Here are 87 books that O Little Town of Bethlehem fans have personally recommended if you like O Little Town of Bethlehem. Book DNA is a community of 13,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Dial A for Aunties

Mary Robinette Kowal Author Of The Martian Contingency

From my list on cozy books pretending to be something else.

Why am I passionate about this?

We are in a time where everything seems fraught, and cozies remind me that there are other paths. I write science fiction and fantasy, a genre known for making things worse. But secretly, I want my books to explore what happens when people talk to one another and make the kinder choice. It’s easy to escalate. But having a book with tension and interest and plot twists, while also making the reader feel secure is much harder. Watching characters in unexpected genres have cozy moments reminds me it’s possible. And also, sometimes you just want a hug from a book.

Mary's book list on cozy books pretending to be something else

Mary Robinette Kowal Why Mary loves this book

Doing slapstick in prose is so hard, and this succeeds brilliantly. It's a cozy murder mystery with rom-com flair and is a delight to read. I love the way the family comes together to help one another, even if it’s not always welcomed.

It’s funny and charming and had me laughing out loud. The story has so many ridiculous moments and, at the end of the day, it’s about the strength of the relationships.

By Jesse Q. Sutanto ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Dial A for Aunties as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Sutanto brilliantly infuses comedy and culture into the unpredictable rom-com/murder mystery mashup as Meddy navigates familial duty, possible arrest and a groomzilla. I laughed out loud and you will too.”—USA Today (four-star review)

“A hilarious, heartfelt romp of a novel about—what else?—accidental murder and the bond of family. This book had me laughing aloud within its first five pages… Utterly clever, deeply funny, and altogether charming, this book is sure to be one of the best of the year!”—Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read

One of NPR's Best Books of 2021!

One of PopSugar’s "42 Books…


If you love O Little Town of Bethlehem...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Book cover of Someone You Can Build a Nest In

Mary Robinette Kowal Author Of The Martian Contingency

From my list on cozy books pretending to be something else.

Why am I passionate about this?

We are in a time where everything seems fraught, and cozies remind me that there are other paths. I write science fiction and fantasy, a genre known for making things worse. But secretly, I want my books to explore what happens when people talk to one another and make the kinder choice. It’s easy to escalate. But having a book with tension and interest and plot twists, while also making the reader feel secure is much harder. Watching characters in unexpected genres have cozy moments reminds me it’s possible. And also, sometimes you just want a hug from a book.

Mary's book list on cozy books pretending to be something else

Mary Robinette Kowal Why Mary loves this book

I began recommending this book before I even finished it—it was that good. Maybe counterintuitively, I’d categorize it as cozy horror. Or fantasy romance. It’s a book that’s so very hard to describe. The main character is a literal monster, but their ability to shapeshift and “mask” was also relatable—as was her journey of falling in love. I adored reading about how she worked hard to make the person she cared for feel safe.

It’s an extremely comforting story in an unexpected genre wrapper.

By John Wiswell ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Someone You Can Build a Nest In as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Most-Anticipated Book of 2024: LitHub, Polygon, Apple, Goodreads

"Wiswell raises the bar on the outcast as protagonist . . . the ultimate monster slayer story, if the monster is just a misunderstood creature searching for love." - Kristi Chadwick, Library Journal (starred review)

Discover this creepy, charming monster-slaying fantasy romance-from the perspective of the monster-by Nebula Award-winning debut author John Wiswell

Shesheshen has made a mistake fatal to all monsters: she's fallen in love.

Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorphous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor. When her rest is interrupted by…


Book cover of Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective

Mary Robinette Kowal Author Of The Martian Contingency

From my list on cozy books pretending to be something else.

Why am I passionate about this?

We are in a time where everything seems fraught, and cozies remind me that there are other paths. I write science fiction and fantasy, a genre known for making things worse. But secretly, I want my books to explore what happens when people talk to one another and make the kinder choice. It’s easy to escalate. But having a book with tension and interest and plot twists, while also making the reader feel secure is much harder. Watching characters in unexpected genres have cozy moments reminds me it’s possible. And also, sometimes you just want a hug from a book.

Mary's book list on cozy books pretending to be something else

Mary Robinette Kowal Why Mary loves this book

I adore the relationships throughout this story. It’s about a child prodigy detective who, as an adult, gets pulled back into detecting. But she’s not alone—she has a Scooby gang cast, and I am here for the relationships.

The way they understand each other is just lovely. It shows up in how they talk to and look out for each other. You see it in the way they understand the unspoken moments and support one another. I loved every moment of it.

By Katie Siegel ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“An immensely fun, voice-y read with a twisty mystery.” –Mia P. Manansala, author of the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award-winning Arsenic and Adobo

“Charlotte is a delight.” —The New York Times

For anyone seeking to satisfy their Harriet the Spy, Encyclopedia Brown, or Nancy Drew nostalgia, this charming, entertaining debut based on the popular @katiefliesaway TikTok series stars a twentysomething former kid detective who’s coaxed out of retirement for one last case.

The downside of being a famous child detective is that sooner or later, you have to grow up . . .

As a kid, Charlotte Illes’ uncanny sleuthing…


If you love Elizabeth Boyle...

Book cover of AcClaim

AcClaim by Jean Thesquare,

AcClaim is a dark, high-society romance about Beatrix Winslow-Hale, a successful romance author who believes desire can be negotiated and controlled—until enigmatic billionaire Dorian Wolker crosses the line between consensual surrender and violation. Publicly humiliated and emotionally shattered, Beatrix turns to Manon de Rochemaure, her fiercely loyal best friend and…

Book cover of The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl

Mary Robinette Kowal Author Of The Martian Contingency

From my list on cozy books pretending to be something else.

Why am I passionate about this?

We are in a time where everything seems fraught, and cozies remind me that there are other paths. I write science fiction and fantasy, a genre known for making things worse. But secretly, I want my books to explore what happens when people talk to one another and make the kinder choice. It’s easy to escalate. But having a book with tension and interest and plot twists, while also making the reader feel secure is much harder. Watching characters in unexpected genres have cozy moments reminds me it’s possible. And also, sometimes you just want a hug from a book.

Mary's book list on cozy books pretending to be something else

Mary Robinette Kowal Why Mary loves this book

I read this book ages ago, and it’s stuck with me. My memory of it is wanting to give everyone in the book a hug, and knowing they would give really good hugs back.

It’s a potential-end-of-the-world scenario, wrapped up in a rewarding adult coming-of-age story. The main character has a life and friends that she likes, but she’s also put herself into a small box. It’s a deeply relatable book that heavily features doomsday enthusiasts.

By Melissa Keil , Mike Lawrence (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

In this young adult rom-com, seventeen-year-old Alba loves routine and doesn't want anything to change, but her world is turned upside down when a conspiracy theorist claims the apocalypse will take place in her small town.

Alba wants to stop time and keep things just the way they are. She loves living behind the bakery and waking up in a cloud of sugar and cinnamon, and thrives when she's drawing comics and watching bad TV with her friends. The only problem is she's spent so much time looking inward that she hasn't noticed everything going on around her.

Like the…


Book cover of One Day in Bethlehem

Jonathan R. Rose Author Of After the Flames: A Burn Victim's Battle With Celebrity

From my list on showing uncomfortable truths.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always strived to speak out when surrounded by silence, whether in person through my own voice, or through the books I have written and had published. Not because I am heroic or noble, but because I am angered by suppressed truth, and I believe reality should be shown as it is, not as people believe it should be. That is why the books I chose are so important to me, because they fearlessly exposed the truths the respective authors were determined to show, risks be damned. I hope these books inspire you as much as they have inspired me.

Jonathan's book list on showing uncomfortable truths

Jonathan R. Rose Why Jonathan loves this book

This book described not just a heinous crime that was committed near Johannesburg, South Africa, but the effects it had on a man falsely accused and imprisoned for that crime. Instead of focusing on a single perspective, the author chose to focus on several perspectives, some of which were totally unreliable. As a result, I was shown the messy mind states of all those people associated with the crime, 2 decades after it was committed.

I was in a constant state of curiosity with every page, and as soon as I finished the book, I wanted to learn more, not just about the case itself, but the culture and society from which it took place. 

By Jonny Steinberg ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked One Day in Bethlehem as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil

Jason Mankey Author Of Llewellyn's Little Book of Yule

From my list on Christmas and the Holiday Season.

Why am I passionate about this?

Since I was four years old, I have been in love with Christmas! I’m the kind of person who starts humming carols in October and puts up their first decorations the moment Halloween ends. I’ve got a Christmas Sweater for every day and a card or a present for every friend I bump into. Without a doubt, the Holiday Season is the best time of the year!

Jason's book list on Christmas and the Holiday Season

Jason Mankey Why Jason loves this book

I love weird and mostly overlooked Christmas-related stuff, and there are few Holiday characters as weird and overlooked as the Krampus!

I loved the full-color photographs Ridenour includes of the Krampus (and adjacent figures), many of which I had never seen before. And a lot of the pictures feature a very menacing Krampus! There’s more to Christmas than just Santa Claus. 

By Al Ridenour ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

With the appearance of the demonic Christmas character Krampus in contemporary Hollywood movies, television shows, advertisements, and greeting cards, medieval folklore has now been revisited in American culture. Krampus-related events and parades occur both in North America and Europe, and they are an ever-growing phenomenon.

Though the Krampus figure has once again become iconic, not much can be found about its history and meaning, thus calling for a book like Al Ridenour's The Krampus: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil. With Krampus's wild, graphic history, Feral House has hired the awarded designer Sean Tejaratchi to take on Ridenour's book…


If you love O Little Town of Bethlehem...

Book cover of The Silent Women

The Silent Women by Tara Lynn Masih,

"A profound and often affecting story of resilience." —Kirkus Reviews

The Silent Women, an extraordinary novel inspired by the real women of Oak Ridge, Tennessee—the Manhattan Project’s “Secret City," where thousands kept the deadliest secret of World War II—is a sweeping, absorbing, and deeply human story about chosen…

Book cover of The Christmas Countess

Emmanuelle de Maupassant Author Of The Lady's Guide to Scandal

From my list on “snowed-in” Christmas historical romances.

Why am I passionate about this?

Historical romance author Emmanuelle lives on the bonny banks of Loch Fyne with her husband and beloved haggis pudding Archie McFloof—connoisseur of bacon treats and squeaky toys. She’ll never tire of dreaming up handsome and mysterious strangers she’d love to be snowed in with.

Emmanuelle's book list on “snowed-in” Christmas historical romances

Emmanuelle de Maupassant Why Emmanuelle loves this book

Another gorgeous ‘second chance’ romance, also set in the wilds of Scotland. Here, both the hero and heroine believe themselves abandoned by the other, so there are huge walls to be overcome when fate throws them together once more. Caught out in a blizzard, Lady Leventon is rescued by our hero, waking to find him rubbing her frozen toes! With no choice but to remain under his roof, it’s not long before their passion revives… but can past hurts be forgiven?

By K.J. Jackson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Christmas Countess as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A shunned lady determined to keep her secrets. A newly minted earl looking for a fresh start. A love gone wrong gains a second chance.

A shunned lady determined to keep her secrets.
Lady Leventon had been shunned to the Scottish wilds of Badenoch for a reason. But she never thought it would be the death of her. That is until her maid and only friend in the world falls deathly ill just days before Christmastide and Karta is determined to make it through a snowstorm for help. She didn’t think it would cost her her life, but as her…


Book cover of Falling Slow

Lark Holiday Author Of A Darling Handyman

From my list on wholesome romance with charming small towns.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always had a passion for small towns, both real and fictional. After living in a bunch of them myself (in real life, not my head), I decided to try creating my own picture-perfect places. Like most writers, my love of books started with reading. I have read hundreds of wholesome, small-town romance novels, and I hope to read hundreds more! This list has some of my recent favorites. Bonus: All the books on this list are the first in a series, so if you love them, more swoonworthy stories await! (PS The list is in no particular order, I love each book equally!)

Lark's book list on wholesome romance with charming small towns

Lark Holiday Why Lark loves this book

Small town that you will want a realtor for: Ponderosa Falls, CO

Even though I haven't asked for a pony for Christmas in years, I still adore reading horse and ranch books. Falling Slow totally hits the spot with its original and heartfelt story. Family resort? Check. Horses? Check. Lovable characters? Check!

I really didn’t think that was possible, but like my love for dessert, my obsession with this story kept reaching new and amazing levels. I didn’t want the story to end, and I can’t wait to dive into book two. (Cowboy) hats off to Muse!

By Sydney Muse ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Falling Slow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


If you love Elizabeth Boyle...

Book cover of Broken Boots, Redeemed Soul: A Veteran’s War with Sin and Salvation

Broken Boots, Redeemed Soul: A Veteran’s War with Sin and Salvation by Brian Lofton,

Broken Boots, Redeemed Soul: A Veteran’s War with Sin and Salvation, is a raw and faith-centered memoir about life after military service—and the internal battles many never see. Brian Lofton shares his journey through addiction, shame, identity loss, and spiritual distance, revealing how the hardest struggles often begin after…

Book cover of We Only Kiss at Christmas

Sophia Soames Author Of In this Bed of Snowflakes we Lie

From my list on holiday romance you’ll want to read every year.

Why am I passionate about this?

Having grown up in snowy Scandinavia, my passion for Christmas has always been with me. Nothing beats a good romantic holiday novel, and especially one containing all those themes we know and love. A little bit of loneliness. A pinch of festive fun. Add that special meet-cute. Sprinkle magic over the pages and a comfort-read for years to come is born. As an author I hope my readers enjoy my festive romps, and that perhaps even they, can become a well-read yearly comfort read.

Sophia's book list on holiday romance you’ll want to read every year

Sophia Soames Why Sophia loves this book

Con Riley writes prose like no other, and whilst this is the second book in her Christmas series, it can be read as a standalone.

This is a well-rounded Christmas trip where best friends and roommates Pat and Seb finally figure out what it means to belong. To each other. A mystery backstory and small revelations along the way make this a very enjoyable festive read. Even though it never actually snows in London.

By Con Riley ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked We Only Kiss at Christmas as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of Dial A for Aunties
Book cover of Someone You Can Build a Nest In
Book cover of Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective

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