Winter Book Recommendations

Winter Book Recommendations

As December begins, we hope for snow and the holidays. A great way to deal with the cold outside is to cuddle up with a book inside. Here are five book recommendations that are based in the winter or during the holidays to set the mood. 

In the Hall with the Knife

By Diana Peterfreund

This book will bring back the memories of playing Clue the board game because it is all the same characters. Peacock, Green, Mustard, Plum, Scarlett, and Orchid are stranded in the aristocratic mansion of campus (Blackbrook Academy) due to a winter storm with their headmaster. They find his lifeless body and it seems everyone has a motive for his murder. This is a trilogy, but could definitely be a stand alone if you are just looking for this cozy winter murder mystery. 

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares

By Rachael Cohn and David Levithan

This is a classic young adult romance where the main character Lily leaves a red notebook on her favorite bookshelf full of dares and challenges in hopes for the right person to accept them. In New York, Dash and Lily pass the notebook back and forth in different locations and connect through their desires and dreams. The real question is if their notebook selves can also connect in-person. This christmas contemporary book makes for a very cozy read and a Netflix series to watch after reading the book. 

The Last Traverse

By Ty Gagne

Are you looking for more of a nonfiction book that is close to home? This book is all about the adventures and tragedies faced while hiking in the White Mountains in New Hampshire during the winter time. Anyone who loves the outdoors, hiking, or survival stories will enjoy this book that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. Two men begin this hike, but do they both make it back okay? 

The Snow Child

By Eowyn Ivey

This book is historical fiction taking place in Alaska in 1902. Mabel and Jack are childless until they build a child out of snow during the first snowfall and it disappears the next day but come to find an actual child running around the trees. The girl hunts with a red fox by her side and somehow survives the Alaska cold. As Jack and Mabel try to understand this girl, they begin to love her like their own daughter. This book is a beautiful journey and takes place over a few years. It has many cute and heartbreaking moments and is a must read for this upcoming winter. 

Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker

By Gregory Maguire

This novel is inspired by the timeless holiday legend of the famous nutcracker and the toymaker who carves him. It is set in the enchanted Black Forest of Bavaria and the salons of Munich. It tells the story of how the nutcracker was carved and how he helped a girl named Klara on Christmas eve. This book has a fascination with death and the afterlife while asking the question: How can a person be abused by life, shortchanged and challenged, nevertheless access secrets that benefit the disadvantaged and powerless? This book provides hope and a beautiful fantastical fairytale.