Unpopular Opinion: Home Alone is overrated (A Christmas Edition)

*Jingle Bells starts playing as snow starts falling* Merry Christmas, friends! Ahh I just can’t believe it’s already the time of the holidays. Christmas time is my favorite season—Winter and the time of snow and coziness. I can’t wait for the actual day! 

In this occasion, I wanted to share today all my favorite Christmas things—books and movies. So grab a hot drink and sit by the window to watch the snow fall (it’s actually snowing here!). 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

–Ephesians 2:8-9

Books

Holiday books, not gonna lie, are some of my favorites—although I haven’t read all that many. There is something about reading a book about this season that is so refreshing. Obviously we don’t read Christmas books during the rest of the year (…right?), so it’s just a different kind of book for the season. 

• A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens—I really can’t start this book section of this post without this book. A Christmas Carol is one book that my family quotes all year round, but especially at Christmas. My grandfather reads it every year—like, it’s a holiday staple. While we all know of Charles Dickens and have read at least one of this works, this one is definitely a Christmas book I have to recommend. CLICK HERE to read my very—very—old, much-in-need-of-an-update review. 
• Faking Christmas, by Cindy Steel—If you want a hilarious, fake dating, enemies-to-lovers holiday romance, then you got it. Faking Christmas I actually read this November (So much for only reading Christmas books in the holiday season…). It is actually so hilarious, I have so many annotations, and I would read it again next year for the fun of it even though I wouldn’t consider it “amazing”. I’m looking forward to reviewing this book soon!
• $3CR3T S@NT@, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes—This is actually a novella apart of the Games Untold collection of short stories Barnes wrote with her The Inheritance Games series. This story was actually so much fun, even though it was short. I think cause I just love The Inheritance Games world, I enjoyed this too. Although some of the other short stories I liked more, this one was fun as well. I will hopefully be reviewing the full collection soon!
• As Sure As The Sea, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes—Although this isn’t necessarily a “Christmas book”, it does follow the life of Saint Nicholas and the christian persecution of his time, as well as other subplots that are so well done. This was my all-time favorite book for a while, and still is one of my favorites. Who knew Santa Claus could be shown in such a swoon-worthy character? CLICK HERE to read my full review!

Movies

Now, you know I always say that books are better than movies, but I know for me: Christmas movies are a big staple in this season. While you can read a whole book in an afternoon if you really wanted to, watching Christmas movies while baking cookies or making gifts are something I do every year with the family.

• What can I say? A Christmas Carol is a staple for my family in both book and movie form. We prefer the George C. Scott version over the others, but we recently went to ballet version that one of my best friends was dancing in, and enjoyed that too, so I think it’s really just the story that we enjoy so much.  
• The Man Who Invented Christmas is a movie loosely based on Charles Dickens, and his life while writing the story of A Christmas Carol. While we enjoyed the og movie, this addition of Dickens novel I think I actually enjoy more. 
• It’s A Wonderful Life is my brothers’ all-time favorite movie, period. It’s one of mine as well, but he tends to want to watch it a little too much—but I guess that just shows our family’s love for it. 
• Now Elf I think is my all time favorite Christmas movie. Its actually hilarious, and worth the watch at least once a year. Honestly, any movie with Will Ferrel is a great movie. 
• White Christmas is my mom’s favorite and also a staple in the Christmas season, although we have yet to watch it this year yet…

Those are the biggies, but there are so many others things that we do and watch in the Christmas season too. I have seen literally so many Hallmark Christmases, and many others throughout the years, and there is something about Holiday themed things that are such a vibe. 

Merry Christmas blogger fam!

Finlee