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The winter season is upon us and for many that also means, it’s reading season. Because all of the best parts about winter—hot drinks, roaring fires, and snowfalls—are even better with a great story.
That said, sometimes picking a book to read can be like ordering at a new restaurant (or trying to decide what to watch on TV). There’s just so many options, and when you’re in a certain mood, you want a certain kind of story. That’s why Book of the Month has curated five books for AARP members that match the most common winter reading moods. Not only that, these were picked from thousands of other books for their compelling characters, unique plotlines, and overall excellence.
Q: What if you want to read a book by the fire that’s a page-turner—and also tells a human story with depth and complexity?
A: Try The River We Remember, a novel by William Kent Krueger about a death in a small town that blows existing tensions wide open. As the sheriff, a veteran still struggling to overcome his own war wounds, works to solve the mystery of the murder—he must come to terms with his own demons. This book is a lyrical and penetrating look at how war shapes us and our beliefs, and at the stories we tell ourselves about where we call home.
Q: How about a modern thriller with fast-paced twists that will keep you reading while on vacation?
A: None of This Is True by Lisa Jewel opens on Alix, a true crime podcaster who meets her birthday twin, Josie, at a bar—and, after a series of coincidental meetings, decides to make a podcast about Josie’s strange and complicated life. Despite a sense of unease, Alix gets more and more entangled until Josie suddenly disappears, leaving behind a terrifying legacy that puts her and her family into the kind of mortal terror she usually only reports on her crime podcast.
Q: What’s a powerful, uplifting story—that you can enjoy at your own pace?
A: For a historical novel of friendship and the fight for equality, The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray follows the deep bond between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. Initially drawn together for their shared belief in women’s rights and the power of education, the two become fast friends and some of the founding activists for what would become the civil rights movement.
Q: If you’ve read a lot of mysteries (and can often call the ending before it happens), what’s a thriller that will still keep you guessing?
A: The least predictable narrative begins with an unpredictable narrator: Stacy Willingham’s novel All The Dangerous Things picks up after a parent’s worst nightmare. Isabelle Drake’s toddler Mason vanished a year ago but, with little evidence and even fewer leads, the case quickly went cold. In hopes of uncovering new details, she agrees to be interviewed by a true crime podcaster. But his interest in her past and her extreme insomnia—plus the blackouts she can’t remember—start to make Isabelle doubt her account of that night, and herself.
Q: How about a historical novel that keeps me on the edge of my seat?
A: Inspired by the life (and diary) of Martha Ballard, Frozen River from Ariel Lawhon follows this renowned 18th-century midwife as she investigates a shocking murder in her rural community. As a midwife, Martha knows the most intimate details of everyone in the small town—recording the town’s births, deaths, and debacles. Months after she hears of a vicious rape, one of the suspects is found dead in the winter’s frozen river. Then she must keep her own counsel as the trial progresses, even if her commitment to justice threatens her family and her community. You’ll get a snapshot of the role midwives once played in society, and a portrait of 18th century American rural living.
If these books piqued your interest, but you’re still looking for that perfect read — check out the rest of Book of the Month’s offerings for AARP members here.
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