Amazing, must-read books from around the world.
FICTION ALLENDE
In the Midst of Winter / Isabel Allende
This novel follows Richard Bowmaster, a 60-year-old human rights scholar, who accidentally collides with Evelyn Ortega, a young undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, during a snowstorm in Brooklyn. This minor incident leads Evelyn to seek help from Richard, prompting him to enlist his tenant, Lucia Maraz, a 62-year-old lecturer from Chile. As their lives intertwine, the trio navigates personal and historical challenges, ultimately igniting a poignant love story between Richard and Lucia that spans from Brooklyn to Guatemala and 1970s South America.
Also available in large print and as an ebook and audiobook on Libby.
FICTION BACKMAN
Beartown / Fredrik Backman
The small community of Beartown pins its hopes on winning a junior ice hockey championship to revive its struggling economy. The victory could attract attention, funding, and talent, meaning everything to outcast Amat, star player Kevin, and dedicated general manager Peter. However, after a drunken celebration following a key win, a troubling incident involving Kevin and Peter’s daughter alters the team’s dynamics. Accusations ripple through the town, testing loyalties and revealing deep-seated truths. As tensions rise, one young man must find the courage to confront the reality that others fear to acknowledge.
Also available in large print and as an ebook and audiobook on Libby.
FICTION BARRY
The Heart in Winter / Kevin Barry
In October 1891, as a harsh winter approaches the Rocky Mountains, Butte, Montana is a hub of copper mining and vice, where young poet Tom Rourke struggles with addiction. His life changes when he meets Polly Gillespie, the new wife of devout mine captain Long Anthony Harrington. Their passionate love affair leads them to steal a horse and flee into the Montana and Idaho badlands. However, their romance quickly turns perilous as they are pursued by a posse of vengeful Cornish gunmen. With their future uncertain, the choices they make will haunt them forever.
TEEN FICTION BRUZAS
To the Bone / Alena Bruza
Ellis arrives in America filled with hope, ready to start a new life as an indentured servant for Henry Collins and his pregnant wife, while also falling in love with the spirited Jane Eddowes. However, as autumn approaches, Ellis becomes increasingly aware of the harsh realities surrounding her—colonial brutality towards Indigenous people and Henry’s abusive control over his family. When winter brings hunger and desperation, Ellis faces a brutal truth about survival in this new world. The story challenges the myths of American settlement, revealing the darkness beneath the surface of hope and ambition.
HOOPLA
A Winter’s Promise / Christelle Dabos
In a fractured world of floating celestial islands known as arks, Ophelia lives on Anima, where she can read the pasts of objects and possesses the rare ability of a “mirror-traveler.” Her life changes dramatically when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, an influential member of the distant icy ark, Pole. Leaving her family behind, Ophelia arrives at Citaceleste, only to find Thorn indifferent and her presence part of a larger, dangerous plot that threatens her and her world. As she navigates this new reality, she must confront her fate and the implications of her unique abilities.
Available as an ebook and audiobook on hoopla.
FICTION EKBACK
Wolf Winter / Cecilia Ekbäck
In 1717 Swedish Lapland, Maija and her family, fleeing their traumatic past in Finland, hope to build a new life near the ominous Blackåsen mountain. While tending goats, her daughter Frederika discovers the mutilated body of a neighbor, Eriksson, but the death is dismissed as a wolf attack. Convinced otherwise, Maija investigates the community’s eerie indifference, uncovering a history of tragedy and betrayal tied to the mountain. As a brutal winter descends and resources dwindle, Maija must navigate distrust among her neighbors while striving to protect her family and uncover the truth behind Eriksson’s death.
Available as an ebook on Libby and an audiobook on hoopla.
FICTION ELLIOT
Love You a Latke / Amanda Elliot
As holiday lights twinkle in Vermont, Abby Cohen is frustrated by her annoyingly cheerful customer, Seth, who is determined to break through her emotional defenses. Charged with organizing a Hanukkah festival, Abby faces challenges with local vendors who misunderstand the holiday’s significance. Seeking help online, she discovers that Seth is the only other Jew nearby. He offers to assist in exchange for Abby posing as his “nice Jewish girlfriend” for Hanukkah with his family in the city. As they share winter adventures in Manhattan over latkes and doughnuts, Abby finds herself warming to Seth, challenging her guarded heart and perceptions about love.
FICTION HANNAH
Winter Garden / Kristin Hannah
Sisters Meredith and Nina Whitson are polar opposites: Meredith runs the family apple orchard and raises her children, while Nina pursues her dream as a renowned photojournalist. Their lives collide when their father falls ill, forcing them to reunite in their childhood home. Together, they confront their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, whose lack of support exacerbates the tension between the sisters. As they navigate this challenging time, old wounds resurface, and the sisters must grapple with their differences while facing the fragility of family bonds and the looming uncertainty of their father’s health.
Also available in large print and as an ebook on Libby.
FICTION IVEY
The Snow Child / Eowyn Ivey
In 1920 Alaska, recent arrivals Jack and Mabel struggle to adapt to the harsh realities of homesteading. Childless and drifting apart, Jack is overwhelmed by farm work, while Mabel battles loneliness and despair. In a fleeting moment of joy during the first snowfall, they create a snow child. The next morning, the snow figure has vanished, but they spot a mysterious young blonde girl running through the trees. This encounter sparks hope and wonder in their lives, igniting a sense of magic amid their struggles and the brutal landscape surrounding them.
Available as an ebook on Libby.
MYSTERY RAGNAR
Snowblind / Ragnar Jónasson
Idyllic Siglufjörður, Iceland, is where rookie police officer Ari Thór Arason is assigned his first posting, leaving behind his girlfriend and troubled past. When a woman is found half-naked and unconscious in the snow, and a respected writer dies mysteriously in the theater, Ari finds himself engulfed in the secrets of a tightly knit community. Struggling with isolation and distrust, Ari confronts his inner darkness while searching for a killer. As tension rises, the claustrophobic atmosphere intensifies, revealing hidden lies. Snowblind is a chilling debut novel that brings suspense and danger to life in a seemingly quiet town.
Available as an audiobook on Libby.
FICTION JONES
Wolves of Winter / Dan Jones
In 1347, six soldiers, the Essex Dogs, emerge from the brutal battle of Crécy only to face a siege at Calais. King Edward has vowed not to leave France until the city falls, forcing the Dogs to endure a deadly winter in a chaotic camp. As they battle personal demons, Loveday searches for their missing Captain, Romford confronts a haunting figure from his past, and Scotsman descends into violence. Tensions rise within the group as they navigate treacherous camps, pirate-filled harbors, and political intrigue, all vividly bringing the dark, gritty life of fourteenth-century warfare to the forefront.
Available as an ebook and audiobook on Libby.
FICTION KLIEWER
We Used to Live Here / Marcus Kliewer
Charlie and Eve are thrilled with the great deal on their new home in a charming neighborhood. But when a man arrives with his family, claiming he once lived there and asking to show his kids around, strange and unsettling events begin to occur. The family overstays, ignoring hints to leave, and soon after, Charlie mysteriously disappears. As Eve’s grip on reality starts to unravel, she becomes increasingly suspicious of both the house and the visitors. Is something sinister at play, or is her mind deceiving her? The haunting mystery unfolds in a suspenseful blend of paranoia and terror.
Also available in large print.
HOOPLA
Moon of the Crusted Snow / Waubgeshig Rice
In a northern Anishinaabe community, winter looms as the power fails, isolating the residents and sparking confusion and panic over dwindling food supplies. Tensions escalate when outsiders arrive from the south, disrupting the fragile order as they manipulate the weary and hungry to gain control. Amid the growing chaos and rising death toll, Evan Whitesky and a group of young friends turn to Anishinaabe traditions to restore stability. Moon of the Crusted Snow is a powerful tale of resilience, where cultural rebirth emerges from societal collapse, blending action with a deep reflection on survival and identity.
Available as an ebook and audiobook through hoopla.
FICTION SHIPMAN
The Secret of Snow / Viola Shipman
When 50-year-old Sonny Dunes, a sunny SoCal meteorologist, is replaced by a virtual, ageless counterpart, her only job option is back in her snowy Michigan hometown. Facing long winters and the awkwardness of moving in with her mother, Sonny confronts unresolved memories, from old friends and a rival-turned-boss to her late sister, who adored the snow. Immersing herself in covering local winter events, Sonny begins to build a new life and finds unexpected comfort in a charming widower. But to truly feel at home, she must let go of her past and embrace the person she’s become.
Available as an ebook and audiobook through hoopla.
FICTION VANBOOY
Sipsworth / Simon Van Booy
In a small English town, Helen Cartwright, a reclusive widow resigned to her lonely routine, unexpectedly finds hope after a chance encounter with a mouse. Recently returned to her childhood village after losing her family, Helen intended a quiet end. Yet, this encounter sparks a journey that transforms her outlook, reminding her—and the community—of the possibility of second chances and the profound effects of kindness. Simon Van Booy crafts a touching story of resilience and friendship, illustrating how even the smallest connections can bring warmth and purpose to a life previously steeped in solitude
Available as an ebook and audiobook on hoopla.
SCIENCE FICTION WARWICK
The North Wind / Alexandria Warwick
In a wintry fantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone, Wren of Edgewood struggles to protect her sister as the magical barrier shielding their town weakens. For 300 years, the Shade has kept the deadly Deadlands at bay, but now it can only be saved by the marriage of a mortal woman to the North Wind, a fearsome immortal. When the North Wind chooses her sister as his bride, Wren sacrifices herself to take her place, determined to defy him despite her mortal limitations. This lush, enchanting romance explores bravery, sacrifice, and the power of love.
Available as an ebook and audiobook on Libby.
MYSTERY YOUNG
Original Sins / Erin Young
In a fear-stricken Des Moines winter, FBI rookie Riley Fisher faces her first assignment: investigating a death threat against the newly elected female governor. Meanwhile, a serial attacker, known as the Sin Eater, continues to terrorize local women. Juggling family conflicts and the challenges of her new role, Riley is partnered with an uncertain ally. As she digs deeper, she uncovers a disturbing link between the threat to the governor and the Sin Eater’s crimes. Through harsh weather and mounting danger, Riley is drawn toward a chilling truth that may bring everything crashing down.
LP: December 2024
