FIND YOUR NEXT READ!!

Announcing the 2026 NoveList Reading Challenge

Classics

1. The Christmas Hirelings — Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1894)

A Victorian holiday novella in which a lonely man’s life is brightened by the arrival of three spirited children. Warm, sentimental, and full of old-fashioned Christmas charm.

2. The Blue Castle — L. M. Montgomery (1926)

Some of the coziest winter scenes in classic literature. A sheltered woman escapes her overbearing family and rediscovers joy, independence, and love. Gentle, humorous, and comforting.

3. Ethan Frome — Edith Wharton (1911)

A bleak New England winter pervades this classic novella, but its introspective, atmospheric chill feels fittingly cozy to read by a fire. A deeply emotional portrayal of longing and constraint in a snowbound village.

4. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase — Joan Aiken (1962)

A children’s classic set in an alternate 19th-century England during a harsh winter, two brave girls face adversity and adventure. Whimsical, atmospheric, and delightfully old-fashioned.

5. Doctor Zhivago — Boris Pasternak (1957)

A sweeping romantic-historical classic filled with unforgettable Russian winter landscapes. Though the novel deals with war and hardship, its poetic writing and snowbound settings make it an immersive, fireside read.

MORE RECENTLY PUBLISHED

The Blue Bear — A True Story of Friendship and Discovery in the Alaskan Wild-Lynn Schooler (2023)

Set amid the wild archipelagoes, deep glittering fjords, and dense primordial forests of Alaska's Glacier Coast, it is rich with  lyric sensibility and stunning natural prose.

7.Merry Little Kissmas-Lauren Blakely

Holiday romance,  fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, small town, Christmas competition, workplace romance-trope-y, but quick, easy feel good read.

8. The Whalebone Theatre — Joanna Quinn (2022)

Sweeping historical fiction that opens in a wintry English coastal estate. It has a warmly nostalgic, literary tone and richly atmospheric seasonal scenes.

9. The Light of the Midnight Stars — Rena Rossner (2021)

A lyrical historical fantasy rooted in Jewish folklore, with much of the story unfolding against cold nights, firelight, and wintry Eastern European landscapes. Emotional and cozy despite darker themes.

10. Once Upon a Wardrobe — Patti Callahan (2021)

A cozy, heartfelt historical novel set in a snowy English winter as a young woman seeks out the truth behind The Chronicles of Narnia for her ill brother. Warm, literary, and perfect for winter reading.

Goodreads Picks for 2025

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