7 YA Books to Read, Based on Your Favorite Holiday Movie
There is no shortage of amazing holiday films out in the world—from classics like Miracle on 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life, to the Vanessa Hudgens classics-in-the-making, The Knight Before Christmas and The Princess Switch. If you’re curled up on the couch after finishing one of these movies, why don’t you stay under the covers with a cup of hot chocolate and pull up one of these books? Based on your favorite holiday film, here’s what book you need to read next!
If your favorite holiday movie is Elf, read The Cruel Prince
Inspired by this tweet, if your favorite holiday movie is Elf, you should read The Cruel Prince. Buddy is basically Jude, sans knives and murder. Can you imagine a holiday movie where Jude tries and fails to make eggnog, Cardan decorates Jude’s room with mistletoe after Vivi tells him about the tradition, and everyone gets confused by revolving doors at Macy’s and accidentally kill one of the mall Santas? Hollywood, hire me.
If your favorite holiday movie is Let It Snow, read When the Stars Lead to You
So you’ve re-read the Let It Snow book and seen the movie—what to do now?!?! It’s time for you to pick up an equally romantic, heart-warming, fun read with a relatable cast of characters. You could have guessed I was going to say When the Stars Lead to You, right? Ronni Davis’ debut is the perfect book to warm your heart after watching Let It Snow. Guaranteed to make you cry, sad and happy tears.
If your favorite holiday movie is The Christmas Prince, read Truly Madly Royally
Raise your hand if you shamelessly watch Netflix and Hallmark holiday romance movies year round. If your Netflix holiday go-to’s are movies like The Christmas Prince and The Princess Switch, then you should check out Debbie Rigaud’s Truly Madly Royally. I love royalty tropes so much, and I love it even more when these tropes star marginalized characters that don’t typically get to experience these types of stories. Zora and Owen will make you go squish.
If your favorite holiday movie is The Nightmare Before Christmas, read The Bone Houses
The Nightmare Before Christmas is known for its iconic music, delightfully horrifying, genre-bending story, and only-slightly-terrifying-but-definitely-lovable main characters. So if you need some atmospheric, creepy vibes along with your heartwarming stories, The Bone Houses is the right book for you! My favorite softboi mapmaker, Katniss-esque grave digger, and the only bone goat I will ever love thank you for your holiday consideration.
If your favorite holiday movie is Die Hard, read The Winter Duke
Every year families all around the world come together to argue about whether or not Die Hard is a holiday movie or not. The inclusion of Die Hard on this listicle confirms that I believe it is a holiday movie. So if you love Die Hard, you should read The Winter Duke this season! Unlike Die Hard, though, The Winter Duke has much more magic, political drama, and queer girls doing their best—which makes it exactly the book I want to read this December.
If you’re seeing Little Women (which is surely to become your next favorite holiday movie), read Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy is a graphic novel modern-retelling of the original book, that reimagines the Marchs as a blended family living in New York City. While this graphic novel unfortunately does not have Timothée Chalamet, it DOES have bold and bright illustrations, humor, sister bonding, and girls supporting other girls. Watching Little Women and re-reading this book might become my new December tradition.