Mark your advent calendars: What Light, a heartwarming holiday romance by Jay Asher, the author who brought you Thirteen Reasons Why, hits shelves on October 18th. In it, Sierra’s family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon, and every November, they pack their bags and their holiday cheer and head to California to set up their tree lot for the season. Sierra misses her friends, but this year, she finds herself drawn to Caleb, a boy with a dark past and a heart of gold. Trust us – this one will have you craving hot chocolate with peppermint and seriously swooning.

The bad news: It’s only July. The good news: Santa is coming early this year! Celebrate Christmas in July with us and dig into some of our favorite festive reads. And if your holiday spirit is wilting a little under the summer sunshine, don’t worry – we’ll ease you into the swing of things and have you rockin’ around the Christmas tree in no time. Here’s what to read while you wait for What Light to come out!

What Light *Excerpt!* by Jay Asher

This is the sweet romance your heart didn’t know it needed. Read the first 3 chapters of What Light before it comes out this fall!

Love on the Lifts by Jill Santopolo

If you can’t get enough hot summer lovin’ on the beach, this interactive romance in the vein of a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book is the perfect read to get you ready for mistletoe. The scenario: you’re spending vacay on the slopes. You’re bound to have a snowy fling with a cutie you lock eyes with across the lodge. Will it be the athletic ski instructor? The hottie with the broken leg by the fireplace? Or someone else altogether? You’ll be calling all the shots as you navigate your way through the narrative, making decisions at the end of each chapter – and end up with one of 11 different ski slope hunks!

Little Women (Puffin in Bloom edition)

So, maybe paperbacks on the beach isn’t your cup of cocoa – maybe you prefer to use summer to catch up on some reading, Rory Gilmore-style. A classic like Little Women could be just the ticket. This beloved novel about sisterhood, family, and following your dreams is one of our favorites. The opening chapters start the novel off at Yuletide, and it’s one of the most well-known Christmas scenes in classic literature. It’s also a wonderful reminder that the holidays are about a lot more than presents. The March sisters may not have much, but they have each other, and that’s enough.

All I Want for Christmas Is Mad Libs

Alternatively, maybe you like to keep your reading light – like, really light – during summer break. That doesn’t mean you can’t play reindeer games in July! May we recommend All I Want for Christmas Is Mad Libs? With 240 pages of festive fill-in-the-blank fun, you’ll have enough to get you through that annual summertime family road trip for sure.

Me, My Elf & I and Selfish Elf Wish by Heather Swain

Maybe you like your Christmas books with a little bit of magic? In this lighthearted duology, tall, blond Zephyr Addler finds herself the new kid in a prestigious performing arts school in New York City. And, umm, she’s an elf. Which isn’t easy to keep a secret when you’re not allowed to use your family’s magic to hide their zany behavior! Book two sees Zephyr take on the holidays at XXX High . . . soooooo basically this series is perfect for you Sabrina the Teenage Witch fans out there!

A Christmas Carol (Puffin Chalk edition)

Nothing will give you the warm fuzzies like Charles Dickens’ classic tale of a miserly old man who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve, who show him the error of his ways and leave him with joy and love in his heart on Christmas morning. Bonus? There’s plenty of movie adaptations of this one (but we all know the Muppets version is the best of ‘em.)

Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Nothing could cap off your Christmas in July celebrations better than a re-read of these three interconnected holiday romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle. It’s star on the top of your Christmas tree, and the perfect primer for Jay Asher’s What Light.

And hey, if you’re still making your way through this list come August, no sweat – we’re of the opinion that it should be Christmas Every Day (especially if Santa brings us Erik von Detten).

Preorder your copy of What Light!