20 Books to Cozy Up With This Holiday Season!

December is the month of magic, mystery, and cozy chaos. Whether you crave a hilarious rom-com that will make you snort hot cocoa or a chilling whodunnit set against a snowy landscape, we've wrapped up 20 books perfect for your reading list.

Get ready to curl up by the fire or the pantomime stage and dive in!

💖Holiday Chaos & Rom-Com Hijinks

If you believe the best way to win a heart is through public humiliation and town-wide spectacles, these are for you.

1. Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal by Meghan Quinn

Atlas "Max" Maxheimer just wants to save his Christmas tree farm, but new-in-town Betty is opening a rival farm next door. What follows is a small-town rivals-to-lovers war involving stolen ornaments, holiday hijinks, and one suspiciously strong soda bottle. It’s chaotic, hilarious, and utterly delicious.

2. Holiday Ever After by Hannah Grace

Clara Davenport, tasked with solving her family company's PR nightmare, clashes immediately with Jack Kelly, the independent toymaker who thinks her company is the problem. It’s a battle of frosty demeanor versus holiday cheer, where the plan to charm the locals leads to an unexpected enemies-to-lovers thaw.

3. The Christmas Lodge by Fiona Baker

High-powered Lacy Preston inherits a sprawling old house in snowy Snowy Pine Ridge and plans to sell it immediately. But local dog-sledder Derek Morse.who almost runs her over and an abandoned puppy convinces her to stay a little longer. This is a small-town romance filled with charm, mystery, and arresting green eyes.

4. All in for Christmas by Ginny Baird

Practical Paige Pierce wonders what her life would be like if she hadn't left her college boyfriend, Dean. Thanks to a rare comet and a mysterious holiday vendor, she wakes up in an alternate reality with Dean, two kids, and a dog. This is a delightful holiday fantasy that asks: did she choose the right life?

✨Witchy Warmth & Enchanted Escapes

For those who like their holiday magic with a sprinkle of spells, sass, and cozy chaos.

5. Jingle Spells by Emily Grimoire

Delilah, a witch who hates Christmas, is forced back to her magical hometown of Oak Haven, where she runs into Jasper, a human who also hates Christmas. When chaos erupts, they must join forces. This cozy forced-proximity romance is the perfect blend of Gilmore Girls and Charmed.

6. Walking in a Witchy Wonderland by Juliette Cross

Five sexy short stories featuring the Savoie sisters of New Orleans. Expect mischief and mayhem, from a hexed hottie to a Dirty Santa gift that leads to scorching heat, all set in a world where getting hexy for the holidays is just a normal Tuesday.

7. Season of the Witch by Sophie H. Morgan

Witch Tia Hightower must fake date her ex, Henry, at a winter house party to secure an investment. The only problem? A potion mishap erased his memory of her. Sharing a room and a bed means the snow-melting heat between them is back, but Henry’s memories could surface at any moment.

8. Christmas With The Elf King by Lenore Stutznegger

Human baker Noelle is chosen by the cold, handsome Elf King to bake for him in the Undying Lands of Ravensong. Forced to use her new baking magic to cure a curse on the land, she finds her heart thawing toward the brooding king. A perfect cozy Christmas fantasy.

🏰Gothic & Historical Holiday Haunts

When you need something atmospheric, icy, or steeped in deep secrets and mythology.

9. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

A magical debut that takes you to the edge of the Russian wilderness where winter is eternal. Vasilisa loves the chilling story of Frost, but when her new stepmother forbids honoring the household spirits, evil creeps nearer. Vasilisa must embrace her concealed, dangerous gifts to protect her family.

10. Holly by Adalyn Grace

Blythe and Aris's peaceful holidays at the mysterious Wisteria Gardens manor are shattered by restless spirits whispering dark secrets. Joined by Signa and Death, they must unravel the past before the holiday of love becomes the greatest threat. Expect dark shadows and mortal danger.

11. Sweet Silver Bells: A Gothic Holiday Romance by Elle Kaelee

A gothic holiday romance where magic and mourning meet ghosts and the haunted hush of Christmas. In 1914, Olivia is found in the woods by Hunter, a grieving schoolteacher in the present day. Perfect for fans of One Dark Window, this story is about the most powerful gift of all: a heart that still dares to hope.

12. The Duke Who Ruined Christmas by Scarlett Scott

American heiress Adelia Fox believes the arrogant Duke of Marchingham, Lionel, is a heartless monster. When she gets snowed in with the icy and disapproving duke, she finds herself trapped in a threadbare manor with a man who is maddeningly handsome. A scorching hot historical romance about an irresistible fire melting an icy duke.

🔪Murder, Mayhem, & Mysteries

For readers who prefer their winter white with a splash of blood and a puzzle to solve.

13. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is called to investigate a shocking murder in the picturesque Quebec village of Three Pines during Christmas. CC de Poitiers was electrocuted on a frozen lake in front of the whole village, and yet no one saw a thing. A brilliant, compassionate mystery that digs beneath the idyllic surface.

14. The Mistletoe Murder Club by Katie Marsh

Former actress and current struggling detective Clio lands a role in the town’s Christmas pantomime, only for the esteemed director to be murdered on opening night. Clio's best chance of finding the killer? Concealing her friends in a pantomime cow costume. Hilarious, high-stakes amateur sleuthing.

15. The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah

Hercule Poirot and Inspector Catchpool celebrate New Year’s Eve on a tiny Greek island, where a chilling resolution promises to perform "the last and first death of the year." Hours later, a resident is found dead. A classic holiday mystery from the author of Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night.

16. At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Reverend Clare Fergusson and her ex-police chief husband Russ find their Christmas disrupted when a holiday parade is crashed by white supremacists. Their investigation pulls them into a parallel world of militias, machinations, and murder in the forbidding High Peaks of the Adirondacks.

17. The Witching Hour: Haunting Tales for Long Dark Nights by Various Authors

From the creators of The Haunting Season comes a brand new collection of ghostly tales perfect for the darkest time of year. Thirteen bestselling authors explore the time after midnight when darkness reigns and strange things roam the earth. Curl up with a candle, and prepare to be spooked.

🫂Love, Redemption, and Found Family

Heartwarming stories focused on second chances, emotional healing, and the power of connection.

18. Good Spirits by B.K. Borison

Nolan Callahan, the Ghost of Christmas Past, is assigned to haunt Harriet York. As they examine her past, they discover threads that bind them together, forcing them to confront what moving on truly means. A magical, spirited connection with cozy holiday charm.

19. Snowbound at Christmas by Lacy Williams, Wendy Klopfenstein, Wendy Galinetti and Traci Summeril

One Christmas snowstorm creates havoc for three couples in this anthology. Three heartwarming love stories about old feelings being rekindled, new love blooming amid blizzards, and finding a protector beneath a hard exterior. Perfect for a cozy winter's afternoon.

20. A Scottish Christmas Hideaway by Ellie Henderson

Heartbroken Jessica returns to her Scottish village home to find her brother’s former infuriating best friend, ruggedly handsome architect Reuben Campbell, everywhere she turns. They share frost-bitten walks and gingerbread disasters, but Reuben is hiding secrets. Can two people with every reason to resist give in to a second chance?

❓️Which holiday book is going straight to the top of your December TBR pile? Let us know in the comments!

Hey Booksworn,

Apologies for being absent! Ed & I have been very ill for almost a week. I am feeling on the up, so we will be a bit more active very soon. We are so excited to read The Only Good Indians for the first month EVER of the bookclub!

Truth & Courage,

Will & Ed

The 11.5 books that I read in December!

Horror book pick: Sleep Tight 1⭐️

I read this at the very beginning of the month and did not enjoy this one AT ALL. It had so many elements that I should have loved but I don’t think it was executed well. It also wasn’t scary at all. I literally couldn’t tell you a single thing that happened in this book even right after I finished it nonetheless NOW. Was very disappointed since I wanted to be able to discuss this with you guys but I literally have nothing more to say about this one :/

Fantasy book pick: Malice 4.5⭐️

• I had an absolute blast with this! Definitely for my seasoned classic fantasy lovers out there! It took me like 40% of the book to actually get used to all the characters and understand where the story is going but wow that last portion of the book was action packed and insane. So many twists and turns. Filled with battles if you’re into that. I immediately jumped into book 2!

All other books

• Valor (currently reading but almost done) the second book in the faithful and the fallen and I’m absolutely loving where it’s going

• The Eyes are the Best Part 4 ⭐️

• Maeve Fly 2⭐️

• Fallen City 3.5 ⭐️

• Slewfoot 3.5 ⭐️

• What Hunger 3.5 ⭐️

• The Teacher 2 ⭐️

• The Ex 3⭐️

• The Wife Upstairs (currently reading will finish tonight)

• The Amberglow Candy Store 2⭐️

DNF

• The Night that Finds Us All

Hi folks,

The poll for our December book club book is live now, in the announcements channel of the Discotopia Discord.

This is a pretty chill book club, we’ll discuss the book via messages on Discord sometime after Christmas. The last book was Sleep Like Death, which got quite a lot of mixed reactions, which was fun!

For December I’ve tried to pick books with a vaguely cosy vibe. Do jump into the Discord and join us!

Love,

Disco

I've been meaning to read "Braiding Sweegrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer for literal years now. As someone who loves nature writing, up until now, I have never read the quintessential book of the genre. Finally, this year, I picked up Kimmerer's "The Serviceberry" and knew that I had to read everything else she's ever written as soon as possible, and so I did.

This is an absolutely brilliant and necessary book to understand our symbiotic relationship with plants and what we can do to make it more equal. This is the kind of book that will definitely change my day-to-day perspective as I walk through life. It has already made me pause and think about how I interact with the world around me. It's made me pause and take notice of the little things. I'm so grateful for that.

I'm actually glad that I read "The Serviceberry" first. I think it's a great introduction to Kimmerer's ideology and easily accessible. Then, if you enjoy it, pick up "Braiding Sweetgrass." I highly recommend reading this slowly and reading one chapter a day to let it really sit with you.

I wanted to put together some visuals showcasing my favorite quotes of the book (and to hopefully convince you to not wait like I did read this book).

This is it! Our final prompt for the year (besides the winter reading challenge which will be at the end of the month). This prompt celebrates another big plot point in many a cozy game: the first date location (or friend date!) Many cozy games include dating and befriending the locals and this prompt is about that.

FIRST DATE LOCATION PROMPT

• sunset on the beach - read a book that's on the end of your shelf

• concert - read a book that's part of a buddy read/book club/readalong

• horseback riding - read a fast paced book

• art gallery - read the book with the prettiest cover on your TBR

You can access the character sheet to edit via Canva:

Here is your character sheet - click here to access a template that you can make changes to yourself for your character.

Also, Bethany has posted another template in the Discord that shows all the book covers for prompts that coordinates with the character sheet so join us there if you haven’t already!

xoxo Sam

Alright gang, it is time to pick our first three book club books! Here is how the book club is going to work:

• We are going to pick our books out three months at a time. So for now, we will pick books for January, February, and March. This allows folks to plan, or for slower readers to read ahead a bit to be able to keep up.

• We will do one book a month.

• The book club will be run through our Discord server. There will be a channel for each month, and sub channels for blocks of chapters. The idea is that we can all talk about the chapters, spoilers and all, and the sub channels allow you to avoid the spoilers and engage with the content only when you are ready, as well as read at your own pace and discuss as you read.

• If there is interest, we can do a video meetup near the end of the month through Discord to discuss in person.

Everyone who is a free or paid member is allowed three votes. The top three vote-getters will be our first three months. At the end of February, I will ask in the Discord for suggestions for voting for the next three months, and then in March we will vote on those three months, and so on. If you suggested a book that didn't make the cut this time, I had to limit it a bit as we had a ton of great suggestions!

The top three books as of 11:59 PM EST Thursday December 4 will be announced Friday, December 5. Happy voting, and looking forward to getting this started!

It's time to vote on our December book club pick!

Thin Air--A snowy mountain climb goes wrong

You Better Watch Out- A Christmas serial killer thriller

The Anomaly- A cave, found footage esq horror novel.

Root Rot- A weird horror novella.

We think we read across the entire universe this month, and our brains are happily full of plots, twists, and tiny heroes! Is there a genre we didn't touch? Probably not!😉

🏆November Book Club Reads: We had three fantastic, lively discussions this month! Huge shoutout to the deep dives into:

❄️The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, Historical Fiction

🌿Weyward by Emilia Hart, Feminist Fantasy

🔮Heir of Illusion by Madeline Taylor, Fantasy

📍Want to see or use our discussion guide? If you want to see the questions, menu, and activities for these books, you can find the full package on our Bindery page! The link is in our bio!

📚Genre Hopping Madness!

✨️Epic Journeys: We managed to fit in a hefty chunk of fantasy, of course, and a gripping historical fiction novel that absolutely crushed us!

💕Heart & Thrills: Plenty of romance for the swoons and a few twisty mystery reads that kept us up past our bedtime!

🎧Beyond the Page: We smashed through several great audiobooks while organizing our shelves!

🧑‍🤝‍🧑The Little Readers Corner:

▫️Future Readers: So many giggles with the kids picture books, and we powered through a couple of amazing middle Grade chapter books that felt like pure adventure!

⚡️It was a wild ride, and we loved every minute of the genre-bending fun! Now for the important question:

❓️If we could only read books from one genre for the rest of the year, which genre would you pick and why?

❗️Choose wisely. This is a dangerous question!

Hi and welcome to my first ever Monthly Guide. Below I will be giving an overview on horror books releasing this month, what's on my tbr, what's on my game radar, and what's on my watch list. I'll also be providing a fun word search and some templates for instagram!

Let's kick off with what's releasing in December.

December is always a slower month for releases--which is fine for me! Gives me a chances to catch up and get ready for next year!

Snake Eater by T. Kingfisher-- Dec 1st

With only a few dollars to her name and her beloved dog Copper by her side, Selena flees her past in the city to claim her late aunt's house in the desert town of Quartz Creek. The scorpions and spiders are better than what she left behind.

Because in Quartz Creek, there's a strange beauty to everything, from the landscape to new friends, and more blue sky than Selena's ever seen. But something lurks beneath the surface. Like the desert gods and spirits lingering outside Selena's house at night, keeping watch. Mostly benevolent, says her neighbor Grandma Billy. That doesn't ease the prickly sense that one of them watches too closely and wants something from Selena she can't begin to imagine. And when Selena's search for answers leads her to journal entries that her aunt left behind, she discovers a sinister truth about her new home: It's the haunting grounds of an ancient god known simply as "Snake-Eater," who her late aunt made a promise to that remains unfulfilled.

Snake-Eater has taken a liking to Selena, an obsession of sorts that turns sinister. And now that Selena is the new owner of his home, he's hell-bent on collecting everything he's owed.

Down Came The Spider by Ally Russell-- Dec 2nd

Can you outrun eight legs?

Twelve-year-old Andi loves everything about spiders — they’re endlessly fascinating creatures. So when she finds a species she’s never seen before at a classmate’s Halloween party, she’s over the moon. Until the spiders start to behave in unusual and threatening ways, that is. They can camouflage themselves incredibly well, they can jump higher than she’s ever seen, and their webs are strong. Maybe even strong enough to trap a person . . .

Andi and her friends Carly and Devon try to find an adult to help, but make a terrifying discovery: the parent chaperones have been immobilized by the spiders. As the only ones who know what’s going on, Andi, Carly, and Devon will have to take on the spiders themselves — before it’s too late!

Hinterland by Logan Spurgeon--Dec 6th

Kestrel awakes in the woods without a real name or his memories. Before him are twelve strangers, an altar on fire, and bones hanging from the trees like wind chimes. He's to be initiated into their group so they may fulfill their purpose: head to the mountain of the so-called gods, have a feast, and bring about the end of the world. Kestrel is willing to risk it all to escape, but without any memories, he knows he must play along until he finds a way out. It won't be easy. Winter is on their heels, hunters are searching for them, and the strange rituals they perform will rip his humanity from his flesh. But Kestrel isn't alone. One of the strangers claims to be his friend from before, and there are others willing to join his side and leave the wilderness...if the gods let them.

Dark Sisters by Kristi Demeester--Dec 9th

In this fiercely captivating novel, horror meets historical fiction when a curse bridges generations, binding the fates of three women. Anne Bolton, a healer facing persecution for witchcraft, bargains with a dark entity for protection—but the fire she unleashes will reverberate for centuries. Mary Shephard, a picture-perfect wife in a suffocating community, falls for Sharon and begins a forbidden affair that could destroy them both. And Camilla Burson, the rebellious daughter of a preacher, defies conformist expectations to uncover an ancient power as her father’s flock spirals into crisis.

Thats it for books releasing! Now let's talk about what's on my tbr this month. I'm planning on tackling some winter horror and Christmas horror! I also plan to sneak in some ARCs as well. I will more than likely not tackle all of these, but I'll sure try,

Christmas Horror

25 Days by Per Jacobson-- I plan to read this one like an advent calendar. A chapter a day! It sounds like fun.

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger-- This one sounds like a ton of fun.

You Better Watch Out by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth-- Another one that sounds like a blast!

The Ghosts of Merry Hall by Heather Davy--I love a gothic horror and this sounds right up my alley.

Snowy Horror

Thin Air by Michelle Paver-- I loved Dark Matter and would love to read this one!

The Gathering by C.J. Tudor-- I love the premise of this one and I eagerly want to read it.

The Hollows by Daniel Church--I've heard nothing but good things about this one and my bookclub on instagram chose this as our December book.

ARCS

I'm currently reading House OF Splinters by Laura Purcell

I plan to read A Veritable Household Pet by Viggy Parr Hampton as well.

Games

I just started playing Crime Scene Cleaner and am having a blast (pun intended)!

Movies/Shows

I am watching IT: Welcome To Derry and I plan to watch Stranger Things. I'll probably watch a spooky Christmas movie or too as well!.

Word search and templates

Will send these all to everyone’s emails!

What does your month entail? Anything you're super excited for?

The Page Ladies have been diving headfirst into some utterly wild, hilarious, and heartbreaking Middle Grade reads lately. Whether it's a giant space toilet, a disguised alien lunch lady, or a princess of fire, these books prove that the best adventures always have a big heart beneath the chaos.

If you need a new book that perfectly balances the zany with the genuinely moving, clear your TBR!

👽The Absurdly Hilarious Adventures

These books prove that the best humor comes when the supernatural crashes straight into the incredibly awkward reality of middle school!

🚽The Big Flush by Julie Buxbaum: Listen, a book about a giant space toilet hurtling toward Area 51 is exactly as hilariously absurd as it sounds but it's also packed with heart! We loved watching Sky Patel-Baum and her adorable alien sidekick, Elvis, crack the case before everything goes, well down the drain. This is Men in Black meets Spy Kids meets middle school awkwardness.

📱Press 1 for Invasion by J.A. Dauber: Ten-year-old Matt finds a phone that shows his crossing guard is a slimy alien monster. Naturally, things spiral from "Wait, what?!" to "Save the planet" in record time. The real hero? The lunch lady alien who’s having second thoughts about conquering Earth! Zany, funny, and full of that kind of loyalty that keeps you fighting even when the odds are stacked against you.

✨The Magical & Macabre Adventures

These novels swept us away with beautiful world-building that handles complex, real-world emotions with genuine warmth:

🕌Amir and the Jinn Princess by M.T. Khan: Think Aladdin meets Percy Jackson, layered with the rich cultural magic of Pakistan. Twelve-year-old Amir's quiet grief clashes with the chaotic energy of Shamsa, the Jinn Princess with fire in her soul. Their reluctant, sparkling partnership explores grief, identity, and a world alive with wonder and danger. Pure middle-grade gold.

🌪️The Witching Wind by Natalie Lloyd: This book wrapped us up like a storm that hums with secrets. It’s the kind of story that punches you right in the feelings! Roxie and Grayson, two girls struggling with shame and abandonment, collide to uncover the legend of the Witching Wind, a force that steals what people love most. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking, and leaves you with a swirl of hope and healing.

🍫The Page Ladies Fun Question: Between all these books, we’ve learned that the best sidekicks are either loyal aliens, sassy Jinn, or second-guessing lunch ladies.

If you were starting a middle-grade adventure team, who would you choose as your sidekick: a curious alien from Galzoria, a sassy Jinn Princess, or a reformed alien lunch lady? Tell us your pick!👇