As the cold weather brings people inside, everyone needs a good book to sit and enjoy. These are a few recommendations I have from this year that will cure seasonal boredom with a good read.

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover 

Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us shows Lily as she begins her life in Boston, with a  new business, and a new boyfriend. But when things in her relationship take a turn for the worse, she’s reminded of her parents’ own relationship and its abuse. At the same time, Lily is flooded with old memories of a special person, and then they show up and make things even more complicated for her. The #1 New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia puts it best when she says, “Colleen Hoover reminds readers that love is a fragile thing, built from courage, hope, and tears. Every person with a heartbeat should read this book.” Honestly, this is one of my favorite books I’ve read this year and I highly recommend it. The author takes her personal life and lays it out on the pages, making you tear up even from the dedication line.

Lightning Down by Tom Clavin

Lightning Down by Tom Clavin is based on the tragic true story of Joe Moser, a fighter pilot for the US Army Air Corps during World War II. Joe was a young dairy farmer from a small agricultural town in Washington, who became determined to fly a P-38 Lightning to serve his country. As we follow him on his journey through the war, we see him and his comrades captured by the Germans and enduring intense torture and interrogation. Goodreads has it right when they say, “The page-turning momentum of Lightning Down is like that of a thriller. But the stories of imprisoned and brutalized airmen are true and told in unforgettable detail.” Lightning Down deserves to be on everybody’s bookshelf, or at least TBR. This story of survival puts you in the indescribable shoes of a soldier in the bloodiest war in American history, and makes you wonder, would I have the strength to survive the same? 

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is the first book in the continuing series Shadow and Bone. It starts with Jan Van Eck, a wealthy merchant, offering Kaz Brekker, a criminal prodigy, a large sum in return for breaking a scientist out of prison. To Kaz, it seems too good to refuse; and he doesn’t. He goes on to gather a group of misfits and criminals to accomplish his task. The NY Times isn’t lying when they say, “Bardugo dives deep into this world, with full color and sound. If you’re not careful, it’ll steal all your time.” I’d give this book an honest 3 out of 5 stars, only because the action is far spaced between chapters and left me wanting more.