The holidays are a time for rest and relaxation, amidst all the stress and pressure there actually are some glorious moments. Time to steal away and read a good book, curled up on the couch or sitting next to a window watching the falling snow.
There really is nothing better than taking some time to get lost in a book, here are a couple of excellent reads that will whisk you away this Christmas.
1. The Snow Child
Jack and Mabel live in Alaska in 1920, their relationship is drifting apart and they cannot have any children. During the season’s first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning, it has gone, and a young blonde-haired girl has appeared in its place. The little girl, who calls herself Faina, is a child of the woods. She hunts with a fox at her side and survives alone in the wilderness. Jack and Mabel come to love her as their own daughter, but what they discover about her will transform their lives forever. Available here.
2. The Sellout
Named one of the ten best books of the year by the New York Times, this satirical, comical book is a memoir about a man who ends up in court. Many have said this book shows the author, Paul Beatty as a comic genius. The narrator of the book grows up in lower-middle-class California, believing that his father is working on a memoir that will solve all their financial worries. When his father dies in a police shoot-out, he finds out that there is no memoir, so sets out to put his hometown on the map and ends up reinstating slavery. A must-read satirical and hilarious book! Available here.
3. The Essex Serpent
London 1893: Headstrong and intelligent Cora Seaborne heads to Essex with her dark and mysterious son Francis. Cora is a keen amateur naturalist, so when she comes to hear the rumours about a mythical Essex Serpent that roams marshes and claims the lives of the townspeople, she is enthralled. Convinced that she may be about to discover a new species, she meets William Ransome, the parish vicar. This is a magical and mysterious book that will transport you back in time. Available here.
4. While You Were Sleeping
Looking for a new psychological thriller to replace your love of Girl on the Train? This could just be it. Tara wakes up to find the man beside her is dead. But it’s not her house, and it’s not her bed, and it’s not her husband. She is actually in bed with her neighbor, with no memory of how she got there – and worse – he has been stabbed to death. What follows is her investigation to find out what happened, and whether those closest to her know more than they’re letting on. It’s gripping and chilling, everything you need for the holiday season, really! Available here.
5. A Man Called Ove
If you need a heartwarming read over the holiday season, this could be it. Ove is a grumpy old man, hiding his sadness from the world behind anger and mood swings. It won an award for most charming book of the year, which shows it really will tug your heart strings. When a young family move in next door to Ove, they change his life and he changes theirs in ways they never could have imagined. Available here.
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