8 Cozy Winter Reads

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

Twelve-year-old Milo is looking forward to a quiet winter break at Greenglass House, the inn he and his adopted parents run. The weather is brutally cold, and no one would venture all the way up the steep mountain in snow like this. Yet, before Milo can even put away his school books, the guest bell begins to ring. And with each tinkling sound comes a new, strange guest who seems to have a connection to the old smugglers' haunt and a secret, to boot. Can Milo and his newfound friend Meddy put the pieces together to figure out what exactly is happening?

Greenglass House is a middle-grade novel fun for children and adults, and its quaint, quirky inn and frigid conditions make for perfect winter reading.

Eloise at Christmastime by Kay Thompson

"Dah-ling, Christmas simply isn't complete without joining Eloise at the Plaza." Kay Thompson's classic Eloise gets tinseled and jingled for the holidays, and readers will adore the over-the-top Eloise and her Christmas preparations with the exasperated staff of the Plaza following behind, ready and waiting to pick up the tinsel, wrapping paper, and bows left in the wake of the ever-precocious Eloise.

The Things That Matter by Nate Berkus

While this is the time of year that many focus on what they already have, gifts and "things" abound, which Nate Berkus would argue isn't all that bad. He and 12 others who inspire him share what meaningful items they own and why they matter.

Accompanied by lovely, intimate photographs and stories from a variety of styles and homes, The Things That Matter makes the perfect gift.

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

David Sedaris blends his special brand of (adult) humor with tales of his family, his now-infamous stint as an elf at Macy's, and a review of a children's holiday play in this fantastic collection of essays. [Runner up for those with tricky family dynamics: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, also by the author.]

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Nine-year-old Ada has a clubfoot and a mother who not only never lets her outside but who also doesn't allow her to try to walk. Confined to a cabinet at times, Ada uses any free moment to practice her shuffling walk. London fears the coming bombs at the start of World War II and sends its children to the countryside, and Ada is determined to make her escape with her younger brother. Homed with the taciturn Susan Smith, life is still better for Ada and Jamie, as they learn what it is to be cared for and, eventually, loved. But how long can their idyllic home last? And will war separate them in the end?

This middle-grade novel is affecting, perfect for adults as well as children, and its sequel, The War I Finally Won, just published in October.

A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead

Many answered the call to resist the Nazis in Occupied France, but A Train in Winter focuses on 230 women who risked everything and were apprehended by the Gestapo and slowly whittled down to a small band of survivors before being sent to Auschwitz. Of the original 230, only 49 would make it to the end of the war, but A Train in Winter focuses on the selflessness and determination of these women to uphold one another and survive, though returning home was difficult in its own way. Relying on interviews, camp documents, and Resistance archives, Moorehead pieces together the stories of these brave women in this fascinating, uplifting account of unbelievable circumstances.

Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier

One of the most famous first lines opens Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca: "Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again," and with that begins one of the most absorbing, atmospheric gothic classics ever written. The unnamed narrator meets Maxim de Winter in Monte Carlo, where she's acting as a companion to an older woman. Naïve and swept off her feet, she marries him, but not without hearing some unsettling rumors. Back at his estate, Manderley, everything is run according to the wishes of Rebecca, Max's late wife. Mrs. Danvers, the imposing housekeeper, impresses upon the new Mrs. de Winter exactly how inept she is, and Max, too, can't seem to help compare his new bride to the ghost of Rebecca. The constant comparisons become more and more unnerving until an unexpected turn of events brings to light the truth of what happened to Rebecca.

Gripping, with a touch of intrigue, this classic is unputdownable and highly recommended for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.  

Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

As the temperatures drop, what better time to hunker down with a fascinating narrative nonfiction look at the life and death of President James Garfield, a man so renowned and impressive that he was nominated for president against his own will? Shot by a madman and in a time without modern medicine, Garfield was in intense pain for months before he died, and Millard also writes of Alexander Graham Bell and his efforts to create a device to find the bullet lodged in the president. A heartbreaking account of Garfield's stunning life, an examination of the shortcomings of medicine and Bell's genius, and a stark look at the man who assassinated a president, Destiny of the Republic is an engrossing read.