I most highly recommend Craig Johnson's CHRISTMAS IN ABSAROKA COUNTY, especially the first two stories. Christians will find joy in his entire series–the books, although the commercially truncated TV series is pretty good too, if limited. The Advent of his books usually starts in the wintry dark and go toward lightness.
I've also become a Karl Ove Knausgaard reader, and fellow Christians will especially enjoy his A TIME FOR EVERYTHING, his fresh reframing of biblical stories. I've yet to read all of his books, but I have yet to find one I didn't relish.
This particular time of the year I tend to read snowy tracking and hunting novels like Lucy Foley's THE HUNTING PARTY and Urban Waite's SOMETIMES THE WOLF. And sometimes I choose novels with snowed-in motifs such as Ruth Ware's ONE BY ONE.
New Years Eve parties are not my thing in life, but I still read clever books about them, and I enjoyed Jack Livings' THE BLIZZARD PARTY, which is based upon the historical New York 1978 snowstorm. And there was the earlier 1973 New Years in Judith Rossner's LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR. the book source of the later-made movie.
Lots of good books to be had, given world enough and time. What are your New Year's recommendations for this season?
by JohnMarshallTanner