We often get lost in the shuffle of a new year, and while setting goals and finding ways to do more, we forget about the simple things like reading a new book. This year, we want to add a little more me time to just curl up at home, and pass the cold months with a winter reading list. A good read can make a long flight or car ride more bearable, and can make a blustery afternoon a little more cozy. These are a few of our favorite reads across genres, including historical fiction, mystery, and more!
For the Murder Mystery Lover: The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
This small-town murder mystery is both a legal nail biter and a murder thriller. The story begins with two girls who are taken into the woods at gunpoint after their family has been attacked at home; one runs and the other is left behind. Years later, the same small town is revisited by violence, and one of the girls is called to help solve the crime.
For the Time Traveler: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
This read chronicles the journey of a family through two sisters divided at a young age. The first daughter marries a wealthy English settler who runs a slave transporting business out of Africa. The second sister is sold into slavery and her family eventually ends up in America. Their lineages follow remarkably different paths, and as each generation unfolds, the characters stay connected—whether they know it or not—to the family who came before them. If you love strong characters, sophisticated storytelling, and a book that doesn’t shy away from subtle social commentary, this book is for you!
For the Drama Queen: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
While at first this may seem like a young adult novel, the well-developed plot and suspenseful main character, Nastya, elevates it for readers beyond the teen audience. When Nastya, a jaded and isolated teenager meets Josh, a boy whose life has been nothing less than tragic, the two form a friendship that slowly starts to unbury all that Nastya has been hiding.
For the Modern Day Activist: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Reflecting on recent events of police brutality and the ever-present issues of race and neighborhood violence, this story follows a young protagonist, Starr, who watches police shoot her unarmed friend. What follows is a teenager’s struggle with witnessing a friend being shot, as well as confronting fears that are all too personal to a young black teenager growing up in urban America. Hailed by the New York Times and several YA authors like John Green (author of The Fault in Our Stars), The Hate U Give is a relevant and moving read for everyone.
For the WWII History Buff: Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Based on a true story of the experiments done on prisoners at German concentration camps, this book is told through the vantage point of three women, each of whom is forever changed by the impact of WWII. Herta is a German doctor who takes a position at Ravensbruck (the largest all-female concentration camp), Caroline is a New York socialite whose love life brings her closer to war efforts than she ever expected, and Kasia is a Polish prisoner at Ravensbruck. A sweeping tale that also follows what happened in Europe after the war, this story will hook you from start to finish.
This year, we’re doing more—and one of our resolutions is more reading. What’s your favorite book? Let us know in the comments!