While we Floridians don’t beckon the holiday season in with snowy nights and ice skating on frozen lakes, we can still get into a festive mood by reading spirited books taking place throughout the holiday season. Here is The Post’s recommended winter reading.
“Let It Snow” by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle
As the title indicates, this book truly embodies the holiday spirit. Written by three acclaimed young adult fiction authors, this novel intertwines three winter romances after a Christmas Eve snowstorm leads to disaster. With characters who range from quirky to hilarious, you’ll find yourself getting lost in the bizarre plotlines, from a Waffle House full of cheerleaders to teacup pigs, that dominate their lives. It’s on the mushy side, but it’s still a perfect winter read to snuggle up to.
“Stone Mattress” by Margaret Atwood
Written by an ingenious storyteller and the iconic author of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” this collection of nine “wicked” winter-themed short stories offers something for everyone. The somewhat whimsical and highly imaginative tales tell stories of genetic abnormalities and a stromatolite that is almost two billion years old. Ultimately, the collection presents an intelligent, dark humor that makes for an endlessly interesting read for the wintertime.
“Winter Break” by Marina Keegan
For a more introspective and somewhat somber read, Keegan’s “Winter Break” takes just 15 pages for you to truly understand the complex characters and let them break your heart. As part of a larger collection of short stories, “The Opposite of Loneliness,” this tale of a college student returning home for winter break to a boy she loves, parallels the empty marriage between her parents in a way that leaves you thoughtful, inherently sad and somehow still hopeful.
