‘Tis the season to curl up on the couch with a Hot Toddy and a heartwarming festive read with a Hallmark movie marathon playing in the background. Christmas is looking a little different this year and not everyone can spend the holidays with their loved ones, so here are some binge-worthy reads to get you through the rest of 2020!
The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
Romance/Comedy
The perfect seasonal read to kick off Christmas week! Kate Turner has always put her love life on the proverbial back burner. After pursuing her dreams to travel and then to establish herself as a successful career woman, Kate realizes that there might be a small piece of the puzzle missing. In a last-ditch effort to find her meant-to-be life partner, she agrees to participate in the Twelve Dates of Christmas event series organized by a local dating agency. With twelve dates in twenty-three days, there has to be someone out there that catches Kate’s eye. With the help of her two best friends {and the entire village of Blexley}, Kate endures horrific date after horrific date. When all faith is lost in the Twelve Dates of Christmas dating experience, Kate unexpectedly finds true love in the last place she ever imagined, right under her nose…
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Fantasy Fiction
When Nora Seed decides the world would be a better place without her in it, she goes to bed that night not expecting to wake up. You can imagine her surprise when she awakes in a strange library with only her elementary school librarian for company. With Mrs. Elm as her guide into the unknown, Nora has the chance to experience a million other lives where she could be anything from an Olympic swimmer to a world-renowned glaciologist. Any of these alternate realities could be Nora’s permanent reality if she chose. She takes the reader on a wild ride of self-reflection and introspection as she explores all different sides of herself, forcing the reader to do the same. Would life be different if you didn’t go away to college? If you pursued that dream job in another country? If you got married at 18 and had children right away? The possibilities are endless. The Midnight Library puts into perspective what truly makes life worth living.
Read More: 8 Creative Ways To Celebrate The Holidays Safely
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Suspense/Thriller
Virgil Wounded Horse takes care of business around the Rosebud Indian Reservation. Local law enforcement is known for turning a blind eye to most crimes committed on the reservation so Virgil earns his living by taking matters into his own hands, a vigilante of sorts. When news of heroin making its way into the reservation hits, the top town official hires Virgil to investigate the matter further and find out who is behind this. All of Virgil’s hesitancy to get involved dissipates when his own nephew overdoses and almost dies. In an unlikely dynamic duo, Virgil and his ex-girlfriend embark on a treacherous journey to hunt down the drug cartel responsible in order to protect their community. Through it all, Virgil is forced to re-examine the parts of himself that he buried long ago and reconnect with his Native American culture that will always be a part of him no matter what.
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
Coming-of-Age
Moving to Massachusetts seemed like the only logical move after the traumatic loss of her mom and failed relationship. Living in a tiny mold-infested room off her brother’s friend’s garage {who is not the nicest guy in the world}, Casey can finally finish the novel she’s spent the last six years staring at. She refuses to give up her dream of becoming a successful and influential writer. In a poignant coming-of-age story about a young woman trying to find her way in a world that seemingly does not have a place for her, Writers & Lovers is undoubtedly one of the most honest and raw portrayals of the human experience I have ever encountered.
See More: Best Holiday Lights and Displays in NJ + NY + PA
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
Romance/Comedy
In a Groundhog Day-Esque time loop, Mae experiences the Christmas holiday on repeat as she comes to terms with the fact that life as she knows it is over. The cozy Utah cabin where her family has spent every Christmas her entire life is being sold and nothing will ever be the same. Her life is in shambles: lame job, nonexistent love life, and now this. In a race to break the cycle (and somehow find her true love/soulmate/love of life at the same time), Mae experiences disaster after disaster and still wakes up on that plane destined for Utah. Will she figure it out on her own or does Mae need a Christmas miracle?
