more effective means of relaxation than taking a walk, drinking a cup of tea, or playing video games.”
So what makes a perfect cosy read to calm a constantly chaotic brain during the busiest time of the year? Perhaps a typical Bridget Jones-esque love interest in a chunky knit scarf? Or maybe endless festive cliches, with log fires and Christmas dinners, snow falling just as the protagonist steals the first kiss?
As someone that is already an avid reader, I was intrigued by this and wanted to find out what the students at Marjon University were reading or planning to read over the Christmas holidays, and hoped to compile a list of ‘Christmas Comfort Reads’ to ease the uneasy this December.
3 – All I want for Christmas by Karen Swan
Sunday Times bestselling cosy winter romance
“Christmas in Copenhagen is a magical time of year but Darcy Cotterell isn’t feeling festive. Newly single, again, she’s not even going home for Christmas. Instead she will be spending her holiday finishing her art history PhD. Her best friend, Freja, has other ideas. She signs Darcy up to a dating app, determined that she won’t be lonely this Christmas.
Darcy agrees to three dates – but her mind is on work, not play: an unknown portrait by Denmark’s greatest painter has been found and she is tasked with identifying the woman in the painting. During her research, she encounters sexy, arrogant lawyer Max Lorensen – who happens to be bachelor number one! The attraction is instant but, knowing they must work together, they abandon the match. Or try to. But their feelings are undeniable – until Darcy discovers Max has an agenda . . .”
2 – The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore by Laurie Gilmore
Follow-up to bestseller ‘The Pumpkin Spice Café’
“Working at Dream Harbor’s bookstore, Hazel Kelly spends her time surrounded by books, but with her thirtieth birthday drawing near, she worries she has no exciting stories of her own. What she needs is an adventure.
Noah’s life on the other hand seems to just be one big adventure. With his boat and tattoos, the man lives and breathes excitement.
When clues start turning up between the pages of the books in her store, Noah offers to help Hazel decode them. And who better to help than the most adventurous person she’s ever met.
As the treasure hunt leads them around town, Hazel and Noah unexpectedly find themselves falling for each other. Is it possible that a summer fling could turn into some more, or was it simply the adventure that brought them together?”
1 – The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore
The third installment from the bestselling author
“Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that’s too cute for its own good.
Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor taking a break from his life in California. And most importantly, taking a break from his latest run of disastrous dates.
After a run in with Kira in her fields, Ben has no intention of offering to help the grumpy owner set up her tree farm, despite the fact she’s clearly got no idea what she’s doing.
Kira knows she should stop being so stubborn, but her farm is not all cute and cozy like people always show on social media, it’s borderline dangerous with no heating, and she’d rather no one saw it.
But somehow fate finds Ben at Kira’s farm once more, and as Kira watches him swing an ax at the first tree, she finds herself appreciating his strength and questioning why she refused help in the first place.”
So proud of you