No other time of the year is quite like the week between Christmas and New Years. As if time no longer exists, we may find ourselves saying, “What day is it again?” more than once. If we’re really lucky, these days that blend into one another will be filled with some pretty good stuff. Hopefully we’ll get some extra family time, a well deserved break from work, and potentially even a head start on that New Year’s resolution of reading more.
Whether you’re the type to set resolutions or not, I dare say, we could all use a little more written word in our lives. Plus, with so many great books out there in an endless amount of genres, there’s something out there for us each of us that can provide the brain break we’ve been looking for since Labor Day.
If your holiday break includes a little down time and you’re looking to flip a few pages of a great new book, we tracked down the best books just for you. The list below includes romance novels with fresh takes, family dramas, true crime stories, and page-turning memoirs to pull you out of your post-holiday doldrums. Check out our best books to read over holiday break below!
The Best Books to Read Over Holiday Break
Fictional Stories
Your holiday reading list can be uniquely your own by incorporating the types of stories you like best. This list of books to read over holiday break includes all the stops. You’ll find light heartfelt reads, heart-pounding thrillers, and even a fantasy romance to heat up the chilly season. No matter how you define “page-turner,” you’re sure to find it below.
There are few things more satisfying than finishing a book in one sitting. If you, too, enjoy this feeling, pick up In Five Years immediately.
Dannie and her best friend Bella could not be more different. Dannie’s straightforward lifestyle has left her wanting more, until one morning she wakes up five years in the future and everything is different—including the apartment she’s in and the man she’s with, who happens to be Bella’s fiancé. After spending one hour in this future world, she wakes up back in the present questioning her every move.
Emily Henry has taken the romance genre by storm, and for good reason. If you can’t actually go out on a tropical vacation this holiday season, pick this book up instead.
Poppy and Alex are best friends who vow to take a vacation together every year. That is, until two years ago when their perfect friendship collapses. In an effort to get herself out of a rut, Poppy reaches out to Alex in an attempt to rekindle their relationship and find real happiness once again.
This is a must-read for all horror movie fans, as it is the inspiration for M. Night Shyamalan’s film Knock at the Cabin.
The tense tale tells the story of Wen, a young girl, and her parents, Eric and Andrew, who are vacationing at their remote cabin in New Hampshire. On a quiet afternoon, a group of strangers arrive at the house with weapons. We soon learn that the fate of the world lies in the hands of this one family.
Those of us who find ourselves fasciated by true crime will want to get our hands on this book immediately. It’s a reimagining of the infamous Ted Bundy case like you’ve never heard it before.
When the worst possible scenario strikes a Florida sorority house, chapter president Pamela Schumacher is left to deal with the aftermath. With the help of a reporter and a new found friend with a dark past, the trio aim to uncover how this murder is linked to the other crimes of the All-American Sex Killer.
Keep the holiday magic alive even after they’re over with this adorable romance novel.
From the author of The Unhoneymooners comes the hilarious rom-com of our holiday dreams. Maelyn Jones loves her family’s tradition of getting together at their Utah cabin over the holidays, and is devastated to find out this will be their last. Without the beloved cabin and with a dead-end job and a recent romantic blunder, she’s less than optimistic. When she pleads to the universe for guidance, she finds herself in a car crash. When she wakes up, she realizes she’s in a time loop, repeating the same day over and over. She’s on her own to get back to real life and make things right.
We love a novel that makes us wonder: What would I do in this situation? One True Loves does just that.
Emma was lucky enough to have two great loves of her life: Sam, her adoring, ever-supportive fiancé, and her late husband, Jesse, who was lost at sea three years ago. As she’s beginning to plan a new life with Sam, Jesse is found alive. Now she must choose between the two people she loves most.
The most enjoyable thrillers leave you guessing until the bitter end—and this is totally the case with this masterpiece by Mary Kubica.
Eleven years ago, Shelby Tebow went missing. A short time after, Meredith Dickey and her young daughter, Delilah, also go missing from just a few blocks away. The cases go cold until Delilah surprisingly returns. As the town begins to seek answers, they could never prepare themselves for what they find out.
Ledge is an epic romantic fantasy by TikTok sensation Stacey McEwan. In the Ledge, no one can escape the frozen wasteland that relies on human sacrifices to obtain rations for survival. After being selected for the sacrifice, Dawsyn finds herself on a quest to save her people and must trust one handsome half-Glacian for assistance despite her reservations. Consider this the perfect intro to spicy romance if you’re new to the genre.
If you, too, couldn’t get enough of Carley Fortune’s first hit, Every Summer After, get ready to dive into her newest novel. This time, duo Fern and Will spend 24 magical hours together. Separated by distance, the two agree to meet after one year. The problem is, when Fern arrives, she sees that Will isn’t there. Now, nine years later, Will reappears in her life. She must fight the internal battle of deciding if she can trust the man who broke her heart all those years before.
Memoirs & Non-Fiction Books
There’s no denying the memoir genre has been giving hit after hit in recent years. Check out the best of the best below for a peek into the behind-the-scenes lives of your favorite celebs and a few life lessons they learned the hard way. If memoirs aren’t exactly your thing, we’ve also included some of our favorite non-fiction books. Read about interesting topics that are perfect for discussing at your New Year’s Eve gathering.
Especially after the passing of Matthew Perry, reading his book feels like a small way to pay homage to a man who played a big role in many of our lives. Take peek into the complicated life the beloved actor lived. Behind closed doors, Matthew Perry struggled with severe addiction. In his memoir, he recounts the struggles he endured after a life-threatening health scare. His story is raw and unforgettable, and one we can all learn from.
It may not seem like that long ago, but it was all the way back in 2021 that the world got to hear Britney Spears speak in court about her life under conservatorship. It felt like, for the first time, the world was finally listening to the pop star. Now she’s more candid than ever about her life, fame, and personal struggles.
Most avid readers are familiar with Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita. But far less may know the details of the real-life case his beloved and controversial novel is inspired by. In The Real Lolita, learn all about the abduction of 11-year-old Sally Horner back in 1948. Along the way, author Sarah Weinman uncovers just how much knowledge Nabokov had on the real-life true crime case.
Pamela Anderson was thrust back into the spotlight after the Hulu series Pam & Tommy came out in 2022. Now, readers can experience her life through her perspective in this unforgettable memoir. Readers quickly learn there’s much more than meets the eye for the iconic Playboy cover girl.
Many of us may be familiar with Joanna Gaines from several outlets—most notably, her television series Fixer Upper. But she’s also dipped her toes in writing the last several years. After a popular children’s book, she released The Stories We Tell in 2022. It shines as somewhat of a memoir/self-improvement hybrid, both telling the stories that brought her to where she is today, while encouraging readers to share their own stories as well.
From the author who brought us Killers of the Flower Moon comes a historical recount you won’t want to put down.
After a British warship falls victim to shipwreck, two groups of survivors each have a different account of what really happened. Find everything you could want from your favorite thriller fiction writers wrapped in one unbelievable true tale.
Paris Hilton is the most recognizable influencer in the world, but getting to this point was anything but an easy feat. This powerful memoir follows her story of both growing up in the spotlight and the struggles she faced behind closed doors, detailing the evolution of celebrity culture and emphasizing that everything is almost never as it seems. But most importantly, she shows us her path to peace while she challenges us to question the world’s role in her story and in our very own.
Going into the new year with fresh goals and aspirations? Set yourself up for success with the powerful book everyone’s been talking about for years. If you haven’t already read it, buckle up for a proven framework for forming good habits and breaking the ones you no longer want with Atomic Habits.
You may be familiar with Matt Haig from his bestselling novel The Midnight Library. This time, he hits us with a dose of reality rather than fantasy with what’s been dubbed as one of the most “feel-good books of the year” by The Washington Post. Brought together from years of notes, lists, and stories is a piece that serves as a reminder to slow down and take time to appreciate the life we have. What more could we ask for as we go into the new year?
