There are times when I want to sit down with a long, serious book that speaks to me and lets me see the world from different perspectives. There are times when I want to read nonfiction to learn something new or to expand my horizons. And then, there are some times when I just want to sit and read for the sheer enjoyment of it. I want to lose myself in a story where the characters seem like friends and the plot keeps me involved.
Christmas is usually one of those times. When things get really hectic in real life, I need to turn to calm and steady in my reading. And if these stories are so enthralling that I can spend a cold, snowy evening reading and finish it in one sitting – all the better!
The following books do that for me. They aren’t taxing or complex, they are simply well told stories with lovable characters. These are books I have read more than once and that feel like home to me.
As you go to face your busy holiday season, I hope that one of these books helps you keep you calm and centered and full of the joy of the season.
Happy reading!
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
Maybe my favorite book of all time, this cozy read is about Elfrida Phipps and her friend Oscar Blundell. They left England together after tragedy strikes and head to the Scottish countryside. There, surrounded by friends, they learn to heal. A winter read sure to warm your soul!
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
Sara travels all the way from Sweden to Iowa to meet her pen pal, only to find that her friend has died. Sara decides to stay in town and share her love of reading with the townspeople. If you love books, this cozy read is for you!
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
Juliet Ashton, a London writer, begins a correspondence with a man living on a German-occupied island. Not allowed to read books, this man and his neighbors must begin a secret society to satisfy their literary needs and Juliet is drawn in. This book was recently made into a Netflix movie.
Still Life by Louise Penny
This is the first of the wildly popular Inspector Gamache series. This cozy mystery takes place in Montreal where a murder has just taken place. Gamache must use all his cunning and wit to bring the murderer to light.
The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard
This is the first book of the Cazalet Chronicles. The books follow the lives of the Cazalet family as they face the coming of the second world war. The Cazalet’s are a three-generation family, living privileged lives in both London and the English Countryside. Jane Howard draws you in immediately with her wonderful descriptions of upper middle class life in England and her excellent characterization of family dealing with the trials of life, illness, affairs, aging, etc.
Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick
Martha Brown is a librarian as well as the neighborhood go-to person. She is always willing to lend a helping hand – sometimes to the point of overload. Her inability to say no to anyone makes her seem a bit of a doormat, until one day a mysterious person leaves a book at her door. This book has an inscription in it from her grandmother, Zelda who passed away years earlier. The inscription, however, implies that maybe she was wrong about what happened to her grandmother. As Martha unravels her family history, she also learns her own worth.
Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon
