Recently I put together a Winter Reading Guide 2025 for Grades 6 to 12 for the winter season. The goal with this new biannual series is to support reading at home by helping students find books they actually want to read. Of course, I didn’t want to leave our parents without something to read.
Here are some reading suggestions, specifically for adults, to bring some literary love into your winter break.
Fiction
Real Ones by Katherena Vermette. A heartrending story of two Michif sisters who must face their past trauma when their mother is called out for false claims to Indigenous identity.
Why this one: The issue of pretendians has been in the news again recently. Many of us have loved books by Thomas King, who has admitted that he is not Cherokee, as he had long claimed (and genuinely believed). Similar stories, with varying degrees of culpability, have surfaced over the last few years. This novel is an Indigenous take on this phenomenon.
Circe by Madeline Miller. Circe is a strange child—neither powerful like her father nor viciously alluring like her mother. She turns to the world of mortals for companionship, unknowingly cementing herself as something legendary.
Why this one: this beautiful retelling of the myth of the witch Circe reads like historical fiction as it explores themes of immortality and the female identity. A great read for anyone with an interest in mythology or if you loved Miller’s other New York Times’ bestseller, The Song of Achilles.
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto. When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body.
Why this one: For those looking for something more light-hearted, this energetic story about family dynamics is a great option. Readers praise the Indo-Chinese cultural representation, with one reviewer saying, “This book is filled with so much love, wrapped in a little hilarious bow.”
Fantasy and Science Fiction
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed a battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success—not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
Why this one: This low-stakes fantasy is a great read for anyone looking for something cozy and carefree. It’s a big-hearted story about starting fresh later in life and is full of wholesome characters, a sweet love story, and a bit of magical mafia tension to keep things interesting.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black. Tana must venture into a vampire-filled city called Coldtown to save herself and her infected ex-boyfriend, encountering a mysterious ancient vampire on her perilous journey.
Why this one: This book is just fun (and a little bit weird.) This is the perfect escapist holiday read, blending fantasy and romance before the combination was its own category. While this face-paced romp is a blast, potential readers should be warned that it does get a bit gory at times.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. A lone astronaut. An impossible mission. An ally he never imagined. Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission in this epic Sci-Fi by the author of The Martian.
Why this one: If you enjoyed The Martian, we highly recommend Weir’s next story Project Hail Mary. It hits all the hallmarks of a great sci-fi while being accessible for newcomers to jump into the genre. Read it before the movie, featuring Ryan Gosling, comes out in 2026.
Non-Fiction
Reconciling History: a Story of Canada by Jody Wilson-Raybould and Roshan Danesh. A truly unique history of our land—powerful, devastating, remarkable—as told through the voices of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
Why this one: A group of teachers from both the Junior School and the Senior School are reading this one as part of the annual Indigenous book club. This selection has been particularly successful as we have enjoyed the different voices and historical perspectives. The audiobook is popular, with different individuals sharing their stories in their own voices.
CABIN: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman by Patrick Hutchison. Without any knowledge or carpentry skills, Patrick Hutchison purchases an off-the-grid cabin on a whim in the mossy woods of the Cascade Mountains with the goal of fixing it up—all by himself.
Why this one: This is a humorous look at a goal many of us have entertained, buying our own rustic cabin and fixing it up as a “fun” project. Of course, the reality of such an undertaking is a little less romantic than the dream. This book lets us live vicariously through the mistakes that Hutchison makes as he tries to renovate his new investment.
Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of our Deadliest Infection by John Green. Through the eyes of Henry, John Green weaves in the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world.
Why this one: Bring some science into your holiday season with this non-fiction by well-known fiction author John Green. The book offers a compelling call to action while highlighting the moral, not just the scientific challenge, of ending the disease.
Of course any of the books on our Winter Reading Guide 2025 are wonderful reads that adults may enjoy just as much as our students. Whether you’re broadening your knowledge with non-fiction or diving into a magical world with fantasy, I hope you find a book you love this holiday season.
