This weekend I didn't get very much writing done because I was a little distracted by it finally being December 😊
Yes, the decorations are now up 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

I say "finally," about December, but in actual fact this year has gone by so fast I feel more than a little unprepared for the holiday season. To get me in the mood, I thought I would look at some festive young adult reading choices and today's post contains three suggestions. Fair warning: they are all romance plots, which seems to be a recurring theme for Christmas books. I confess that I go through phases of liking/not liking romance, but at this time of year I am more easily persuaded!

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Amazon US
Amazon description
I've left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don't, put the book back on the shelf, please.
At the urge of her lucky-in-love brother, sixteen-year-old Lily has left a red notebook full of dares on her favourite bookshop shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept. Curious, snarky Dash isn’t one to back down from a challenge – and the Book of Dares is the perfect distraction he’s been looking for.
As they send each other on a scavenger hunt across Manhattan, they’re falling for each other on paper. But finding out if their real selves share their on-page chemistry could be their biggest dare yet….

I read this one ages ago and absolutely loved it. I realised recently that I haven't got around to reading its sequel: The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily, which is a great excuse for me to read the first book again!
Here are a couple of quotes to introduce you to the characters:
Lily: I've always resented Hermione, because I wanted to be her so badly and she never seemed to appreciate as much as I thought she should that she got be her. She got to live at Hogwarts and be friends with Harry and kiss Ron, which was supposed to happen to me.
Dash: I find I very rarely live up to my words. And since you know me primarily through my words, there are oh so many ways I can disappoint.

And also, it opens really well:
Imagine this:
You’re in your favorite bookstore, scanning the shelves. You get to the section where a favorite author’s books reside, and there, nestled in comfortably between the incredibly familiar spines, sits a red notebook.
What do you do?
The choice, I think, is obvious:
You take down the red notebook and open it.
And then you do whatever it tells you to do. 

My True Love Gave to Me, short story collection by various authors
Amazon US
Amazon description
This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. The stories are filled with the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays.

This book is great for three reasons:
1. The kindle version is currently £0.99/$0.99 on Amazon.
2. It's made up of short stories, which means you dip in and out of it easily.
3. There are lots of different styles/authors, which increases the chance you'll find something you like.

Here are a few quotes:
"He says presents aren't important, but I think they are - not because of how much they cost, but for the opportunity they provide to say I understand you."
"Shame leads to secrets, and secrets lead to lies, and lies ruin everything."
"And there - when he smiles, his whole faces lights up. It's like his other expressions are placeholders."

Kiss Me in New York, by Catherine Rider
Amazon US
Amazon description
Charlotte is a British student, waiting for a flight home after the worst semester of her life. Anthony is a native New Yorker, surprising his girlfriend at the airport after three months apart. Charlotte has just been dumped, and Anthony is about to be dumped, right in the middle of the holiday crowd.

Charlotte’s flight is cancelled when a blizzard blows in, and Anthony can’t bear to go home. So, they set out into the city together, clutching a book Charlotte picks up in the airport gift shop: Ten Easy Steps for Getting Over Your Ex. For this one night, they’ll focus on healing their broken hearts ... together.

I haven't read this yet, but I'm going to try it because it looks like a sweet story, it's not too long, and although I am fussy when it comes to romances, I like the sound of this one.

Also, I usually reread at least one of the Harry Potter books over Christmas. I suppose it's kind of like a tradition, along with The Night Before Christmas and A Christmas Carol. As you can see, my cat's tradition is to take up residence under the tree and treat it like a giant cat toy 🐈

Do you have any particular books you're looking forward to reading this Christmas or any recommendations? Thank you for stopping by my blog today!