Book recommendations time!
If you’re looking to fill out your TBR, you’re in the right place! Now that we’ve technically reached the end of winter, I’ve compiled the best of what I read this season.
In my humble bookish opinion, the books below are absolutely worth your time – I mean, as long as they fit your own readerly tastes. Notes are included so you can determine that for yourself, and all books are linked to both Amazon and Bookshop.
(If you’re unfamiliar with Bookshop, it’s an online retailer that allows you to designate a part of the profits from your purchase to an independent bookstore of your choice. It can be more expensive, but you’ll also help keep indies afloat.)
If you’re on my email list, I also chat about the books I didn’t love there. Perhaps you find it fascinating to see what novels people don’t like (I sure do) – plus, if you’ve got a wildly long TBR, this will help you figure out what to skip. There are like five best-sellers on that list for this season, so if you want to be in the know about what’s not worth your time, get signed up here.
Now, to the books!
P.S. All links are affiliate links – if you buy one of these book recommendations through one of them, I make a few pennies off your purchase, but it does not raise the cost for you. Thanks for helping keep this site running!
The Best Books i read this Winter
Fiction book recommendations
Anxious People – Fredrik Backman
This book is absolutely delightful. It’s funny and clever and the most charming hostage situation book you’ll ever read. (Yes, I realize that feels like an oxymoron. Just trust me – don’t read anything more about the plot and go in un-spoiled.) I’d like to go reread this one again right now, honestly, just to see how Fredrik Backman pulled it off.
You’ll love it if: you enjoyed A Man Called Ove; Anxious People has super similar vibes
The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Neil gaiman
This book just barely missed the cut for my best books of 2021. This book follows a man’s recollections of one childhood summer, where the neighbors at the end of the lane caused some strange and fantastic events. It feels like a children’s story but isn’t, really – it’s dark and weird and memorable, and you’ll keep thinking about after you finish it.
You’ll love it if: the idea of bleaker Narnia for grown-ups appeals to you
The Guncle – Steven Rowley
This was such a fun read! Patrick, a down-and-out TV star, is forced to take in his niece and nephew after their mother dies and their father goes to rehab. I know that sounds depressing, but the book manages a sweet, lively tone while still dealing with grief in an effective way. I was surprised how much this story touched me.
You’ll love it if: you need a palate cleanser that’s both zippy and tender
how lucky – Will Leitch
This is a great book if you need something mysterious but not too dark. A man who cannot speak and is confined to a wheelchair is the last person to see a girl before she’s kidnapped. The point of view in this one is interesting, and the main character is highly likeable. It’s fun and quick and ultimately very feel-good.
You’ll love it if: you enjoy rooting for an unlikely sleuth
Words in Deep Blue – Cath Crowley
This was a quick, sweet YA that I really enjoyed. Rachel left a note for her crush Henry in a book before she moved – but he’s entirely clueless. When she returns to town to stay with her aunt after her brother’s death, she still hasn’t forgiven Henry for his lack of response. You can guess what happens next. Bonus points for characters who work at independent bookstores!
You’ll love it if: You like Nicola Yoon (or other YA romances that also deal with deeper issues)
Into the Drowning Deep – Mira Grant
I heard both a friend and Laura Tremaine describe this as mermaid horror, and, well, that’s an accurate description. While horror is far from my typical genre, I did enjoy reading this one. Years ago, a mockumentary crew went to the center of the ocean looking for mermaids. Then the boat was found drifting completely empty with gruesome footage of the crew being attacked by mysterious beings. Now, the same company is trying to solve the mystery of what happened. The story takes a bit to escalate – and then boy, does it take off. If you’re squeamish, this one is suspenseful but not particularly gruesome in its details. If I can handle it, you probably can.
You’ll love it if: if you’re even slightly intrigued by the description “mermaid horror”
a week in winter – maeve Binchy
I’m a sucker for a story with multiple interwoven perspectives. Then set that story on the Irish coast? I’m all the way in. This book tells the story of Chicky Starr, who returns to her hometown to run a hotel. The first few chapters establish her story and the development of the hotel, then the rest of the book follows the other workers and guests. It’s fun and sweet and a lovely little bit of escapism.
You’ll love it if: you want a quick vacation to the Irish coast (who doesn’t?)
Amazon | Bookshop
Iron Lake – William Kent Kruger
I’ve read and enjoyed some of William Kent Kruger’s non-mysteries, so I snatched this up when it was on Kindle sale. It opens in a small Minnesota town, where a paper boy heads out into a blizzard, sees something he shouldn’t have, and disappears. I’ll admit, I had a quibble with one plot event that was horrifying and felt sort of unnecessary, but that didn’t stop me from devouring this one in less than 48 hours.
You’ll love it if: you want one more propulsive wintery mystery before summer
nonfiction and memoir book recommendations
in the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World – Padraig O’Tuama
This was at the tip-top of my Best Books of 2021 list. This book was incredible. And it’s also really hard to explain.
Perhaps think of it as a memoir-theology-poetry collection, where Padraig O’Tuama describes his spiritual journey with thoughts on faith and story and belonging and peacemaking. My virtual book club read this together, and we all found it incredibly meaningful. It’s beautiful and thoughtful and permissive, and I underlined a ton.
You’ll love it if: you like a genre-bending book that asks more questions than it answers
So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why skills trump passion in the quest for work you love – Cal Newport
I’ve been on a Cal Newport kick, and I thought this book was actually quite helpful. Newport argues that instead of pursuing our passions, we should pursue work at which we can develop our talents to be, you guessed it, so good we can’t be ignored. This is not the advice most of my generation wants to hear – we want independence and meaningful work and agency fresh out of college. But Newport argues the things we define as “good jobs” are given to people who have put enough deliberate practice and time so as to offer something of great value.
My one beef with this book, as with basically all Cal Newport books, is that there are barely any positive female examples included in his anecdotes. C’mon, Cal. Please do better.
You’ll love it if: you’re still figuring out what you want from your career and a roadmap to get there
The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities Into Soulful Practices – Casper Ter Kuile
In this book, Ter Kuile, the co-host of the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast, walks through different religious practices, like Sabbath and prayer, and how they can benefit those who don’t fit into a traditional faith. Based on ideas from this book, I’m currently trying to take an intentional weekly walk (or a “pilgrimage”) to my favorite neighborhood spot and a “Sabbath” from social media, email, and aimless Internet scrolling one day per week. It’s actually been quite lovely. (If you’re very religious, heads up that Ter Kuile will occasionally make remarks about the obsoleteness of religion, so skip this if that will bother you.)
You’ll love it if: you’re searching for intentional ways to add more meaning to your life
Three Girls from Bronzeville: A uniquely american memoir of race, fate, and sisterhood – Dawn Turner
In this book, Turner walks through her childhood in a historically Black neighborhood and the different paths she, her sister, and her best friend took. I picked this up because I live a stone’s throw from Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, and I was curious to see what it was like to grow up there. This one took me a while to get into because the childhood stories felt a bit removed – as is maybe expected for someone recalling forty years into the past. But Turner’s account of her relationships with the other women as adults was fascinating.
You’ll love it if: you’re looking for a memoir that’s both engaging and challenging
Before you leave, don’t forget – if you’re looking for more book recommendations (and excruciatingly honest opinions about what not to read), hop on my email list! You’ll get book thoughts I don’t share anywhere else. Just enter your info below!