Notes from the Shelf

I’ve seen plenty of Advent calendars over the years: chocolate, makeup, candles, stationery, and even the “book lover” ones filled with little trinkets that honestly feel like clutter disguised as holiday cheer. I’ve always loved the idea of an Advent countdown, but most of the popular options just don’t appeal to me. Either they’re too junky, too expensive, or simply not something I would realistically use.

So when I spotted an Advent book in the store (yes, a book designed with 24 chapters to read one per day leading up to Christmas) I knew I had to give it a try. I’d never seen anything like it before, and it felt like the perfect middle ground: festive, cozy, and not too much added clutter.

Why Not the Traditional Advent Calendars?

I’ve thought about doing the 12 Books of Christmas style Advent calendar before. A few years ago I almost had my mom do it for me, but the whole surprise element disappears when I have to pick the books myself. And even if I had all the time in the world, there is no version of December where I’m reading a full book a day for 12 days straight. Between year-end work chaos and holiday gatherings, that pace isn’t realistic, plus I’m trying (keyword: trying) to keep my TBR under control. Not that I succeeded this fall, but I digress.

I even thought about asking my boyfriend to do a Book Outlet shopping spree for Christmas since their books are current on sale for $5.99. A “pick 12 books for me” idea sounded cute, but then another problem hit: I don’t even see twelve books on Book Outlet I genuinely want right now. And if they’re not things I’ve already read and loved, they’ll just add even more weight to the TBR.

Last year I ended up going super simple: a little paper Advent card with tiny pictures behind each door. No clutter, all recyclable, and still gave me that daily countdown feeling.

Enter: The Chapter-a-Day Book

This new Advent book format instantly clicked for me. One chapter a day? Totally doable. No extra stuff I don’t need, no pressure to speed through a stack of books, no guilt about adding more to the TBR. Just a cute, structured way to ease into December with a little reading ritual.

The one I picked up is a romance set at a ski resort, which feels on-brand for holiday reading. I’m fully expecting Hallmark vibes, but my fingers are crossed for something charming rather than overly cheesy. I’ll definitely post a full review at the end of December once I’ve read through it to see how the experience holds up.

Will This Become a Trend?

If this chapter-a-day format catches on, I’d love to see more variety like mystery, fantasy, etc., literally anything besides just one single ski-resort romance option. Right now this seems to be the only one on the market, but I can absolutely see publishers expanding this idea.

Honestly, this feels far more sustainable than the avalanche of Advent calendars we see every year. It doesn’t create more clutter, it doesn’t try to upsell you on stuff you won’t actually use, and it taps into the whole reason Advent is fun in the first place: a simple daily moment of joy leading up to Christmas.

I’m excited to see how this little reading experiment goes. Stay tuned for the full review at the end of the month!

If you want to check out ‘A Heart for Christmas’ by Sophie Jomain, consider purchasing it through Bookshop.org. Supporting this link helps sustain independent bookstores and keeps this blog thriving.

Holiday Book Reviews:
A Nightmare Before Kissmas
A Merry Little Meet Cute
The 12 Dates of Christmas

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