Do you feel it too? The rush through the autumn season? I don’t know why I’m surprised by it because it happens every year. In a flash, the back-to-school shelves turn into red and green wrapping paper, candy canes, and Christmas trees. November knocks on my door, and it’s time to think about the holidays. Along with many Christians, though, I long to enter the Christmas season with more intentionality than simply making a list of to-do’s and searching for the perfect gifts. Observing the sacred season of Advent is a beautiful way to remember what this holiday is really about. Yes, the reason for the season is Jesus. Many Christian denominations, like mine, are liturgical and follow a Church Year. They also offer Advent devotionals and mid-week worship services. If you want additional resources, or if you’ve never celebrated this holy season of Advent and aren’t sure where to start, here are four books to consider reading this Advent for you and your family.

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What is Advent? 

Before we get into the books, let me share a bit about Advent. If you’ve never been in a faith tradition that observes the Church Year (which includes Advent), here’s an in-depth article about the meaning and the history. Put simply, the season of Advent is a time of hopeful anticipation and preparation when we direct our minds and hearts toward Christ, his birth, and his second coming.

I’ve been observing Advent since I was an infant—unaware for a number of years about its significance, of course. As I grow older, I cherish this tradition and others even more, and I’m always eager for new resources. My bookshelves, Christmas boxes, and drawers are full of potential activities for me and my family. Listed below are four books I recommend you to read this advent season. These books are just the beginning, though. (I’ll share other Advent resources in another post!)

4 Books to Read This Advent Season

Preparing for Jesus

Preparing for Jesus by Walter Wangerin is one of my favorite Advent devotionals which I’ve read numerous times. The author, Walter Wangerin was a gifted writer and was a professor of writing and theology at my alma mater. So I am blessed with several signed copies of this beautiful book. The readings in this lovely little book include moments like this:

Old man, grey man, how did it feel that afternoon, so to be whipsawed by events—cut high and low, torn from delight to disaster and death? Oh, God is a wind, and God is a whirlwind when we meet him.

“O Zechariah: How Did It Feel Meeting Glory Face to Face? Luke 1:8-13A

(It’s not an Advent book, but I’d also recommend his retelling of the Bible stories in The Book of God. It reads like a novel, kind of like watching the Chosen.)

Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas

Watch for the Light is a wonderful collection of short essays and poems from great theologians such as Aquinas, Luther and Bonhoeffer and classic writers–-from C.S. Lewis, John Donne, and T.S. Eliot to contemporaries such as Madeleine L’Engle, Annie Dillard, Henri Nouwen, and Philip Yancy. It’s an eclectic collection that will challenge and inspire you to think deeply about the birth of Christ as you prepare your heart. Two of my favorites are the enigmatic poem by T. S. Eliot, “The Journey of the Magi” and Bonhoeffer’s essay on the coming of Christ and grace.

Shadow & Light: A Journey into Advent

A few years ago I bought Shadow and Light: A Journey into Advent, a delightful book for families by Tsh Oxenreider. The author was not raised in a faith tradition with a liturgical calendar, so as she looks back, she remembers her childhood preparations for Christmas were more about watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. When she and her family shifted to a liturgical denomination, she appreciated the Advent traditions but felt overwhelmed by the choices. That’s why she wrote the book–to simplify it for families. 

What I love about this book is the accompanying suggestions for activities, music, and visual art that invites family participation. Each day’s devotion is followed by Ask (questions to ponder), Listen (music), and Reflect (artwork). This isn’t a two-hour long project for your family but instead a short devotion, and if you have time, you can do each of her suggestions.  If you are an empty-nester, you can do this on your own or with a friend. Highly recommend this one. 

Emmanuel: An Invitation to Prepare Him Room at Christmas and Always

If you are looking for a beautifully illustrated book to read and to set out on your coffee table, then Emmanuel: An Invitation to Prepare Him Room at Christmas and Always is just right. Ruth Chou Simmons is an artist, author, entrepreneur with a passion to share Jesus with the world. I own a couple of her books, and I’ve just ordered this one to add to my Advent library because it’s so different from the previous three books. Plus, I love watercolor illustrations. She includes four weeks of daily readings with these themes: Our Posture, God’s Promise, Our Response, Our Messiah. (Just know that this one is a little pricier than the others.) 

I’m always on the hunt for Advent books to read or devotions to add to my collection. What are your favorites for preparing for the Christmas season? 

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