I love Read It/Watch It Nights. With winter on its way, and Christmas fast on its heels, it’s a good time to get cozy with a mug of hot cocoa and a bowl of popcorn to enjoy some holiday reading and movie watching. Here’s a list of books turned movies to get you started.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss; How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966). I’m very confident that many of you have this book and/or movie as a part of your Christmas traditions. If you’re a hardcore fan, you probably also binge the 2000 movie starring Jim Carrey, and the 2018 animated film, The Grinch.
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg; The Polar Express (2004). Both the book and the movie offer beautiful visuals. Chris Van Allsburg is also the author of Jumanji so you know you and your kids are in for a family-friendly adventure.
The Year Without a Santa Claus by Phyllis McGinley; The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974). The Year Without a Santa Claus is my husband’s favorite Christmas special. I watch for the Snow/Heat miser songs.
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E. T. A. Hoffmann; The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018). The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is a German children’s story that was first adapted to the well-known ballet before the seemingly endless list of movie adaptations. The most recent (1996) English translation is titled The Story of the Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is the most recent movie adaptation that I’ve watched and has one of my favorite interpretations of the Nutcracker’s realm. My second favorite is the Care Bears Nutcracker Suite (1988).
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens; Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022). Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol was an instant hit when it was published 1843. I’ve seen and read so many adaptations of this famous novella that it is almost too hard to narrow down just one movie for a read-it/watch-it night so I went with the one I’ve watched most recently. My annual favorites are Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) and The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992).
Meet Me in St. Louis by Sally Benson; Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). While the novel’s events take place over a year, the movie gave us the beloved Christmas song, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott; Little Women (2019). This is another not-quite-on-the-nose Christmas pairing, but the story and most movie adaptations begin at Christmastime.
The Bishop’s Wife by Robert Nathan; The Bishop’s Wife (1947). The movie follows closely to the novel with some differences like the name of the charming angel sent to help the bishop. It was adapted again in 1996 and was titled The Preacher’s Wife. I recommend both adaptations. Whitney Houston’s “I Believe in You and Me,” from The Preacher’s Wife Soundtrack still gives me goosebumps.
Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp; Die Hard (1988). So, I know there is major debate if movies like Die Hard should count as Christmas movies. My stance is if it takes place during Christmastime, I’m watching it at Christmastime. You’ll have enjoy listing the similarities and differences between the novel and movie, both of which take place on Christmas Eve.
58 Minutes by Walter Wager; Die Hard 2 (1990). This particular pairing is interesting because while the movie is a sequel, the book it is inspired by is unrelated to the novel that inspired the first movie nor is it written by the same author. Again, you’ll find yourself picking out the similarities between the book and novel which, once again, take place at Christmastime.
What books/movies would you add to the list?
