No, it’s not a first Friday. But there’s more to the holidays than A Christmas Story or ‘Twas the Night before Christmas. Some stories cross all the lines no matter the plot, no matter the holiday. Holiday stories earn a special place on your bookshelves. Hopefully, in this list there are first lines from old favorites as well as new and different stories for you to explore.
It was bedtime and Yasmine waited for her mom to read her a story as she did every night. But this night was different.
Night of the Moon A Muslim Holiday Story
Hena Khan (Author), Julie Paschkis (Illustrator)
Old Bear awoke from his winter sleep. He poked his nose outside of his den.
Hanukkah Bear,
Eric A. Kimmel (Author), Mike Wohnoutka (Illustrator)
“Really. It’s fine, honey. You couldn’t have predicted a bird bombing as soon as you stepped out of the house….”
Frisky Connections: A steamy, modern dating, Hannukah,
romcom novelette. (The Frisky Bean) Michelle Mars
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies.
The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry
The house is called Enysyule.
Enysyle. The word lingers on my lips like honey from a spoon.
The Cat of Yule Cottage:
A Magical Tale of Romance, Christmas and Cats, Lili Hayward
It was biting cold, the sort of cold that burns into your bones. It was snowing and so dark that evening before Christmas.
The Little Match Girl, Hans Christian Andersen
Santa Claus lives in the Laughing Valley, where stands the enormous, meandering aimlessly palace in which his toys are made.
A Kidnapped Santa Claus, L. Frank Baum
And look at this! A storm system is making its way across the country, and it will bring heavy snow to the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes before wreaking havoc on the East Coast.
The Secret of Snow, Viola Shipman
’Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro’ the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The Night Before Christmas,
Clement C. Moore (Author) and Charles Santore (Illustrator)
Clarification
There are no affiliate links in this post. I don’t make a cent off of the books listed on this page. Usually these titles are pulled at random. They are here for your enjoyment. And to entice you to buy more books.
If you liked those first lines, I hope you’ll love these:
The giant bronze angel of death loomed over Miranda Clarke’s shoulder.
My Soul to Keep, Book One in the Fellowship Dystopia series by Lynette M. Burrows
Fellowship.
Do You Want to Read More?
Did you enjoy this list? Check out previous First Line Fridays. You’ll put another enormous smile on my face if you tell me in the comments below— Which ones spoke to you? Did you buy it?