By Chelsea Post, Systems Librarian

Nine days and counting until Winter Break officially begins for Eastern University – and I’m sure that all of you are eagerly awaiting the moment you turn in your last final and escape campus for some holiday cheer. Maybe you still have a Christmas card to buy – did you know December 9 is Christmas Card Day? Read more about the origins of the holiday greeting card here! – or perhaps you are thinking of ways to celebrate Christmas in a more eco-friendly manner. You could also be looking for information on Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, or you could even be thinking ahead to those common New Years traditions you’ll be doing before coming back.

There are many ways to celebrate the holiday spirit. But before you go, we at Warner Library would like to encourage you to do something that, in hindsight, is a bit cliche and expected of us: read a good book while on break. We’ve prepared a list of winter recommendations covering a range of genres and topics, so sit back, grab a cup of a hot drink of your choice, and curl up with one of these books!

Winter Book List:

Joy’s Pick: Hunting Game by Helene Tursten

“Tursten captures the atmosphere of rural Sweden and the hunting party effectively and develops what can be described as a rather classic noir story, with missing people, corpses, and, of course, unanswered questions . . . Tursten creates a compelling classic mystery, bolstered by a very strong sense of place.”  —The Popular Culture Association 

Chelsea’s Pick: Winter, White & Wicked by Shannon Dittemore

“Are you a fan of Mad Max? Or of Frozen? Well, if you happen to be one or both, you’re in luck because this book is a mash-up of the two! Main character Sylvi works as a big-rig truck driver on an island where it’s always winter, thanks to a spirit that calls Sylvi friend. But when her best friend goes to join a group of rebels, Sylvi has to team up with a group of smugglers to travel a dangerous road to get her back. A really tight story that starts fast and doesn’t let up within a fully-realized world of myth and magic. Plus, the sequel’s coming out in January!”

Carly’s Pick: Which Side Are You On? by Ryan Lee Wong

“Some of us dread the holiday season and winter break because we do not enjoy spending time with our extended family, and sometimes it can be comforting to read a story where a character is going through the same thing, although in a different way. Meet Reed, a 21 year old Asian American Activist who is picked up from college by his mother. The discord in his family – and book – is all too real for Gen Z and millennial social and racial justice activists who often clash with their boomer parents or the boomers in their lives who look at the world differently than they do.

In other words, while the boomers in Reeds’ and his friends/fellow activists life think that he is doing good work, they worry that they aren’t taking care of themselves and their own well being. 

Let this book comfort you while you are fighting with your in-laws and immediate family as it simply shows that you are not alone. “

Robyn’s Pick: We Are Okay by Nina LaCour.

“This book takes place on a snowy college campus during winter break, and it delves into the protagonist’s dark past, while also highlighting the importance of friendship. It’s the perfect book to cozy up with this time of year.”

Chris’ Pick: Tunnel 29: The True Story of an Extraordinary Escape Beneath the Berlin Wall by Helena Merriman.

“Imagine a country where there were thousands of people (the Stasi) whose only job was to spy on its own citizens and imprison them or kill them if they tried to leave East Germany. East Germany was a totalitarian dictatorship and was one of the most horrific events in history. Tunnel 29 is the true story of a few college students who secretly dug a tunnel under the Berlin Wall in 1962. Waiting on the other side were men, women, children – all willing to risk their lives to escape. The book is full of the remarkable history of the politics and realities of the Cold War. “