The holiday season is truly the season of the reader.
I can’t think of anything more relaxing this time of year than curling up beside a crackling fire or sparkling Christmas tree with a warm drink and a good book. The only thing that could elevate the vibes? A festive or holiday-themed story within the pages.
If you’re hoping to spend some time with a book this holiday season, here are a few ideas.
Kaylee Magda, owner, Lost & Found Bookshop
Book: "The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World"
Author: Robin Wall Kimmerer
This is a short book you can read in one sitting, but its message stays with you long after you've finished. It feels like a TED talk in the best way, taking complex ideas and making them easy to understand with lots of heart and lots of humor.
Kimmerer is an indigenous scientist and author who uses the serviceberry, a fruit with natural abundance meant to be shared to remind us that gifts create relationships, not debts, and gift giving should be joyful, not an obligation. The true value of a gift comes from the connection made and not the profit. That's the main message, and that message feels especially meaningful during the holidays, when gift giving can start to feel rushed and transactional.
I see this in my book shop, where books are gifts, yes, but they're also conversations, they're connections, and they become acts of care. So I highly recommend "The Serviceberry" for this time of year. It's such a delightful and hopeful book.
Jill Brennan, Scranton
Book: "Spectacular: A Caraval Holiday Novella"
Author: Stephanie Garber
(This book) is short and it's sweet and it perfectly captures the feeling of holiday magic and whimsy that we all want to recreate this time of year.
Stephanie Garber is really good at writing very whimsical, detailed descriptions, and I think this lends itself very, very well to a Christmas story. She is very vivid in her descriptions and makes them all very whimsical, very festive-sounding, and she has a huge imagination.
I've loved all her books, but I especially love her Christmas novella, "Spectacular."
Kailey Gustinucci, kayreviewsbooks on Instagram
Book: "The Christmas Fix"
Author: Lucy Score
I feel Lucy (Score) always captures the beauty and love we see and feel around the holidays perfectly.
Lydia McFarlane, WVIA News Healthcare Reporter
Book: "The Goldfinch"
Author: Donna Tartt
I always use the holiday break as a chance to tackle books that intimidate me. One of my favorite parts of the holiday break is sitting in front of the Christmas tree for hours on end reading in my pajamas. A few years ago during winter break of my junior year of college, I picked up ‘The Goldfinch’ by Donna Tartt, a nearly 800-page musing on life, loss and art.
The protagonist Theo experiences a tragedy as a young boy, in which his mother, and many other New Yorkers, lose their lives. While escaping the rubble, Theo takes a painting of a small goldfinch. As he navigates life as an orphan, he’s haunted by the stolen painting and his mother’s memory. The novel follows Theo as he grows up, from New York City to Las Vegas and beyond. He struggles with addiction, guilt, grief and wrestles with what it means to be alive in a world that has not been very nice to him.
This is definitely not a cheery holiday read, but rather, a lengthy reflection on the meaning of life and the things worth living for. If you have some time off, curl up with this book in front of the fire or the Christmas tree, and laugh, cry and reflect with Theo as he comes of age in modern-day America.
Sarah Scinto, WVIA Morning Edition Host and Reporter
Book: “Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances”
Authors: John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle
All roads lead to Waffle House in this sweet and snowy collection of interconnected romances.
There was a time when I would re-read “Let it Snow,” in front of the Christmas tree every holiday break. A Christmas Eve blizzard sets our three main characters on a path to unexpected romance — one leaves her stranded train in favor of a trudge through four feet of snow. Another decides he would rather be snowed in with the cheerleaders at the local Waffle House, and another finds herself in charge of a teacup pig. As the snow falls, each story converges and becomes part of one magical night.
These three authors ruled my bookshelf in my high school and early college years, and these stories perfectly capture the feeling of small-town, winter break shenanigans. If you’re looking for nostalgia and holiday magic this year, look no further than “Let it Snow.”
That’s all for this special holiday edition of Bookmarks! We’ve got another special edition in the works next.
If you’ve sent in a recommendation for any Bookmarks episode this year, I would love to know about your favorite read of 2025.
Email your 2025 favorite to sarahscinto@wvia.org by Wednesday, Dec. 31 — New Year’s Eve — to be part of our year-end episode.
Until next time, happy holidays, and happy reading!
