6 Books to Get Students in the Mood for Christmas

Subject: Food Science

If you’re looking for a good cookbook this Christmas, you’ve come to the right place. The queen of cooking, Mary Berry’s cookbook features more than 100 recipes and is perfect for a bit of festive cooking around the Christmas holidays. Berry features a mix of traditional classic Christmas recipes, as well as a variety of new recipes (handy hint: if you give this as a present to a food student, they might cook something from it for you).

Originally published in 1943 as a small pamphlet that was sent out with the Van Doren Stern’s Christmas card, this novella is more widely known as the basis for the beloved 1947 film It’s a Wonderful Life, telling the story of George Pratt, a man contemplating suicide who receives an opportunity to see what the world would’ve been like if he’d never existed. So why is this a good gift for sociology students? Sociologists study the patterns of social relationships, social interaction and society, and this heartwarming Christmas story explores George’s relationships with his friends and family, and the vast impact that he has had on all of their lives.   

Subject: English Language and Literature

No Christmas list would be complete without Charles Dickens’ Christmas masterpiece, ‘A Christmas Carol’. Most people know the story of ‘A Christmas Carol’ whether it’s from the Muppet TV adaptation, to a theatre performance, to a Disney animated musical, but few have read the original book. What you may not know is that the phrase “Merry Christmas” only became popular following the release of this book. If you’re looking to get into the festive spirit, try out this novella, and get drawn into Dickens’ world, through vivid descriptions and lovable (and not so lovable) characters.

This beloved children’s fantasy novel is definitely worth a reread this Christmas. C.S Lewis’ enchanting world is one where a witch rules over a snowy land, where animals talk, where there are battles between good and evil (and if you enjoy it, there are seven other books in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ series to read).

However, what you may not know is that C.S Lewis’s novel is an allegory about the Christian faith, and a biblical portrait of Christ is represented in the character of Aslan, and the children’s relationship with their spirituality is explored throughout the series. Ultimately, ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ is a retelling of the gospel in a way that is accessible to students and adults alike, so why not try reading it again from the perspective of an adult?

Image credit: Goodreads