The holiday season, stretching from Thanksgiving through New Years, can be a time of joy, celebration, gatherings with family and friends and reflection of blessings. This is not the case for all, as many people reflect on their current situation, be it financial, relational, spiritual or other. And with all of the current events of this year, stress and depression are affecting us even more this holiday season. A good way to help cope with the holiday blues is a laugh and a feel-good holiday story. Here are some recommendations to keep you in the holiday spirit through these trying times.

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

A best-selling classic features essays on the joys and embarrassments of favorite holidays, in a volume that includes tales of tardy trick-or-treaters, the difficulties of explaining the Easter Bunny to another culture and a barnyard Secret Santa scheme gone awry.

 

 

 

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

Luther and Nora Krank decide to avoid the chaos and frenzy of Christmas by taking a Caribbean cruise during the holidays, but their plans have unexpected consequences. A classic tale for modern times, Skipping Christmas offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that have become part of our holiday tradition.

 

 

 

An Idiot Girl's Christmas: True Tales from the Top of the Naughty List by Laurie Notaro

In a hilarious compendium of essays and accounts of her autobiographical misadventures and life experiences, the author of  The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Guide  describes a series of Yuletide disasters and mishaps, from a Christmas tree tug-of-war with her mother to a catastrophic introduction to her future in-laws.

 

 

A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd

Ralphie, a nine-year-old boy in 1940s Indiana, dreams of receiving a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas but encounters resistance at every turn when he makes his wish known. This edition of A Christmas Story gathers together in one hilarious volume the gems of autobiographical humor that Jean Shepherd drew upon to create this enduring film.

 

 

 

The Worst Noel: Hellish Holiday Tales

Everyone has a Christmas-nightmare story to tell. Some of the best writers around have gone through some of the worst Christmases ever. Their tales of holly-draped horror are gathered here for your amusement, from Neal Pollack's Christmas-ham disaster to the accidental Santahood of Joni Rodgers to Binnie Kirshenbaum's receiving what may be the worst gift ever given. And Stanley Bing gives us a peek at the lonely guy's Xmas feast. 

 

 

The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry (audiobook only)

Delighted to be playing the part of a shepherd in the local Christmas pageant at St. John's Episcopal Church, Doug Barnes is suddenly confronted by a host of problems, including the misbehavior of his fellow shepherds and the illness of the family dog.

 

 

 

The Christmas Blizzard by Garrison Keillor (audiobook only)

A short comic novel about a Hawaii-bound holiday traveler who ends up stranded in his North Dakota hometown during a blizzard.

 

 

 

 

And a Few for the Kids:

5 More Sleeps 'Til Christmas by Jimmy Fallon

Everyone who grew up celebrating Christmas remembers the excitement that built up to the most magical day of the year. But why not make the last week until Christmas more fun by counting how many sleeps until the arrival of Santa and his reindeer?

 

 

 

The Haunted Tea-Cosy: A Dispirited and Distasteful Diversion for Christmas by Edward Gorey

Provides an off-beat look at Christmas and the holiday season in a new version of Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol"

 

 

Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright; illustrated by Stephen Gilpin

A snowman who finds it dreadfully cold keeps doing things that cause him to melt, while the children who rebuild him each time offer clothing to keep him warm. 

 

 

 

 

---

Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!

Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.