12 Days of Book-Mas: Holiday Reads to Bring the Cosy Cheer

Is there any season as cosy as the holiday season? Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, curled up on the couch with a blanket and a cup of warm hot chocolate, you look outside your frosted windowpane to see… the sun absolutely blazing.

Yes, the Christmas season looks a little different in a tropical country, where the seasons oscillate between hot, less hot, and rainy. Despite this, it is said that a good book is all you need to be transported to a different time and place.

In the spirit of the 12 Days of Christmas, Masala has rounded up 12 books to provide you with holiday cheer.

Wandering the bleak English moors where it is never warm enough and getting entangled in the twisted history of Thrushcross Grange? Classic.

Four friends in New York City who like their Christmases full of mischief, trying desperately not to grow apart. If Friends (1994–2004) is your favourite show, you’ll love this.

Who dun it to someone who built their career on who-dun-its? Knives Out meets Christmas cheer in this holly-jolly mystery.

Three chilling ghosts, Christmas Eve, an old man with lots of money—who hasn’t heard of eating the rich? A cosy Christmas classic for good reason.

If you like Gilmore Girls (2000–2007), if you like Taylor Swift, and if you love Christmas, say less. This is the book for you.

For the non-committal single belles, here are 12 stories—short and sweet—for a nostalgic holiday season.

Find the right one, again and again, this Christmas. Snuggle in bed with your hot cocoa—this one’s a cosy read.

Holidays come with family drama. This holiday season, why not read about it instead of experiencing it? In the words of Laurie Laurence: “It’s no use, Jo, we’ve got to have it out.”

A lonely girl meets a sad boy one fateful Christmas through a series of dares. Through shared letters (pen pals), Dash and Lily fall in love.

You know what’s really ho-ho-hot? Keeping the magic of Christmas alive. In this festive read, Connor Finch serves up ‘Saint Nick energy’ and the spirit of holiday giving.

1989… Welcome to New York. What if you were given a chance to unravel a mystery from winter’s past at the chilling Starvewood Hall? Murder mystery? Gothic tale? You decide.

Finding true love at your best friend’s wedding—on Christmas? Sounds straight out of a Hallmark movie or a Dharma Productions original. Discover the season for holidays and true love with this desi love story.