The Best Winter Books To Cozy Up With

It’s the season for hunkering inside with some winter books and hot cocoa. We put together a list of the best books to cozy up with, so light some candles and grab a comfy blanket. You’re guaranteed to stay warm and entertained while it’s cold outside. Happy reading!

1. Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire

In Dead and Gondola, Ellie Christie has moved back home to the tiny mountain village of Last Word, Colorado, to run the Book Chalet with her older sister, Meg, and their beloved cat named Agatha. The historic bookshop is a famed destination for bibliophiles and is perched in a hamlet accessible by ski gondola and a twisty road. One day, they’re visited by a mysterious man who interrupts their weekly book club meeting and leaves behind a rare edition of an Agatha Christie novel. The sisters attempt to return the book back to the man when they see him in a crowd the next day, but when they finally get to him, the man is dead. With a snowstorm and rockslide that puts the town into lockdown, the sisters are compelled to call on their inner sleuths to solve this mystery before the murderer strikes again. Ann Claire’s fast-paced cozy mystery is sure to keep you reading into the wee hours of the night.

2. Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala

In Blackmail and Bibingka, Lila Macapagal can’t seem to get into the spirit of the season when she finds out her long-lost cousin Ronnie has returned. He’s been ghosting the family for fifteen years, and while her Tita Rosie is happy her son has finally returned, Lila knows that where Ronnie is trouble isn’t too far behind. Soon, Lila’s intuition is proven right when Ronnie becomes the suspect in a murder. While she resents him for leaving the family and doesn’t trust him, she can’t believe her cousin could commit murder. But how can she prove his innocence? This whodunit by Mia P. Manansala is sure to have you excitedly flipping the pages and playing sleuth alongside Lila. 

3. The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

It’s never to late to read a Christmas story. This New York Times bestseller is a heartwarming Christmas novel filled with humor, suspense and a great cast of characters. In The Christmas Bookshop, Carmen Hogan is laid off from her department store job with zero savings to her name and no job prospects, she moves to Edinburgh on the suggestion of her sister, Sofia. Carmen doesn’t want to live with her perfect sister and her perfect children, but her sister tells her about a client who is looking for someone to help manage his ancient bookshop and keep it financially afloat. Carmen is intrigued by the idea of reviving this old bookstore, and decides to move in with her sister. Can she breathe new life into the shabby bookstore in time for the Christmas shopping season? And will she be able to focus and keep the business running when a famous and charming author takes a sudden liking to her and the bookshop? Pick up this fun read and find out who captures Carmen’s attention, and if she saves the bookstore.

4. Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw

Winterwood has all the wintry vibes to help you curl up on the couch under a warm blanket, and sink into this “delectably immersive, eerie experience” as described by Kirkus Reviews. From New York Times bestselling author, Shea Ernshaw, comes the tale of a missing boy in the town of Fir Haven, who is lost for two weeks in the middle of the worst snowstorm the town has seen in years, before he is found alive by local witch Nora Walker. Oliver Huntsman, the boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys, was discovered in the dark, dark woods surrounding Fir Haven with supposedly no memory of what happened to him. The woods, said to be haunted and magical, are rumored to hold many secrets. Secrets Nora is determined to unravel. What Nora doesn’t realize is that Oliver also has secrets he is determined to hold onto from that fateful night in the woods. And as much as she has come to care deeply for Oliver, Nora must unearth the truth of what happened in the dark magical woods.

5. The Holiday Switch by Tif Marcelo

No winter reading would be complete without a little romance. USA Today bestselling author Tif Marcelo delivers a charming story in The Holiday Switch. It centers around Lila Santo, a Filipino American high school senior, and her boss’s nephew, good-looking college freshman Teddy Rivera. With winter break around the corner, Lila hopes to work extra shifts in her small town of Holly, New York, at the popular holiday destination, the Bookworm Inn, while also working as an anonymous book blogger on the side. But those hopes are dashed when she’s asked to train her boss’s nephew. The two can’t stop butting heads until one day they accidentally switch phones and discover they’re both hiding some secrets. A friendship begins to blossom as they have no choice but to confide in one another, and maybe even a little romance. 

6. The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer 

The Matzah Ball is a funny and heartwarming reminder that everyone is worthy of love. Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a nice Jewish girl, but she’s keeping a secret from her whole family: she loves Christmas. So much so that she writes Christmas romance novels under a pen name, and has been doing so for a decade. But when her publisher tells her to write a Hanukkah romance, Rachel can’t seem to find the motivation to write anymore. Desperate to keep her job and find a little inspiration, Rachel attends the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah. There she finds her childhood crush and her archenemy from Jewish summer camp. However, she takes a chance and asks him for help. She learns that their grudge still shines bright, but will spending more time together bring them closer? Will working together spark her creativity and will Rachel finally take a chance on finding the love she writes about, but has always felt so out of reach for her? 

7. Season of Love by Helena Greer 

Season of Love is Buzzfeed’s Most Anticipated LGBTQ Romances of 2022. In this heartwarming rom-com filled with holiday cheer, Miriam Blum is faced with the challenge of saving her great-aunt’s Christmas tree farm after she inherits part of it when her aunt passes away. She must return to New York and Carrigan’s Christmasland after being away for a decade and face her past. She needs to turn the struggling business around, but that means working with the grumpy manager of the farm, who doesn’t believe Miriam deserves to be owner after being gone so long. But the attraction is undeniable between these two, and they soon turn to each other through their grief and trauma to help save the farm. Through their efforts, there is growth for each of these women in this charming and heartfelt romance, where facing your past is the key to happiness.

Grow Your Winter Books List

Want more options to add to your winter books list? We have more recommendations for you to check out in this blog post.