Garrin Reiter

Winter is the perfect time to indulge in the magic of storytelling and nothing is quite like curling up with a fuzzy blanket and a great book to embrace the season. These recommendations are taken from the highlighted book tables found at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, and vary from heartwarming romances, classic murder mysteries, chilling horror thrillers and icy drama filled fiction.
“The Christmas Fix” by Lucy Score – Romance
Goodreads rating: 4.28/5
After a late season hurricane wreaks havoc on the city of Merry, Connecticut, single dad and city manager Noah Yates has to notify the city that they are no longer holding a Christmas Festival this year. To save the day, home renovation expert and reality star, Catalina King, brings a camera crew and a large budget to rebuild the town. Noah is very hesitant about this proposition as the last time Catalina was in town, she brought trouble everywhere she went. The city manager believes that he doesn’t need a TV diva making money off of his town’s devastations or having impressions on his daughter with ideas of glamour and luxury. However, Catalina is confident that what the town needs is a holiday special that will have everyone believing in Christmas miracles. One problem stands in her way: Noah Yates. Can these two enemies work together to save and rebuild the town or will it all crash and burn?
“Hercule Poirot’s Christmas” by Agatha Christie – Murder Mystery/Thriller
Goodreads rating: 3.98/5
On the quiet night of Christmas Eve at Gorstan Hall, the Lee family reunion merriments come to a halt after a deafening scream and booming noises of broken furniture are heard upstairs. After locating the bedroom, behind the locked door lies Simeon Lee with his throat slashed in a pool of blood. The fictional Belgian detective found in many of Christie’s novels, Hercule Poirot, is quickly on the case. After offering his assistance to the family, the atmosphere of Gorston Hall is not one of mourning or sorrow but of mutual speculation. Hercule begins interviewing the family members and learns that each had their reason for hating the old man, but who turned a heartfelt family reunion into a chilling homicide case?
“Dead of Winter” by Darcy Coates – Horror
Goodreads rating: 3.98/5
Among eight strangers, Christa joins a tour group heading deep into the snowy wilderness, hoping to leave behind memories of her past. Because of a raging snowstorm and rapidly decreasing temperatures, the group decides to stay in an abandoned cabin in the middle of the woods. Christa and her companions become trapped inside and are forced to take refuge. Though the cabin is quite claustrophobic, Christa is hopeful that they will be safe if they wait out the storm. During the night, the group tour guide goes missing and is found the next morning, his severed head impaled to a tree outside the cabin. Christa, frightened and alarmed, becomes completely trapped among these strangers, one of them a heartless murderer. With the storm continuing to bash against the cabin walls, the survivors begin to dwindle and Christa is forced to decide who she can trust.
“Winter Street” by Elin Hilderbrand – Fiction
Goodreads rating: 3.81/5
On the island of Nantucket, a family gathers together for a holiday full of surprises. Kelly Quinn, the owner of Nantucket’s Winter Street Inn, is a proud father of four children, each being grown and living in different states of chaos. Patrick, the eldest sibling, is burdened with the weight of hedge fund manager responsibilities, while also grappling with a nagging sense of guilt. Kevin, a skilled mixologist, is having an affair with a woman named Isabelle, a French housekeeper. Ava, a school educator, finds herself with a partner who remains hesitant to fully commit. Meanwhile, Bart, the youngest and only child of Kelly’s second marriage to Mitzi, astounds everyone by enlisting in the Marines. Kelly is looking forward to his family coming together for the holidays, until he finds Mitzi kissing Santa Claus and chaos erupts. With her three children trying to deal with their own dilemmas and Bart off in Afghanistan, it falls on the shoulders of Margaret Quinn, Kelly’s ex-wife, to save Christmas. The Quinn family will endure a love triangle, an unexpected pregnancy, a house fire, a federal crime and many shots of whiskey in this comforting Christmas novel about coming together as a family for the holidays.
While these are only a few recommendations, Barnes & Noble has many spotlight tables for other winter recommendations or just generic genres like romance, horror, fantasy and more. Many of these recommendation tables include Buy One, Get Another Book 50% Off deals, so grab your sleigh and ride over to Barnes & Noble.