Cosy Christmas Books: Festive Anthologies and Poetry

[@marybeth8788]

May I recommend "Christmas with Anne" by LM Montgomery? A series of short stories and excerpts from her writings that all take place during the holidays. I think you would love it.

[@marionbuck4244]

Fabulous choices, Miranda! Xxx

[@MirandaMills]

Thanks so much, Marion! 📚🎄

[@karenbrowne7233]

What a beautiful collection. I bought a copy of The Christmas Reader when it was first published, like your’s mine is well loved and read, it’s been stepping out for Christmas for a long time now! I also have The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries, it is a lovely, but weighty tome, it sits in my cookery book stand during Christmas, it’s the first thing I read in the morning during December, low lamps and coffee, a perfect start to the day 😍. I’m not really a reader of poetry but have to say I’ve been much inspired by your recommendations, can’t wait for the bookshops to reopen so I can have a browse and perhaps pick one, or several up! Love the table display by the way 😍

[@MirandaMills]

What a lovely idea to read it each morning! Definitely a lovely way to start the days in December. There are such beautiful Christmas poems out there - definitely recommend having a browse! Thank you - the Toy Shop is actually an advent calendar, which I think is so special! Xxx

[@eileennielsen5165]

Miranda! This was most excellent! Thank you!!🤗 I absolutely LOVE and ADORE poetry. Have since I was a child. I really want to add to my Christmas Poetry collection so wrote down some titles. Hope I can find them. I have some great Christmas Anthologies that include Dickens (of course), L.M.Alcott (fave author), L.M.Montgomery, O. Henry, Mark Twain, Longfellow (one of my fave poetr, authors, have been in his home in Cambridge, Mass.) Anne Bronte, Christina Rosetti, etc, etc.. Wish I could stay awake 24 hrs. to read!! You are my favorite "book tube" channel. Most are younger and NOT into reading the good literature, classics, etc. Certainly Not poetry. Thank you so much! Your channel is always SO interesting and fun/ enjoyable. Unfortunately I can't cook like you😑. I certainly can make scones and shortbread from scratch!!😊😀😁 though!

[@sandyokey7728]

What lovely books! Your book collection is marvelous and I so appreciate your sharing it with us. And I’ll definitely be adding the big book of mysteries to my collection.

[@MirandaMills]

Oh wonderful! Thank you so much 😊 📚🎄

[@elizabethirvine9091]

Thank you, this is wonderful. There are a few other Carol Ann Duffy Christmas books - The Christmas Truce, Another Night Before Christmas, The Wren Boys and Wenceslas. All are wonderful, I treated myself to them all last Christmas! X

[@MirandaMills]

Oh that's great to know - thank you! xxx

[@shelleyimmel8067]

Amazing Peace is wonderful and I keep it out on a table all year. I love your selections.🌹

[@xcherry.inkx1950]

What a wonderful video, thank you so much ❤️ I want all of those books!!!!! ✨ Can't wait for your next Christmas video 🎄

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you so much! 😄📚🎄

[@RubyGranger8]

Yes, I am watching this in August -- but oh my goodness, I love your collection of Christmas anthologies! I am very tempted by a few of these... :)

[@angelaspielbusch1237]

Wonderful collection thank you so much for sharing

[@MirandaMills]

Glad you enjoyed it- thank you 😊

[@angelam5943]

This was such a lovely video, Miranda, and you showed so many wonderful Christmas books! Your vintage Christmas books are so charming. I have just started Rosamunde Pilcher's 'Coming Home' which begins at Christmas and I am loving it very much- it is definitely getting me in the Christmas/cosy spirit. Thank you for another fabulous video!

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you so much, Angela! Oh I love 'Coming Home,' but had forgotten it starts at Christmas - will have to return to it myself. Happy reading 📖 xxx

[@MyLocsareREAL]

Oh My Goodness!!!! I’m on cloud 10🥰...I was like a child back in school with my notebook out...writing down titles in between OOHs!!! and AHs!!! Because of all the Beautiful Covers.. Miranda your videos are unmatched🥰🥰 Thank you for ending my weekend on the highest note...I’m about to have a Poetry Collection...Thank you 😊

[@MirandaMills]

Oh yay! So happy you enjoyed it, Kiki! I just love so many of the covers too - they do such a brilliant job on design. Have fun picking out & reading your poetry collection 😊📚🎄

[@MyLocsareREAL]

Miranda, I have to tell you about my adventure today looking for these beautiful poetry books and anthologies... I went online to (3) stores..Amazon, Book Depository, and Waterstones... I ended the journey at WATERSTONES 🥰🥰🥰...I was holding off doing any buying until the day after Thanksgiving but one positive out of this Pandemic is that I’m focused more on MYSELF. and really spoiling myself (so much Fun😂😂) it’s Amazing..blah,blah,blah...I could Blab on forever but I won’t...but I found a lot on my list...”A Literary Christmas”, “A Children’s Literary Christmas”, “The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries” and “An English Christmas” (paperback🤷🏾‍♀️)...the ones that are unavailable just extended the search and the fun🥰🥰

[@MirandaMills]

Oh good, I'm so glad you found quite a few, Kiki! And I think one lovely thing about treating yourself to some nice books is that they last forever - hopefully these will be books you'll enjoy bringing out every Christmas. That's definitely how I feel about mine, anyway! Glad you found everything at Waterstones. And just to make sure you know, I list all the books I mention in the description box underneath the video (click on the little arrow on the right to expand it). I generally link to Blackwells because they tend to have the most wide-ranging selection, I love their bookshops, and they ship abroad, but of course it doesn't matter where you get the books from (and I don't have any affiliate links to Blackwells, I just link to them because I'm a fan!) - I just wanted to make sure you knew that I have them all written down for people! xxx

[@MyLocsareREAL]

Oh!!!!!🤦🏾‍♀️...thank you Miranda...I like their site ,,,just checked.. they tell you how many books are available too..I’m heading out the door this morning feeling very sophisticated. (because I’m Book shopping internationally)

[@MirandaMills]

😂 fabulous!!

[@georgiam4576]

Gorgeous video, Miranda. I have never thought of myself as an anthologies person but have now reconsidered and have revised my gift wishlist to include almost all of your recommendations. As others have remarked, you have a knack for choosing not only wonderful reading but also books as beautiful objects by collecting and highlighting really special editions. I cannot wait for your gift guide now, I cannot imagine how you are going to surpass this video! Loved it!

[@MirandaMills]

Thanks so much for your lovely comment, Georgia! I’ve had a lot of fun over the years building up my Christmas book collection, and it’s a pleasure to share them. So glad you like the look of a few of them too! 😊📚🎄

[@Hannah-xn4st]

I was delighted to see you'd uploaded another Christmas themed recommendations video! You always have such wonderful recommendations. I'm hoping to pick up a few of them over the festive season. I recently purchased The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries and I've been really enjoying dipping in and out of it:)

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you so much! I'm so happy to hear that. The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries is such a fun read - so glad you're enjoying it too! xxx

[@gcm2734]

This has definitely made me feel that Christmas is just around the corner, Miranda! Was pleased to see both you and Donna love The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries as I bought it in January and am just about to start it! Great suggestions as always 👍

[@MirandaMills]

Oh yay, thank you! Doing these videos is definitely getting me in the festive spirit too! The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries is a really fun read, so I hope you enjoy it too! xxx

[@lynnpugh1303]

I just bought the two anthologies by the British Library, and I’m so looking forward to reading them myself and to my kids. I love your vintage collections!

[@MirandaMills]

Oh that's wonderful! I love those two anthologies; I hope your children will enjoy them too! xxx

[@GinaHouse]

Christmas Happiness! I love how lovely your table is decorated, Miranda! Is the Toy Shop a solid item or does it hold Christmas goodies? :D I loved your recommendations and I paused your video so that I could add more books to my wishlist. I actually bought a couple, too! My poor budget - lol. I can't wait to start reading all of my Christmas books! If I don't get to them all this year, I'm excited to have some joyful and festive reads for next year, too. Your video made my Sunday extra wonderful. Thank you so much and warm hugs from New Hampshire! :D xoxo

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you so much, Gina! The Toy Shop is actually a 3D paper advent calendar by Emily Sutton. I am not sure I'll actually end up opening it, as it's so gorgeous I want to keep it intact! Isn't it clever?! I bought it last year, but didn't get the chance to display it until this year. So glad you enjoyed my recommendations, and yes, these will definitely be books that I hope you'll enjoy for many Christmases to come :) xxx

[@pamelapoet9]

That Wordsworth/Duffy gem is on the list! Thank you for pulling together so many extraordinary holiday reads.

[@MirandaMills]

It's such a lovely poem and book, Pamela! I hope you enjoy it too. Thank you for your lovely comment! xxx

[@yumiari2469]

Excellent choices Miranda 🌟. I can’t wait to read some of these leading up to Christmas 🎄

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you, Yumi! xxx

[@juliavasquez82]

Hi Miranda! Thank you very much for your recommendations. What a great idea to read one of these anthologies over Christmas! By the way, you have gorgeous covers in the UK!

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you, Julia! I love to an anthology (or several 😂) on the go over Christmas. They’re perfect for dipping in and out of 😊📚🎄

[@juliavasquez82]

@@MirandaMills yes, indeed!😀

[@yorkshirerose6334]

Hi Miranda I thought of a Christmas book I think you would like but may not know because it is Canadian. It reminds me A Child’s Christmas in Wales being a tale told of the authors Christmas as a boy on his family’s farm on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. It is called To Everything There is a Season and is by one of my favourite Canadian authors, Alistair Macleod. It is a short work but I am sure you would love it. He is of the same generation as Thomas and there is that same melancholy almost haunting telling of the tale as of ghosts of Christmas past. Happy Christmas. From your Yorkshire friend in Canada 🇨🇦

[@MirandaMills]

Oh thanks so much! I was born in Canada and have a lot of Canadian relatives, so I do know Alistair Macleod’s book. Thanks for reminding me of it! 📚💫🎄

[@susannesindevski9295]

Thank you for another great video Miranda, my wish list has grown yet again! Christmas has such a different feel here in Australia, it's hard to find suitable books seeing as it is summer time. I'll keep searching, and in the meantime will dream of a cosy, snowy Christmas!

[@MirandaMills]

Thanks so much, Susanne! Yes, I can imagine that is a bit of a challenge in Australia. Hope you find some suitable ones! xxx

[@yorkshirerose6334]

I have a lovely little book I get out called Classic Hymns & Carols with a short foreword by John Betjeman. The carols are at the end and I just checked and it is still in print. A nice spiritual uplifting book easy to pick up and ponder. It has some unusual hymns which were originally poems. And thank you for doing these videos. Like you I refuse to let Christmas be cancelled no matter what is happening. We can make a simple loving Christmas at home like our ancestors did in their darkest days. We have to hold on like they did that the light will come on again. We have to hold on to what is most important.

[@ralucaferrari7101]

What a great video, I've put most of them on my wish list. I was wandering if you could also make a video about Yorkshire, its traditions and a little bit of history. And maybe some book recommendations. I am curious to discover new things. 🌹

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you! I’ll have a think about that xxx