No matter how you celebrate the winter holidays, they always seem to be the busiest time of year. There’s an endless list of things to do, from sending out cards to picking the perfect gift to choosing what to wear to every holiday party. But this year, why not take a break from the holiday madness and make time for reading?
Below are six great book recommendations that you can sink into over the next couple weeks. Pick your favorite, or try a new genre. Read three, or read them all! Either way, it's better than heading to the mall for the ninth time this month.
This list of recommendations fulfills all of our Winter Reading Challenge prompts. Click here to sign up for the challenge and be entered to win our giveaway!
Prompt #1: Read a Historical Mystery
Penny for Your Secrets
Secret Service agent Verity Kent has weathered the Great War, but there are still obstacles to be dealt with. She knew her friend Ada was having marital difficulties—but didn’t expect her husband would be discovered dead, having been shot with a bullet from Ada’s revolver. While she is trying to prove Ada’s innocence, Verity is also called upon to help investigate the murder of her colleague’s sister. She has a feeling the two cases might be linked...but if she doesn’t figure out the connection quickly enough, all of Britain may be in danger.
Prompt #2: Read a Self-Help Book
Joy Seeker
If you’ve been feeling exhausted and overwhelmed from trying to meet expectations and “succeed,” you should hear what empowerment coach Shannon Kaiser has to say. Kaiser is determined to help people find joy, realize what matters most, and live with more purpose, passion and, freedom. Touted as “one of the freshest voices in mental health and wellness,” Kaiser has written a self-help book that’s powerful, inspirational, and uplifting (Marci Shimoff, New York Times-bestselling author of Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul).
Prompt #3: Read a Hollywood Memoir
Full Circle
Anyone who grew up in the ‘80s or ‘90s knows who Kimmy Gibbler is—and has probably wondered what the star was doing between Full House and Fuller House. In her memoir, Andrea Barber examines what it was like to come of age on national television and then have a relatively normal life—college, career, marriage, kids, divorce—before returning to the public eye in 2016. Barber’s book is a raw, unfiltered look at mental health, the challenges of life in the spotlight, and finding your truest self.
Related: The 10 Best Biographies and Memoirs for Every Kind of Reader
Prompt #4: Read a Holiday Book
A Snowy Little Christmas
This charming Christmas book is a collection of three romantic short stories from New York Times-bestselling author Fern Michaels, award-winning author Tara Sheets, and Love Lettering author Kate Clayborn. Each sweet story will sweep you off your feet—after all, “there’s snow romance as delightful as a Christmas romance!”—and have you hunting for some mistletoe.
Related: The 12 Best Christmas Books to Read All Season Long
Prompt #5: Read a Thriller
No Man's Land
FBI agent Meg Jennings and her dog, Hawk, are exploring a deserted building, thinking it will be a good way to hone their skills as part of the FBI’s Human Scent Evidence Team. But Meg didn’t expect they would actually find anything—especially the body of an elderly woman. She connects the case to other abandoned bodies in the city...and when another senior is reported missing, Meg knows she and Hawk need to track down the killer, before it’s too late.
Prompt #6: Read a Feel-Good Book
Mac on a Hot Tin Roof
If all you want for Christmas is a story that'll put a smile on your face, look no further. MacGyver is a kleptomaniac tabby cat who’s always getting into trouble. But when he stumbles across four motherless kittens, he knows he needs to abandon his cat burglar ways if he hopes to find each one a home. Problem is, Mac already has his paws full as the main suspect in a series of thefts. Nobody believes he's innocent—least of all the love-starved detectives on the case—but with some clever matchmaking, he just might clear his name.
Related: 10 Quirky Animal Cozies for the Pet-Loving Mystery Reader
Related: 8 Books to Cool You Down This Summer
Featured photo: Sincerely Media / Unsplash
