Read around the world: 12 unusual reads for the 12 days of Christmas

12 Christmas and winter reads from around the world

From Europe:

Did you know the creator of The Lord of the Rings wrote letters from “Father Christmas” to his children every December? In these enchanting letters, Tolkien spins tales of life at the North Pole, complete with mischievous polar bears, elves, and goblin attacks. A charming and magical read for all ages. I have a physical copy of this book in my bookshelf, but I actually never read it. Maybe this year?

Among the most unusual, moving, and memorable of Christmas stories. A simple anecdote of village life opens up into a tale of almost unbearable suspense. Two children set out from their village high up in the Alps to visit their grandparents in the neighboring valley. It is the day before Christmas but the weather is mild. But night falls early in December, snow begins to fall, ever more thickly and steadily, and the children take a wrong turn and discover themselves out on a glacier, terrifying and beautiful, the heart of the void.

From North America:

This book was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction and an international bestseller, and it has been on my to-read list for years. Maybe now is the time to finally read it? The Snow Child is inspired by a Russian fairy tale, but set in 1920s Alaska. It tells the story of a grieving couple who builds a child out of snow — only to find a mysterious girl in the woods this next day. They come to love her as their own daughter, but in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about her will transform all of them.

Do you sometimes feel like skipping Christmas altogether? Luther and Nora Krank decide that, just this once, they’ll do just that. Theirs will be the only house on the street without a rooftop Frosty the snowman; they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren’t even going to have a tree. They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But, as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences — and isn’t half as easy as they’d imagine. For something fun to use as a Christmas-stress-antidote, this might be the right choice.

From Asia:

This classic Japanese novel takes you to a remote hot springs town blanketed in snow. Amid the quiet beauty, a fleeting love affair unfolds between a wealthy man and a geisha. Nobel Prize recipient Kawabata’s lyrical prose evokes the stark, delicate beauty of winter in Japan, and Snow Country is widely considered to be the writer’s masterpiece. I have been reading a lot of Japanese and South Korean fiction in the last year, but I have yet to read this one.

There is no shortage of cheesy Christmas themed romances to be found from Europe and North America. But how about something a little different — a romance novel set in India? Can a Christian boy marry a girl of Sarna faith? An intriguing tale of how Mark wins his love and the young couple’s struggle to unite in a tribal society amidst religious confinement, anger and obstructions of their families, and religious tensions which swept their entire village once upon a time. I have not been able to find reviews of this book, but the setting sounds interesting.

From Africa:

Finding Christmas books set in Africa is not an easy task! But I did come across this poetry collection by Nigerian Chinua Achebe, whose first novel Things Fall Apart is the most widely read book in modern African literature, (and one of the books I did manage to read the first time I attempted to read the world). Though I don’t usually read poetry, a Christmas poem by him might be interesting.

A glimpse into the customs and practices of more than 13 African nations, with a taste of the traditional foods and common rituals. Vibrant photographs display the cultural variety and demonstrate the ways in which unlikely communities work together to make the season a festive time for all, including the most impoverished. You might just walk away challenged on the concepts of what it really means to have peace, joy and love during the holiday season. Terry Lister is a former cabinet minister from Bermuda. Since his retirement in 2014 he has dedicated himself to traveling the world, and so far he has visited every country in Central and South America and 22 African countries.

From South America:

In the Midst of Winter begins with a minor traffic accident in present-day Brooklyn — which becomes the catalyst for an unexpected and moving love story. A sweeping novel about three very different people who are brought together in a mesmerizing story that will journey to Guatemala in the recent past to 1970s Chile and Brazil. Chilean-American Isabel Allende has been one of my favourite authors ever since i read The House of the Spirits thirty years ago, but I had not heard of this book before I started research for this post. This goes straight into the “to be read”-pile.

From Australia:

Christmas trees are disappearing, but don’t expect snowstorms here — Christmas Down Under means summer heat and sunshine! This cozy and mystery delivers small-town Australian charm, a dash of suspense, and just the right amount of festive cheer to keep you guessing. When the darkness of Danish December gets to me, this might be just the thing.

From Antarctica:

Eighty-five-year-old Veronica McCreedy is estranged from her family and wants to find a worthwhile cause to leave her fortune to. When she sees a documentary about penguins being studied in Antarctica, she tells the scientists she’s coming to visit — and she won’t take no for an answer. Shortly after arriving, she convinces the reluctant team to rescue an orphaned baby penguin. He becomes part of life at the base, and Veronica’s closed heart starts to open. For me this book sounds like the perfect antidote to winter blues.

And if you just can’t choose where to go:

If you just can’t choose where to go, let’s just go everywhere! Do you know that in Guatemala there’s a “Burn the Devil” tradition to kick off the Christmas season, where revelers gather to set fire to devil-piñatas? In Sweden, a popular figure in Christmas traditions is the Yule Goat, a rowdy, menacing character who demands gifts. And in Japan, a big bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken has become the classic Christmas Day feast. These and many other global Christmas traditions are featured here in this delightful book. From decorations and activities to feasts and special treats, there’s a wide range of both lovely and unusual traditions from around the globe.