Five Fireside Reads for the Holidays

You may find some extra time in your schedule for a little reading this holiday season. Whether you are traveling, finally using some paid time off with no place to go, or are lucky enough to end up on a cruise or a beach on your holiday break, here are five good reads to consider while you have some extra time on your hands. Books also make great gifts!

“Dreamland”

It’s been said that great love doesn’t come without great risk, and Nicholas Sparks is back with a romance novel that relies on the dreams of a better life and the weight of the past. A New York Times bestseller, fans of Sparks will fall for characters Colby and Morgan, while a third character is drawn in as fate collides with potentially life-altering results.

 “Black Cake”

Another New York Times bestseller, “Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson is an immersive family saga about two siblings who dig into their mother’s past, which somehow connects to her traditional Caribbean black cake. The book is multigenerational read that travels through decades and all around the world. National Public Radio called it one of the best books of the year, and it’s also in development as a Hulu original series.

“The Boys from Biloxi”

If John Grisham is more your style, his book “The Boys from Biloxi” has recently been on the New York Times bestsellers list. The legal thriller takes the reader to back to Grisham’s beloved Mississippi, where two sons of immigrant families who started as friends in youth eventually grow to find themselves on very different sides of life. The book, which is part courtroom drama, has been called riveting and intriguing as it manages to work its way around a life that literally hangs in the balance.

“My Travels with Mrs. Kennedy”

Nonfiction may be your cup of tea, and “My Travels with Mrs. Kennedy” by Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin Hill takes the reader on a journey through what it was like to travel alongside Jacqueline Kennedy as the rest of the world was getting to know her. As a Secret Service agent, Clint Hill gives his perspective and shares never-before told tales of life guarding the iconic first lady, and who he met along the way.

“Verity”

Filled with twists and turns, “Verity” has had readers talking about this psychological-romantic thriller by Colleen Hoover. The novel tells the tale of a struggling writer who accepts a job offer that seems almost too good to be true … until it isn’t. The book’s main character, Lowen Ashleigh, is asked to help finish a famous book series. As she begins her research into the original author to step into her shoes, she also finds bone-chilling secrets that could change everything. “Verity” is a binge read that you could potentially finish on a long plane ride or in the course of a weekend.

All of the above books can be found on amazon.com or your favorite local bookstore.