I have carried out a thorough search of Amazon's extensive portfolio and found many excellent books for adults and children. It took me a long time, but it will save you a lot of effort. I have provided you with illustrations and descriptions of some twenty beautiful books, and you can view more by taking this link .  You can also select from more than a million other non-Christmas titles by making a General Search by author, title or subject, or study the currently most popular books at .

'This charming little volume  would certainly fit into a stocking but I suggest you make a treat of it before Christmas. It is illustrated with vintage Victorian images filled with the innocence and magic of Christmas. It contains two Christmas stories from The Bible, the chapter from "The Birds' Christmas Carol" where baby Carol gets her name, a chapter from "Little Women", the famous "Yes, Virginia There Is a Santa Claus" letter, some Charles Dickens Christmas NOT from "A Christmas Carol", Eleanor Roosevelt's memory of Christmas, and Hans Christian Andersen's "The Last Dream of the Old Oak Tree". Best of all is an excerpt from O. Henry's "Gift of the Magi." The excerpts will hopefully whet your appetite for the complete versions of the stories. The scope of this tiny book is just to "taste" a sample.
The recipes are DELISH! The Egg Nog and the Crispy Gingerbread Cookies are especially fine. My favorite is Red and White Peppermint Cake. There are so many good things packed in this little book that it must have a bit of the same magic that Santa's toy-sack has!'
Reviewer: Treeseed from Appleton, WI USA.

'This brightly colored little book is a fun way to share a bit of Christmas anticipation each night in the weeks preceding Christmas. You can easily tuck your little ones in with a poem or carol from this charming book. Help build the excitement and understanding of Christmas with the quaint and touching Victorian illustrations that grace every page. All 19 of the poems are wonderful nostalgic evocations of the spirit of Christmas and include the works of many greats like Tennyson, de la Mare, Shakespeare, Frost, Longfellow, Poe, Rossetti, Masefield and Grahame, among others. The 18 carols are among the most beloved the world has ever known and will be familiar and fun for you to share. Lewis Carol's poem "Christmas Greeting From a Fairy to a Child" has an illustration of a lovely fairy with a star upon her brow and a long, sweeping dress lighting the candles on the Christmas tree with her sparkling wand. See a lively illustration of folks bundled with a cozy lap robe and wearing their muffs and fur collars out in the sleigh, the bob-tail horse pulling them jauntily past a frozen pond where ice-skaters glide, their cheeks and smiles aglow! You will have the treat of enjoying the other two verses of Jingle Bells when you may have only known one before. This is a really dear book and will make a lovely part of any Christmas tradition.'
Reviewer: Treeseed from Appleton,  WI USA

'I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. O. Henry writes about criminals, dreamers, artists, lovers, and lost souls. Many of these stories have a New York City setting--he really captures the energy and color of the city. There are also a Western story ("The Pimienta Pancakes"), a Southern Gothic tale ("A Municipal Report"), a story set primarily in a small town in Arkansas ("A Retrieved Reformation"), and a story set in rural Alabama ("The Ransom of Red Chief").
If you like stories with "twist" endings, you will probably like this collection. The book as a whole is a lot of fun--full of life and charm. Some of the stories may strike contemporary readers as corny, but I found each tale to be an enjoyable gem of storytelling. The book is rich in irony, with some really funny scenes.
O. Henry tells stories of love, justice, deception, sacrifice, and heroism. He makes some intriguing creative choices; this is clearly the work of a master in total command of the short story genre. His prose style is very readable and engaging, with touches of baroque elegance.
Reviewer: Michael J. Mazza

by Jane Bull  

Count down to Christmas with these fun, easy-to-make and do activities. From advent calendars and gift wrapping tricks to clever displays for Christmas cards, this book is packed with unique and exciting ideas and gifts to make for friends, families and even pets.
This is an ideal book for teachers, parents and keen kids.  Children will enjoy making the paper plate angels, angel biscuits and pop-up cards, not to mention the mobiles. Adults may want to try the ice candle displays or even light Santa's way on Christmas Eve. There is plenty to keep everyone busy in the run up to Christmas. If your family enjoys making things then this is the book for you!

It's Christmas Eve and the Jolly Postman is delivering greetings to various fairy-tale characters. There's a card for baby bear, a get-well jigsaw for the sadly hospitalized Humpty Dumpty and four more surprise envelopes containing letters and cards.
This is a lovely book with lots of puzzles and fascinating bits and pieces to keep the kids occupied and motivated over Christmas and maybe the adults too!!

All the episodes of the traditional nativity, such as Jesus' birth in the stable and the shepherds' visit are told in the simplest words, accompanied by 12 bold and stylish pictures.

"Christmas Is Coming" is full of Christmas rhymes that children have read, enjoyed and sung for years, accompanied here by large, amusing, brightly coloured and lively pictures. This book can be enjoyed by children of different ages, albeit on different levels. Preschoolers will enjoy it being read to them, while older children will read it and enjoy the words for themselves. These favourite Christmas rhymes, such as "I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing By", "Little Donkey" and "Frosty the Snowman" combine the traditional with the modern, never date and can be read and sung time after time, year after year, making this a book to be used and enjoyed every Christmas. The whole book is brought to life by the  vibrant and enchanting illustrations created by children's artist, Ailie Busby.--Susan Naylor

Here is an excellent selection of ideas for drawing, painting and printing cards, wrapping paper and gift tags for Christmas. It includes an advent calendar and tree decorations. There are illustrations and photographs of the finished items, along with over 50 stickers to use with the projects.
There are many simple Christmas projects to keep children occupied in the run up to Christmas. The instructions are clear and simply written and the illustrations are excellent. There are sheets of stickers included with the book which could have been a bit more comprehensive but these are useful none-the-less.

An illustrated retelling of the story of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus through the keeping of an advent calendar. 24 miniature board books are arranged in sequence and nestled in a backer. The book are numbered 1-24 and are meant to be opened one per day from 1st December through to Christmas Eve. Read in sequence, the four-page books capture the mystery of the first Christmas, from Gabriel's visit to Mary to the three wise men gazing at a prophetic star to Jesus's birth in the manger. In addition, children can use the tiny books to adorn the Christmas tree.

Gospel stories, including those of St. Luke and St. MatthewPoetry of William Shakespeare, John Milton, Robert Frost, Clement Clarke Moore, Ogden Nash, W. H. Auden, and Lewis Carroll.  Stories from Louisa May Alcott, Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Dickens, O. Henry, Langston Hughes, Norman Vincent Peale, Lincoln Steffens, and Selma Lagerlof. Christmas lore from Dorothy Thompson, Norman Vincent Peale, and Francis P. Church. Carols galore including "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Silent Night," "The First Noel," "Joy to the World," and "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

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"" by Richard Paul Evans 

It began with The Christmas Box, a humble story about a caretaker and his family who befriend a lonely widow at Christmas time. In The Christmas Box Miracle, author Richard Paul Evans offers the back story, showing us how his self- published book became a runaway bestseller. We first meet the author as a young boy, learning about the family and faith that led him to become such as reliable and unpretentious narrator. As it turns out, Evans grew up in a Mormon household amongst a band of taunting brothers and a few childhood ghosts. His mother lost a stillborn daughter when Evans was a toddler. She also suffered from severe depression and suicidal tendencies. This backdrop helps us understand Evans's dedication to bring healing and hope to life. More than a publishing success story, The Christmas Box Miracle speaks about Evans's ability to change readers' lives and foster miracle after miracle. Fans of Evans already know to pull out their handkerchiefs. --Gail Hudson