I don't know about you, but something about this time of year makes me want to cozy up underneath a blanket with a huge mug of hot chocolate and a small (or not so small) stack of books. Now that the semester is over (finally!) and finals are completed, it's a good time to relax and read some sugary, feel-good books. Here are three stories that will help get you into the holiday spirit.

*What Happens at Christmas-by Victoria Alexander

All Camille wants for Christmas is to be engaged to a wealthy prince or duke. Knowing that her eccentric family could quite possibly get in the way of these prospects, she decides to hire a troop of actors to come and pretend to be her family, so as to attract the best possible suitor for the holidays. When an old flame appears on her doorstep, the chaos grows to an even greater level as Camille is forced to come to terms with what she REALLY wants for Christmas. This book has everything you could want in a historical holiday story. Victorian traditions, hilarious family hi-jinks, witty dialogue between the characters, and a warm and fuzzy feeling that stays with you long after finishing the book.

*The Nine Lives of Christmas-by Shelia Roberts

This sweet story is told through the eyes of a cat named Ambrose. He has just made a plea with the universe to spare his life as he is being pursued by a vicious dog. He is saved by a firefighter named Zach, which leads him to believe that he has to help this human with his love life in order to keep his end of the bargain with the universe from delivering him from death-by-dog. If you've ever had cats, or known people who have cats, I'm sure you can imagine how hilarious some of these situations turn out to be. When Zach meets an exceptionally kind woman who works in the pet store, Ambrose focuses all his attention towards bringing them together, just in time for the holidays. This book is quick, light, and fun. It's a perfect story to read after the stress of the end of the semester.

*A Christmas Carol-by Charles Dickens

An oldie but a goodie. I know we've all seen the various incarnations of the book in television and film, but have you actually sat down and read the book itself? If you haven't, you really should. It's absolutely delightful. Watching Ebeneezer Scrooge's journey from hateful miser to open-hearted humanist through Dickens' lyrical and lush prose is an experience that I highly recommend for everyone this time of year.

"I have always thought of Christmas time as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely." -Charles Dickens