A Fluffy Holiday Reading Guide: An Interview with a Librarian for Cozy Recommendations
A Fluffy Holiday Reading Guide: An Interview with a Librarian for Cozy Recommendations
🎄The Seasonalist and a Librarian discuss the best new and backlist holiday reads, aka "Books With Whimsical Covers"
Welcome to the Seasonalist, a happy place to land, where you’ll find all things seasonal and seasonal-adjacent (books, movies, food, and fun) from Austin, Texas. If you’d like to subscribe, click below.
What is fluffy holiday reading?
Fluffy holiday reading means curling up under a fuzzy blanket, with a hot tea or cocoa in hand, and most importantly, a cozy holiday book. Nothing is high stakes, and everything has a happy ending.
But there are just SO many holiday books and not enough time.
Holiday books have become big business (much like holiday movies), and sifting through all the choices can be overwhelming. This is a full-service seasonal substack, and I aim to please, so I interviewed a close friend, Sarah T, who is a real-live librarian with her finger on the pulse of the book scene, about her reading history and for a few holiday recommendations.
A note: Personally I will not be reading holiday books until after Thanksgiving. This is more of a heads up to get some books on the reserve list at the library so that you can be ready—“when the luck happens” to quote Ina. Or when the book arrives at the library and is ready for you on the hold shelf. The thrills!
On to the good stuff.
1. ✏️ What is your recollection of how we met? (I know we met when our kids were in Kindergarten)
Sarah: It's all a little fuzzy for me too. I know that Emme and Mason were in Ms. Bradel's kindergarten class together and I remember you both coming to Emme's 5th birthday party at the Little Gym. I think we connected right away over books and things--since I probably mentioned that I was in a Master's program at UT. It's crazy to think we've been friends now for 13 years! Or since our kids were tiny!
Nina: Where does the time go? Now they’re both freshman in college! (Emmy: Northeastern and Mason: University of Texas). Gah!
2. 📚 What is your book background/path to becoming a librarian?
Sarah: Becoming a librarian was my 3 or 4th career! Always a late bloomer, I didn't find my passion until I was 40! All I can say is I wish I'd done it so much sooner. I guess the throughline of my career life has been education, life-long learning and service. I have three Master's degrees: Women's History (thought I'd pursue a Ph.D.); Education (taught for one year, but was terrible at it); and a Master's in Information and Library Science from UT. Alex (my husband) likes to joke that I'm addicted to higher education (a very expensive addiction). Hopefully I'm in recovery now.
Nina: I didn’t know you had three Master’s degrees (I knew about the MLS). I’m beyond impressed. I can see the appeal of lifelong learning. Books can provide that outlet.
3. 📗 What new holiday books are you recommending this year or hearing LOTS of buzz about?
Sarah: I'm probably not as plugged into the book buzz as you are these days. I tend to follow recommendations from Modern Mrs. Darcy and What Should I Read Next? My best resource for learning about new and upcoming books is of course bookstagram. I love recommendations from Texacali Books!1 My fellow librarian at Eating and Reading creates these incredibly luscious and delectable bookscapes that always tempt me in both eating and reading choices. Sadly though, most of the holiday books I've been anticipating this year have turned out to be disappointing. I have abandoned a recent book by my favorite holiday writer, Jenny Bayliss. Kiss Me at Christmas is based on the Christmas Carol storyline and it was just kind of boring, repetitive, and slow. The Anti-Social Season by Adele Buck was looking promising--with a male librarian hero--but has turned out to be disappointingly cliched. The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy is the most agreeable of the bunch.
Nina: I appreciate book honesty. It’s so rare these days due to the bookstagram echo chamber. I want to know what’s good, when there are so many books to choose from. I have three books that I’m looking forward to this season (caveat: I haven’t read them yet, because I have a strict rule that there should be no Christmas business until after Thanksgiving).
The first book is Christmas is All Around by Martha Waters. I’m giving this an auto-read because 1.The cover is especially whimsical and 2. I’ve read some of her books, and she writes with heart and warmth. I have high expectations for this one.
The second book is The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, by Ally Carter, and I’m intrigued because 1. It’s a romance-mystery and 2. An English countryside setting.
4. 📕 Do you have any Backlist Favorite Holiday Books?
Sarah: I do have two favorite backlists that you should check out if you haven't read it yet.
Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss is possibly my favorite Christmas read of all time. I love an English countryside setting and this friends to lovers trope is just perfection. Plus she does an amazing job of incorporating all of the holiday cheer and traditions as the main character endeavors to accept 12 dating agency dates during the holiday. You gotta appreciate a girl with a plan!
My second favorite is The Hygge Holiday by Rosie Blake. Another English countryside, bookshop, holiday, reformed grinch storyline that is just so cozy and gooey! I loved it.
Nina: I also have two favorite backlists!
The first is unexpected—it’s a historical romance that I read during the pandemic year, and I’ve reread every Christmas since—A Christmas Promise by Mary Bologh. I can’t remember who recommended it, but it gives all the holiday feels and hits a few favorite tropes. I love a Marriage of Convenience, and our heroine marries before the holidays for status (his), and our hero for wealth (hers). She invites her entire lower-class relative for the holidays, and everyone learns a valuable lesson about love and family.
My second favorite came out last year, and the title is the trope—Snowed In by Catherine Walsh. It’s got fake dating, an Irish setting, and spoiler alert—our hero and heroine get snowed in together. So good.
Warning: both of these books are 🌶️!
*A bonus backlist! One of my Substack favorites, Brittany’s Notebook, recommended Landline by Rainbow Rowell, which I plan on reading this season. Because Rainbow Rowell! I don’t know how I missed this book, but I’m looking forward to reading it ASAP.
5. 🎄Do you have any holiday book pet peeves? (mine is characters named "Holly" etc.)
Sarah: I'm actually delighted by characters named Holly or Chris (Kringle) or Merry!! The more cutesy and saccharine the better! That's part of the cozy vibe for me. My book pet peeves are more around repetitive words -- like everything is "incredulous" lately--or just bad, cliched or pretentious writing.
Nina: There’s just too many holiday books and not enough quality control. It’s fun to discuss this with you and dig through to the really good ones.
6. ❄️ What does seasonal living mean to you?
Sarah: Seasonal living of course means seasonal reading to me. I love to let the seasons direct my reading life--I always love a good fluffy book, but I tend to gravitate to heavier, more complicated family drama in the fall. I embrace snug, homey, schmaltzy love stories during the holidays. I love a good snowed in trope in the winter. Give me all the second chance, starting over, fresh start book in the new year and springtime.
7. 📚 Where can we find you and your recommendations?
Sarah: Oh you don't need to share my Instagram. I hardly ever do book recs anymore. It mostly dogs and flowers these days :) But I'm always delighted to do Reader Advisory in person at the library! Come visit me at Cepeda Branch Library any time!
Nina: Thank you Sarah! You always have the best recommendations.
What are y’all looking forward to reading this season? I’d love to hear your suggestions.
From Modern Mrs. Darcy: A Very Bookish Christmas Countdown (Christmas books for children)
The Eating and Reading Instagram account is a thing of beauty.
I used to have a Bookstagram with my bestie from law school (I’m in Texas, she’s in California, get it?). During the lockdown, I lost my passion for bookstagram and frankly, Instagram. We are STILL besties, she’s still on there with the account, but I moved on over here to pursue my seasonal living passion (and fluffyl books).
Jenny Bayliss is one of my favs but I was disappointed by her release last year (Meet Me Under the Mistletoe) and am bummed to hear you didn’t enjoy this years. I’ll still give it a go! I’m excited to read Snowed In this year after loving Holiday Romance last year ❄️ 🌲 ✨
Very festive and I enjoyed the interview.