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One of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is snuggle up by the fire with my daughter and read aloud our favorite Christmas books. Since I pack the books away along with the Christmas decorations, every year it is like discovering old friends again. I have been buying Christmas books for 13 years now so I tons and love them all, but here are 5 of my favorites.

The Nativity: Six Glorious Pop-Up Scenes by Francesca Crespi I have several books about the nativity, but I love this one because I like pop-up books. Usually I would not recommend pop-up books for young children, but this one is very sturdy and pretty kid-friendly.

Christmas For 10 by Cathryn Falwell This book is a holiday version of another book by Cathryn Falwell, Feast for 10. When my son was about 2 1/2 he had memorized Feast for 10 and “read” it aloud during our local bookstore story hour, so Ms. Falwell books have sentimental meaning for me. But mother-pride aside, I love her books because they show a family working co-operatively to create a meal and enjoy it together, or in this case prepare for Christmas while spending quality time together. As a bonus, it is always nice to find books featuring people of color.

Mrs. Claus Take a Vacation by Linas Alsenas This is a fairly new book to our collection and while it is very simple, I like it. Mrs. Claus gets fed up staying home while Santa sees the world, so she decides to go a solo trip, leaving Santa at home to prepare for Christmas by himself. I like that Mrs. Claus is independent enough to have a great time by herself (while Santa is at home moping), but that eventually she does miss Santa and comes home. A fun read for kids, but a thoughtful message about the growth of a marriage too.

‘Twas the Night B’fore Christmas: An African American Version Retold by Melodye Rosales I know; just how many versions of this story is necessary? I have several versions myself, but this is my favorite. I will tell you that the written language in this version is not “proper” english, but instead colloquial language that would have been used during the turn of the century, so if you have a problem with that, this is not the book for you. But I found the language to be rich and full of detail, like reading Zora Neale Hurston. The illustrations are beautiful and the Santa in this version of the famous poem is quite a character! I just love the last line in the book as Santa rides away in his sleigh, “Merry Christmas To All! Y’all Sleep Tight!”

*If you see a copy of this book, snag it right away! As I just searched for it on Amazon, I saw that people are selling this book starting at $50 and well into the $100′s. Wow.

My final book suggestion is only for true believers in Santa Claus. I bought this book, Santa Claus by Rod Green, in 2006 when it first came out and I think that we might have gotten through the whole book once because it is so rich and full of information. If you or your kids have ever wondered just how Santa does all that he does, this is the book for you! The North Pole, Santa’s workshop, the reindeer, the suit, the sleigh, delivering the presents–it’s all explained in this book. This book is best explored a little bit at a time because it is quite a lot to digest in one sitting. It would also make a great gift as it is a really beautiful book.

I hope that I have given you a suggestion or two of Christmas books to share with your child. Make some hot cocoa, get a cozy blanket, grab a book and snuggle up to read together; these are the times that memories are made of.

*Does anyone remember Easy Reader (Morgan Freeman) from The Electric Company

Like Easy Reader, reading is a favorite activity; here are some books that I have read lately:

On a recent vacation I got caught up on all my magazines and read two novels: New England White by Stephen L. Carter and The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho. Paulo Coelho’s book was a short read; I skipped the new-agey forward and got to the heart of the book, the question of good and evil. It was an interesting read and would be good for discussion. I really enjoyed New England White as I did Carter’s previous book, The Emperor of Ocean Park, and I have The Palace Council waiting in the wings. I love a good mystery and his books don’t disappoint, but why-oh-why do they have to be so long? And big–I think they caused my luggage to be over the weight limit.

This summer my kids and I have been using the ice cream maker that we got for Christmas. To expand our ice cream knowledge base and increase our repertoire, we went to Barnes & Noble sat down in the cafe with all the books that they had about ice cream. We finally settled on The Ice Cream Bible by Marilyn Linton & Tanya Linton. This book has nice photos, tons of recipes and easy to follow directions. We have made several batches of great ice cream and have all but eliminated our trips to Ben & Jerry’s; our ice cream is that good.

I have been a mother for some years now and as such I have gone through several stages of motherhood. I find it to be a very complex role: calming, yet physically demanding, intellectually stimulating, yet mind-numbing, and emotionally fulfilling, yet heart-wrenching. As a result, I have grown and learned so much about myself. I believe that this is the inner-life of most mothers, so I am fascinated with books that deal with the complexities of motherhood.

Jump at the Sun by Kim Mclarin, The 10 Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer and Anything for Jane by Cheryl Mendelson are all fictional books that are not only great reads, but thought-provoking in their particular commentary about motherhood, children and domestic life.

To Hell with All That: Loving and Loathing Our Inner Housewife by Caitlin Flanagain and The Empty Nest: 31 Parents Tell the Truth About Relationships, Love, and Freedom After the Kids Fly the Coop by Karen Stabiner are both non-fiction books. I really enjoyed The Empty Nest because while I haven’t yet experienced this aspect of motherhood, I am starting to see how this motherhood gig is not just for 18 some years, but forever. It was fascinating to read how even when the kids are gone, their absence (or, God-forbid, their re-appearance) frames how we spend the rest of our lives.

So, now you have several reasons to get off the computer and read a good book:

Go. Make Easy Reader proud.