Each month Candace of Beth Fish Reads recommends the best in audiobooks, the perfect way to read when you’re on the move. This month’s selections will ramp up your Christmas spirit.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
by Barbara Robinson, read by C. J. Critt
Everyone knows the Herdman kids are trouble. They play tricks at school, they set things on fire, and they smoke cigars. Worse still, although none of the six children knows the Christmas story, they’ve bullied their way into running this year’s pageant. Baby Jesus may end up with some unusual gifts from the Wise Men, but the deeper meaning of the holiday shines through in this much-loved tale. Barbara Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever has been a family holiday favorite for years, and the new audiobook edition read by C. J. Critt brings the story alive. Young to old, the entire family will be charmed by Critt’s expressive and energetic narration.
Happy and Merry: Seven Heartwarming Holiday Essays
by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella, read by the authors
The mother–daughter writing team of Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella turn their thoughts to Christmas in their newest collection, Happy and Merry: Seven Heartwarming Holiday Essays. All of us can relate to their escapades in the kitchen as they bake Christmas cookies and to their guilt as they try to prioritize their holiday tasks. Put the kids to bed, and plug into these uplifting stories while you do your own Christmas wrapping, decorating, and cleaning. Scottoline and Serritella read their essays with just the right tempo and emphasis to keep listeners chuckling in sympathy while reaching for another glass of spiked eggnog.
Classic Christmas Stories
by various authors, read by Cris Dukehart, Phil Gigante, Natalie Ross, and Robin Sachs
The entire family will love Classic Christmas Stories: A Collection of Timeless Holiday Tales, a new audiobook collection that’s sure to please everyone. Older folks can look forward to revisiting familiar holiday stories, while youngsters will delight in getting to know these classic favorites. Read by four of the best narrators in the business — Cris Dukehart, Phil Gigante, Natalie Ross, and Robin Sachs — the nine stories were written by some of our most beloved authors, including L. M. Montgomery, Willa Cather, Hans Christian Anderson, and Mark Twain. Create a new family tradition and listen to one story each evening as you get ready for your own Christmas celebration.
A Quilter’s Holiday
by Jennifer Chiaverini, read by Christina Moore
In central Pennsylvania, the Elm Creek Quilters meet right after Thanksgiving to get a good start on the holiday season. As the members work on their handmade Christmas gifts, one of the quilters asks for contributions to a special centerpiece, in which the blocks are to reflect the quilter’s thankfulness and gratitude. Jennifer Chiaverini’s A Quilter’s Holiday is the 15th installment in her Elm Creek series, although listeners new to the books will have no trouble connecting with the women, as each tells the story that inspired her pieced block. Christina Moore’s characterizations and emotional narration keep listeners engaged in this story of love, friendship, and the Christmas spirit.
More audiobook recommendations
The Pilgrims: A Thanksgiving audiobook roundup
Hot in Audio: The Jewels of Paradise by Donna Leon
Listen up: The Diviners by Libba Bray
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