By Lorie Ham
As the weather begins to get cooler, there’s nothing cozier than a cup of your favorite warm beverage and a good book in front of the fire. Whether you prefer to read wintery and holiday books that put you in the mood for the season, or summery beach books to help you escape the cold, there are books out there for every reading taste.
Barnes and Noble’s list of most anticipated reads for November and December of 2023 has a wide variety of books from various genres, including mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, romance, and literary. The list includes Before We Say Goodbye (Before the Coffee Gets Cold Series #4) by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan, The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel by Nita Prose, and the next book in the very popular The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros, Iron Flame (the first book is Fourth Wing). If you are looking for some thriller recommendations, CrimeReads.com is always a good place to check. For mysteries on the lighter side, check out Kings River Life Magazine’s latest mystery coming attractions column.
A book that seems to be showing up on a lot of book lists right now is Day: A Novel by Michael Cunningham. It is the first novel in ten years from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Hours. This poignant and insightful novel, set on the same day in each of three years, is a compassionate story of love, loss, and the evolution of one family as they endure tragedies and living together and apart.
If you are looking to read some holiday books this year, Book Club Chat has a list of ten books to check out. Some of the books included are Bright Lights, Big Christmas by popular author Mary Kay Andrews, Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan, and The Christmas Cafe by Eliza Evans. All of them sound delightful and cozy! If, instead of winter holiday reads, you are looking for a list of beach reads to warm you up this winter, you can find a fun list of suggestions from this summer article in Southern Living, which includes Happy Place, the bestseller by popular romance author Emily Henry.
For those of you who are fans of the classic Christmas book A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, be sure to check out The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits by Les Standiford. It tells the story of how this classic came to be. There is also a movie, but the book is better. For more non-fiction holiday book reading suggestions, check out this list on Goodreads.
If you are a fan of holiday mysteries, the list is endless! Murder By the Book bookstore has a list of several of those coming out this winter. Fans of Donna Andrews’ Meg Langslow series have two books to look forward to—Dashing Through Snowbirds and Let It Crown! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! If you enjoy Christmas mysteries with dogs you won’t want to miss Up On the Woof Top by Spencer Quinn and Twas the Bite Before Christmas by David Rosenfelt. There are also some yummy Christmas food mysteries on the list, which include recipes. Speaking of food, if your tastes are more for Thanksgiving-themed mysteries Cozy Mystery List has a long list to devour.
Another great source for holiday and winter reading suggestions is your local library. Many have displays not only of the newest books but also holiday displays!
What are you looking forward to reading this winter holiday season? We would love to hear your recommendations over on the Mennonite Insurance Facebook page.
