Beneath the Book Club: It’s time to choose our cozy December read from these 3 Christmas books.

By SARA VANDEN BERGE

I don’t know about you, but nothing sounds cozier than curling up with a holiday-themed book by the Christmas tree.

All three of these books sound perfect for our December read and I can’t wait to see which one you choose.

1. Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah

4.2 on Goodreads, New York Times bestselling author

WHAT GOODREADS SAYS: “Joy Candellaro once loved Christmas more than any other time of the year.

"Now, as the holiday approaches, she is at a crossroads in her life; recently divorced and alone, she can’t summon the old enthusiasm for celebrating.

“So without telling anyone, she buys a ticket and boards a plane bound for the beautiful Pacific Northwest. When an unexpected detour takes her deep into the woods of the Olympic rainforest, Joy makes a bold decision to leave her ordinary life behind - to just walk away - and thus begins an adventure unlike any she could have imagined.

“In the small town of Rain Valley, six-year-old Bobby O’Shea is facing his first Christmas without a mother.

"Unable to handle the loss, Bobby has closed himself off from the world, talking only to his invisible best friend.

“His father Daniel is beside himself, desperate to help his son cope. Yet when the little boy meets Joy, these two unlikely souls form a deep and powerful bond. In helping Bobby and Daniel heal, Joy finds herself again.

“But not everything is as it seems in quiet Rain Valley, and in an instant, Joy’s world is ripped apart, and her heart is broken.

"On a magical Christmas Eve, a night of impossible dreams and unexpected chances,

“Joy must find the courage to believe in a love - and a family - that can’t possibly exist, and go in search of what she wants...and the new life only she can find.”

2. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

4.3 on Goodreads, editor’s pick for best romance

WHAT GOODREADS SAYS: “The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room two days before Christmas.

“Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt:

“She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.

“He’s Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy.

“She hates his guts.

“He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise).

“But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.

“That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.

“She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition?

“Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?”

3. Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

4.4 on Goodreads

WHAT GOODREADS SAYS: “When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village.

“Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

“In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family.

“And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

“Filled with family ties, both rekindled and new, and sparkling with Christmas magic, Bright Lights, Big Christmas delivers everything Mary Kay Andrews fans adore, all tied up in a hilarious, romantic gem of a novel.

“As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.

“Assuming they don’t kill each other first.”

So, which one do you want to read? Vote for your favorite on the Beneath the Surface News Facebook page beginning Friday.

We will host our online discussion on Sunday, Dec. 28.