Winter Reading List

For as long as I can remember, reading has been something that I’ve loved to do. I can remember sitting in class as a third grader and reading under my desk only to look up and realize that the rest of my classmates were working on multiplication tables. Or having to mark the spot that the class was in because I wanted to read ahead while we were taking turns reading aloud. Even today, I can get lost in a good book for hours, to the point that I get mad when I have to stop reading and actually participate in real-life happening around me!

I thought I would share five of my favorite books with you to give you something to do this winter when the sun sets at a quarter to five and you don’t really want to veg out watching whatever mindless TV show that’s on. I’ve read each of these books multiple times, and will still go back to them time and again, usually picking up on something that I haven’t noticed before.

The After-Life of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

This book would be a fun holiday vacation read. It’s one of those books that wraps up life lessons in humorous disguises, so it doesn’t feel preachy. It’s a modern take on the Ghost of Christmas story, and what happens if you don’t heed their advice. If you’re the lucky bitch that gets to lounge poolside at a resort those last couple weeks in December, make sure you have this downloaded on to your reading device!
Trail of Broken Wings by Sejal Bodani

This book is so deep. It tells the tale of three sisters and their mother, each embroiled in their own private battles to come to terms with their father’s recent illness, which leaves him in a coma. The author does a fantastic job showing what a family may face personally when emigrating to the US from another country, and how much it can affect the members of the family. It also gives you a look into the inner workings of another culture. This book dives into the coping mechanisms people use, no matter how damaging they may be to themselves and those around them, and how one mother struggles to bring her daughters back together.
180 Seconds by Jessica Park

This is one of those books that I can read time and again, each time coming across something that I didn’t pick up on the first five times I read it. After spending a large part of her life in the state foster care program, Allison gets adopted at 16. She spends her next few years holding almost everyone at arm’s length before a chance encounter with a complete stranger begins to change everything. You’ll laugh and possibly cry as you work through taking down the walls with Allison and see why just three minutes can be life-changing for someone.
First Blood by Angela Marsons

I love crime thrillers! It’s the genre that I probably have the most of in my Kindle Library. First Blood is the latest in the DI Kim Stone series by author Angela Marsons (forgive the redundency) and it takes us through to the beginning and how Kim assembled her first team. It gives a great deal of insight into the tentative bonds that she doesn’t even realize she’s forming with her team and others that she interacts with. I highly recommend the entire series if you’re a crime novel junkie like me!
On Thin Ice by Carrie Aarons

Speaking of criminal thrillers, this one takes on a psychological twist. Returning to her family’s vacation estate after the suspicious deaths of her parents, former ice skater Camille Valon tries to escape the hounding media. With the help of the generations-long groundskeeper, she works on rebuilding her life. As their relationship unfolds, a threat lurks closer and closer. This book is another great vacation read, filled with romance, danger, and everything else in between!