Reading Recs

Predominantly set in the "Far North", this icy tale of conspiracy, religion, science, and magic is a great read for anyone looking for entertainment on cold winter nights. If you like this volume, look for the other books in Pullman's Dark Materials series that continue to tell Lyra Belacqua's story: The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. ~Randyn Heisserer-Miller, Kent Library

A Lord Peter Whimsey mystery set just after WW I that involves a body in the bath and laugh out loud funny dialog. ~Barbara Glackin, Kent Library

Ellen Webb is the protagonist for this engaging novel. She lives in the dryland wheat country of central Montana during the early 1940s. "It is a story about growing up, becoming a woman, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, within the space of a year and a half. But what a year and a half it is!" (quote from James Welch). Walker wrote nine of her thirteen novels while living in Montana. ~John Craig Baken, Kent Library

Let It Snow is comprised of 3 different YA short stories that interact with each other over one very snowy and stormy Christmas Eve. It features a F/F romance as well as the classic Hallmark trope of a famous person and a person from a smalltown, and then of course, some incredible language from John Green for flavor. Let It Snow was also adapted into a special for Netflix in 2019 featuring Isabela Moner, Shameik Moore, and Kiernan Shipka. I highly recommend this novel and the Netflix special to anyone looking for a feel-good story about love and friendship centered around Christmas time. ~Kendall Tracey, Class of '22

This book will definitely send a chill down your spine, and it certainly has its share of snow. While I wouldn't describe it as a feel-good holiday book, it is perfect to curl up and read in one or two sittings. This is one of my all-time favorite reads--it haunted me for weeks after I read it. ~Tess Dowd, Academic Hall, Executive Assistant

This book will make you so grateful for your cozy reading chair. It's loosely based on a true story and it was a wonderful read. It's the story of a man left to die, and the lengths he travelled for his revenge. ~Tess Dowd, Academic Hall, Executive Assistant

Arthur Ransome escapes his marriage in England by going to Russia to be a journalist. While in Russia, the Bolshevik revolution explodes. Arthur is tapped by British intelligence to report back on the Bolsheviks. To complicate his delicate situation, he falls in love with Trotsky's personal secretary. His goal becomes escaping with his new love. However, fears arise that leaving will result in both of their deaths. Based on the true story of Arthur Ransome, a children's author, this novel reads as a thriller, a romance, and a fairy tale which will delight and capture readers on a chilly winter's night. ~Stephanie Hallam, Kent Library

Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope series; good British police procedural. ~Barbara Glackin, Kent Library

A group takes a ski holiday to a chalet in Europe only to find themselves stranded by an avalanche with a killer amongst them as - one by one - members of the group turn up dead. ~Karie Stroder, Academic Advising

From the Hannah Swensen series; quick read, cozy mystery. ~Barbara Glackin, Kent Library