For many, winter break means reading. It means free time to start a new book that has been sitting on your shelf for months or pick up that one book you come back to every year. So, in the spirit of this seasonal pastime, some of Nobles’ legendary book experts share their recommendations for Winter Break reads.
English Faculty Margaret Draper enjoys reading and re-reading, mostly older books, over break for their warm, nostalgic feel. Her top five re-reads are Our Mutual Friend, by Charles Dickens, Middlemarch, by George Eliot, The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and her all-time favorite, All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot.
“I always take a break every Christmas to read All Creatures Great and Small. It’s about James Herriot’s life as a veterinarian in Yorkshire, and it’s just cozy and wonderful, and I love it. There’s also now a television show,” Draper said.
Nobles’ resident queen of book recommendations, English Faculty Gia Batty, also has big plans for what she will read over the break. “During the school year, I usually only read at night when I am tired, and fall asleep after a few pages, so school breaks are when I can read longer books. I have this long book called The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, which I am excited to read. I also try to pre-read some of the books I will be teaching, like for tenth grade, A Mercy by Toni Morrison,” said Batty.
Yet, Batty also keeps coming back to a few of her favorite books over the holidays for the warm feelings they bring. Batty said, “In terms of comfort reads, I like Ann Patchett’s books. One is called The Dutch House, which I think kids would really like. It’s got a really pretty description of this beautiful house, and the writing is really cozy.” Batty also has a couple of go-to novels when it comes to finding those joyous and peaceful holiday vibes. “There are just some authors and books that I like to re-read because they make me feel good about the world. One of these books for me is Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner,” Batty said.
The librarians also added some of their favorites to the list of recommendations. Associate Director of Putnam Library, Ella Steim, recommends finding the next book in a series she loves, so that one can return to familiar characters over the holidays. “This year, for example, Richard Osman has a new book in the Thursday Murder Club series, and Louise Penny has a new book in her Gamache mystery series,” Steim said. “I am also really looking forward to digging out some of my favorite holiday-season books from my childhood and reading them with my nieces. One of my very favorites is Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry, which my parents used to read with my sisters and me.”
While Steim is opting for nostalgia this holiday season, Co-Director of the Putnam Library, Talia Sokoll, plans to read books that will transport her to a magical holiday world. “The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin is one of my favorites, and I think it would be a great holiday read. It’s very cozy, taking place on an Island off the coast of Massachusetts, and mostly takes place in a small bookstore. True to Zevin’s writing, there is a lot of emotional depth as well, and a few tears might be shed,” Sokoll said.
But if you are looking for something more fun and lighthearted, Archivist Nadine Richardson has just the book. “One winter favorite of mine is Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle, which follows three different, intertwined storylines written by each author during a Christmas Eve snowstorm,” Richardson said.
Through this wide-ranging list of holiday book recommendations, it is clear that Nobles’ faculty know how to pick a great book. Winter break is the perfect time to slow down and unplug, so stop by the library, check in with one of these experts, and grab a book or two to take home for the holidays.
