Brrrr! I’ve been wearing my winter jacket around when I go places, and though it’s not officially winter yet, it sure feels like it. This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is a Holiday/Seasonal freebie, so I decided to talk about wintry and Christmasy books. Last year, we did a TTT on Holiday Reads, so I’m going to broaden the topic out a little bit so I can include a wider variety of books. Plus, we’ve had a whole year to find new books!
“Booked for Christmas” is Lily Menon’s Christmas novella! Lily Menon is a pen name that Sandhya Menon writes her adult books under. This one is not for kids. This is the story about a novelist and her harshest book critic. It would make a great Hallmark movie. If you can’t get your hands on her upcoming book Make Up Break Up, at least you can get this one! It’s only $.99 on Amazon.
The Bear and the Nightingale is a book that definitely gives off those wintry vibes. I need to add The Girl in the Tower to my winter TBR lottery because I haven’t read it yet, and I think the only time I really want to read it is in the winter or spring (when it’s still cold). It’s set in a magical, medieval-ish Russia, which is a plus for me.
For me, the Christmas season is fairly short, and I don’t have time to read a lot of novels most of the time. Besides, there aren’t a ton of holiday novels, even though there are some. This is one of the reason why Christmas novellas and short stories are so great. Rainbow Rowell’s Almost Midnight contains two short stories: “Midnights,” which is a beautiful story that follows two people for several New Year’s Eves in a row, and “Kindred Spirits,” a story about people waiting in line for a Star Wars movie (I can’t remember which one).
This book is good to check out of the library, but I don’t recommend buying it. “Midnights” appears in My True Love Gave to Me (a great anthology which is checked in at my library and I might borrow just to read this story), and “Kindred Spirits” can be purchased on the Kindle for $2.99. Since this little book is almost the same price as the others, if you’re buying, spend a few dollars more for the extra stories.
The Christmas Pact was originally an Audible Original that came out last year, and it’s now available on Kindle or paperback as well. It’s a cute story about two people who work at the same company and have similar names: one is Kennedy Riley, the other Riley Kennedy. When they get some emails mixed up, they become enemies. But… they don’t stay that way. Read this one before the 25th if you’re trying to get into the Christmasy mood.
Some of you may know I do this thing I call the TBR lottery: a list of all the books I’d like to read but can’t decide between. They’re all numbered, and I draw a random number to pick my next book. I typically rewrite the list twice a year, because I don’t want to read a cold-weather book in the middle of the summer. The Great Alone is set in Alaska, and it seems like it would be a cold weather book for me. Which makes it harder to win the TBR lottery. But I hope to read it someday.
Wintersong is another one of those books that leaves my TBR lottery list in the summer. Even the cover is icy. Brrrr!
Kingdom Cold has gotten mixed reviews, but this is another book on my TBR lottery that only is there during the cold months. I can’t imagine reading a book like this in the middle of August.
I have not read the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer picture book, but I have seen the TV show many times. Poor Rudolph is bullied (and Santa condones it!), at least in the TV show. Fortunately, he gets to be a hero in the end.
I did not like the narration to Frostblood, however, I liked the book enough that its sequel, Fireblood, made it to my TBR lottery, and I just finished it. I definitely like the print version better. Anyway, this book takes place in an icy land, which makes winter the perfect time to read this.
You might think a book with a tent on the cover might be better for summer reading, but not this one. Safe Harbour is a book about a girl who lives in her tent while waiting for her dad to show up… but as the days grow colder, he never does. Did Dad ghost her? What happened? It does have a satisfying ending though.
So there are some wintry books if you’re looking for something Christmasy, or something to read after the holidays while the snow still blankets the ground.
Next week is one of my favorite Top Ten Tuesdays: the seasonal TBR! I love to make these, I love to try to read everything on the list, and I love to see what other people are going to be reading. Not that I need to find new books–my TBR lottery page is bursting! But I like to find new books anyway.
Great list! The Bear and the Nightingale made my list this week, too, and I keep meaning to give Wintersong a try.
Jess @ Jessticulates recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday | Wintry fantasy
If I can get back into my reading groove, maybe I can get some more of these winter books read (because I haven’t read Wintersong yet)! Hope we both like it.
I guess you can’t go wrong with Rudolf. https://pmprescott.blogspot.com/2020/12/ttt-120820.html
I love all those Christmas cartoons.
I actually haven’t read any of these. Which one would you most recommend? (from the ones you have read of course)
Nikki @The Night is Dark and Full of Books recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #38 || Wintery book covers on my TBR
Wow that one’s tough! If you’re in the mood for a short story, maybe “Midnights.”
I didn’t know Sandhya Menon wrote under pen name! This sounds adorable!
This is her first story under her pen name! Her first novel under Lily Menon, “Make Up Break Up,” comes out in February. There will be more, but I can’t say anything beyond that.
Booked for Christmas was the first “holiday” book I read this – a perfect kickoff to the season!
🙂 So far it’s the only Christmas book I’ve read. And I agree!
I’m reading The Bear and the Nightingale next week and I’m so excited! Can’t wait.
Amber recently posted…Top Ten Books on My Winter TBR
Yay! I hope you like it!
Frost Blood has such an eye catching cover.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
Astilbe recently posted…The Adventures of Dagobert Trostler by Balduin Groller
Nice and cold!
I started The Bear and the Nightingale but had to return it to the library before I could finish it. I really should request it again sometime!
My post.
Lydia recently posted…A Free Author Promo Opportunity at Long and Short Reviews
I hate it when you can’t finish a book on time. I recently read a book with my boy for school and we had to check it out three times in a row, because we only read a few chapters a week. Fortunately, there wasn’t a demand for it.
Kingdom Cold and Frost Blood look really intriguing but then, so does The Bear and the Nightingale.
There’s always too many books that look good and not enough time to read them 🙂
I had Wintersong on my list this week too, I wasn’t a massive fan of the book but the cover is stunning and very wintery! I’ve heard so much good stuff about The Bear and The Nightingale, I need to check it out sometime.
Jo recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #293
I hope you like it! I haven’t had the chance to read Wintersong but it does have a nice cover!
The Great Alone just makes me feel cold remembering that Alaskan setting. Totally fits your topic!
Maybe I’ll go outside my TBR lottery and read it someday. Because the one time I drew its number it was in the middle of the summer.
I hope you get a chance to finish the Winternight trilogy soon! The sequels are really both great!
Gabby recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My TBR With Winter Vibes
Thanks! So many books, so little time!
I liked Midnights a lot, but don’t remember if I read the other Rowell story. That looks like one to get- i loved that holiday anthology by the way.
Greg recently posted…Tuesday Tag #200
It’s the best!
Ok. Booked For Christmas is 100% my jam. Must add that to my Wishlist
Bree @1girl2manybooks recently posted…Top 10 Tuesday 8th December
I hope you get time to read it this year!
Omg I’d never heard of Rainbow Rowell’s Almost Midnight but it sounds like a great read! Awesome list.
Thanks! I love that story.
I knew better than to read all the posts this week. My TBR pile is never going to forgive me. Booked for Christmas looks fantastic!
Christopher @ Plucked from the Stacks recently posted…Reading, to Begin With: Ten Christmas Books to Charm Even the Biggest Scrooge
It was good. And it’s a quick read too, so it won’t take all holiday season to read it.
I really want to read The Bear and The Nightingale too and winter does seem like the perfect period to do so 🙂 I didn’t know Lily Menon had a Christmas novella! I’ll need to check it out for sure.
I hope you do!
The Great Alone made my list this week, too. I really liked it. It is a very wintery book.
Aj @ Read All The Things! recently posted…Can’t Wait Wednesday: December 2020 Book Releases
I’m glad the general consensus is that it’s a wintry book. Makes me glad I didn’t read it in the summer.