Starr Struck's Winter Reading List

It's time for another reading list! Oh, how I love lists of book recommendations--give me lists + lists of good books and I'll happily comb through them for days.

Since it's winter, I know you're looking for books to enjoy while snuggled up on the couch, sitting by the fire, or hopefully, while on a long flight to some warm, exotic locale (Yay for you! Send a postcard!), so this season's list is meant for that kind of reading setup--the kind where you hunker down and read big chunks of your book at a time, getting completely lost in the story and the characters.  

{I should probably note that I'm not doing the aforementioned type of reading much these days. I'm really only reading before bed and it usually doesn't last long because I'm always *SO* tired and know that the babe will be up in a few hours (minutes?)...but that still hasn't stopped me from finishing a few really good books lately!}

Thus, here are some novels that I recommend adding to your list, or that are on my current short list. As usual, I've noted which ones I've read and which ones I simply hope to read soon...

• The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead: I'm reading this book right now (it was a gift from my dear friend and author, Jessica Shuck) and wow, is it good but super intense and horrifying and sad. I'm not even that far into it yet and I can already tell that it's a must-read for anyone and everyone. Jessica named it her Best Read of 2016 and I can see why. Whew.  
  
  
• The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessarro: Oh, this book! It was so good! The main character, Grace, receives an inheritance from someone who is a complete stranger, and travels to Paris to learn more about the mysterious woman who left everything to her. The book then jumps back and forth between Grace's life and the somewhat tragic life story of this mysterious woman. I loved every minute of it. 
  
  
• Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple: I haven't read this book yet, but I plan to. It was on a lot of "top books" lists in 2016 and was quite buzzed about, and is by the author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, which I enjoyed. The plotline--which I understand takes place all in one day--also sounds intriguing! 
  
  
• Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance: This is another great recommendation from Jessica Shuck (her review of this book is here) that I'm really looking forward to digging into when I'm done with The Underground Railroad. In this current political climate, I think we should all read it ASAP, as it's about working-class whites and how our surroundings influence who we become (and of course, our political beliefs). 
  
  
• Finally You: A Smart, Sexy Rom Com for Biblophiles by Jessica Shuck: I know, I know, but I had to give one more shout-out to Jessica! This is her book that I have already talked about at length {see this Q&A with the author), but just finished reading for the second time and thus, had to mention once more. It's so good! If you want a fun, smart, easy read to counter the emotional intensity of something like The Underground Railroad or Hillbilly Elegy, this is your book. It's also a perfect beach read for those of you jetting off to somewhere fabulous this winter. 
  
  
• The Promise: A Novel by Ann Weisgarber: Although this story had a rather tragic ending [don't worry, I won't give it away], it was a wonderful book. Based around 1900, it tells the story of a young woman who, amidst a social scandal, moves to Galveston, TX to marry a man she hasn't seen in years and doesn't really know. The book follow what happens to her once she arrives on this wild island, where she lives in conditions quite unlike what she was used to in Dayton, Ohio, and tries to figure out how to be happy in her new life. 

I could go on and on, as I have so many more books that I'm dying to read, but I'll stop there for now and save the others for my next reading list installment.

​Want more book recommendations? Click here to peruse past reading lists.  

Happy reading!