Now that Christmas is nearing, I’ve put together some of the books that I think sort of fit the season. They’re not all cozy (and most of them don’t take place during Christmas, either), but if you’re looking for an interesting read over the holidays, these might work.

 

 

Mark of the Raven, Morgan L. Busse

I’m going to start off with Mark of the Raven, which I read sometime around the second half of the year. I had fairly low expectations for this book, but it actually pleasantly surprised me. The worldbuilding is fairly solid (it’s got an intriguing magic system), the characters are interesting, and the internal conflict is especially delightful.

Click here for the Amazon link.

 

 

 

Mistborn: the Final Empire, Brandon Sanderson

I’m going to be a little blunt here and say that Mistborn isn’t Sanderson’s best work in my opinion. I like Stormlight and Skyward better, but Mistborn is pretty good, too. (See how I just snuck in more Sanderson recommendations?) The Mistborn trilogy is one of Sanderson’s earlier works — hence why I believe his more recent books are stronger — but is actually a pretty good trilogy that starts strong and finishes well. It has Sanderson’s trademark unique worldbuilding and easy-to-read prose as well as a solid plot with plenty of twists and turns.

Click here for the Amazon link.

 

Sky in the Deep, Adrienne Young

This book has snow in it!

Okay, snow aside (where I live, it doesn’t snow over Christmas), I did enjoy Sky in the Deep when I read it. It’s described as a mashup of Wonder Woman with Vikings, and while that is somewhat true, it also explores many platonic relationships and the main character goes through great internal conflict (not great for her, but pretty great for us).

Click here for the Amazon link.

 

 

Eliza and Her Monsters, Francesca Zappia

I only got round to reading this around summertime, but as a creator, I loved Eliza and Her Monsters. It deals with stuff like stress creators go through, anxiety, and selective mutism (which I guess is part of anxiety, too).

It’s not a light book, but it is good.

Plus, the art inside is so worth it.

Click here for the Amazon link.

 

 

Blood Heir, Amélie Wen Zhao

I actually reviewed this book recently!

To quickly condense, Blood Heir is an Anastasia retelling that also explores the slave trade. Nevertheless, it is so much more than that. You get rich characters with intriguing backstories that mold and shape them, a variety of relationships (platonic and romantic), and an interesting magic system.

Click here for the Amazon link.

 

 

Nevermoor: the Trials of Morrigan Crow, Jessica Townsend

I always like to include a middle grade book in my book recommendations for some variety (I guess Mistborn is actually classified as adult fantasy? But here’s some middle grade anyway haha). I don’t read as much middle grade as I used to now, but Nevermoor is one of those books that makes me feel warm inside. Yes, we finally have a light and cozy book! It’s full of whimsy, magic, and friendship and I definitely recommend it if you’re into middle grade fantasy.

Click here for the Amazon link.

 

 

Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier

I’d also like to drop in a classic, just because classics can be cool outside of school.

I read Rebecca about one or two months ago, and if you’re looking for light and cozy, you won’t find it here. Rebecca is a thought-provoking and chilling novel that actually gets really dark as you near the end. The combination of the plot, themes, and character development create a haunting ending that sticks with you for hours after.

So if you’re looking for cold, dark, and mildly horrifying? This is where you’ll find it.

Click here for the Amazon link.

 

 

That’s all for now!

What are you up to for Christmas? Have you read any of these books / plan on reading some of them?

Enjoy the rest of the decade!

Make your mark,