What To Read

The Danish concept of hygge refers to coziness, warmth and an atmosphere of contentment and well-being. Hygge, the expression of a wider traditional Scandinavian and Nordic practice, is all about taking time away from the daily grind to enjoy the simple and quiet pleasures of life - including snuggling up with a book. From Christmas whodunits to how-to hygge guides, these books are perfect for gifting loved ones over the holidays. Gløgg and candles not included!

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

The perennial winter classic perfect for holiday reading

From one of Ireland's brightest literary stars, this slim yet powerful novella is packed with hope and holiday spirit. Inspired by the ultimate Dickens holiday classic, it was shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize, recently adapted into a film starring Cillian Murphy and Ciarán Hinds, and selected by both The New York Times Book Review and Oprah’s Book Club this month. It’s the perfect way to embrace the festive season—one heartfelt page at a time.

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge brings readers back to a beloved haunt 

A hope-filled drama set in the author’s familiar small town of Crosby, Maine, that reunites readers with Strout's beloved characters like Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge, and Bob Burgess as they navigate a shocking crime. "No novelist working today has [Elizabeth] Strout's extraordinary capacity for radical empathy, for seeing the essence of people beyond reductive categories, for uniting us without sentimentality,” hailed The Boston Globe.

The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke

This beautifully illustrated short story drops dreamers into a winter wonderland

Publishers Weekly hailed “this ideal stocking stuffer" from the acclaimed author of Piranesi, which won the Women's Prize for Fiction, calling it a "bite-size Christmassy fairy tale" with “thoughtful and sometimes unsettling atmospherics.” Beautifully illustrated, it’s an enchanting short story tailor-made for a cozy holiday read by the fire.

The Comfort Book by Matt Haig

The perfect bedside or morning ritual book

From the beloved writer behind contemporary classics on mental health comes a collection of brief reflections, fragments, and ideas gathered from years of navigating anxiety, recovery, and uncertainty. Drawing on lived experience, personal reflection, and cultural observations, this small book reads like an intimate notebook of reminders instead of a traditional memoir. Its short, meditative entries offer a calm, steady presence—perfect for dipping into during the darker, more introspective days of the season.

Still Life by Sarah Winman

A warm, art-filled novel about friendship, love, and beauty that feels like being wrapped in a cashmere throw

The storyteller celebrated for richly textured tales of love and loss returns with a luminous narrative set between wartime Tuscany and postwar London. What begins as a chance encounter in 1944 unfolds into a multigenerational portrait of friendship, queer identity, and the unconventional families that form around shared passions and shared histories. With its warmth, wit, and painterly sense of place, this novel offers a deeply satisfying winter read for those who love character-driven stories.

Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop by Otto Penzler

The ultimate stocking stuffer for any mystery lover!

Get ready for the coziest holiday escape with this collection of original Christmas mysteries commissioned by the famous Mysterious Bookshop in New York. Featuring tales by Laura Lippman, Jeffery Deaver, and more, each story blends suspense with seasonal charm—perfect for curling up by the fire.

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May

A lyrical meditation on slowing down, embracing the seasons, and finding beauty in quiet moments

Since it was first published in 2020, Katherine May's bestselling Wintering has helped thousands of readers to actively accept the sadness that winter can bring, and to find joy in the hushed beauty of the season. Part memoir, part natural history and part gentle manifesto, the book can help anyone struggling with the season's harshness to reframe their perspective to embrace winter's natural wonders and accept the symbolic winters of our lives.

Time of the Child by Niall Williams

A life-affirming Christmas story from a Booker-nominated Irish storyteller

The History of the Rain author’s latest novel takes place in “the remote, rain-soaked village of Faha,” which according to the California Review of Books “is to the brilliant Irish writer Niall Williams what Yoknapatawpha County was to William Faulkner.” This slow-burning story of second chances recounts “a Christmas tale of the very best sort, one that reminds us of the fundamental mystery of being human. Even in this sinking parish on the furthermost edge of nowhere, in the dark and dying time of the year, there's something in the air that speaks of the miraculous."

The Book of Delights by Ross Gay

Tiny, joyful essays that notice the small, lovely things in life — a masterclass in daily gratitude

Ross Gay spent a year writing brief reflections on moments that sparked his curiosity or joy. The resulting pieces, by turns humorous, tender, and sharply attentive, draw on his background as a poet, gardener, and teacher. Gay’s observations range from intimate encounters to communal rituals, each capturing the texture of everyday delight.

The Author's Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White

A locked room mystery with a side of literary satire set in a Scottish castle

Fans of female sleuths will delight in this crafty whodunnit written by three bestselling female novelists working together as a team, in which three American novelists become prime suspects following a literary star’s murder on a remote Scottish island.

Winter by Ali Smith

A critically-acclaimed holiday story for these complex and befuddling times

This Booker Prize Finalist's "brilliant" follow up to Autumn follows four people who converge on a fifteen-bedroom house in Cornwall for Christmas, and it gave The New York Times Book Review the ultimate cozy vibes with a "light inside this great novelist's gorgeous snow globe [that] is utterly original."

Snow by Orhan Pamuk

A powerful snow-covered story filled with political intrigue from the 2006 Nobel Prize winner

An exiled Turkish poet returns to home to investigate a series of small town suicides during a wave of religious fanaticism in this "engrossing feat of tale-spinning," according to author Margaret Atwood in The New York Times Book Review, who called it "essential reading for our times."

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Agatha Christie

A brilliant gift for Agatha Christie fanatics!

A dozen mysteries by contemporary authors reviving the legendary Miss Marple on an international case cracking tour, by crime writing talents like Jean Kwok, Kate Mosse, Elly Griffiths and more.

The Little Book of Hygge : Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking

A beautiful, research-backed guide on how to work like the happiest people in the world, the Danes

Ever since the concept of hygge became one of Scandinavia's most beloved exports, a library full of books has been published about how to bring more cozy vibes into your life. This Tertulia December staff pick by happiness researcher Meik Wiking is the latest contribution to that library - and one of the best.

The Nordic Baking Book by Magnus Nilsson

It's not about living hygge, per se, but it's an unbeatable way to fill your home (and belly) with cozy aromas and flavors. This definitive guide to the Nordic baking tradition includes hundreds of sweet and savory recipes from acclaimed Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson, who leads the famed MAD culinary academy in Copenhagen.