December is the perfect month to slow down, curl up, and lose yourself in a captivating book series. As the days grow shorter and the nights colder, there’s nothing quite like escaping into a story that warms the heart and sparks the imagination. Whether you’re craving heartwarming tales, festive romances, thrilling adventures, or enchanting worlds, there’s a book to make every cosy afternoon feel a little brighter.
Imagine the soft glow of lamplight, the comforting weight of a favourite blanket, and the quiet hush of winter outside your window — all while turning the pages of a story that transports you far from the ordinary. This is the season for lingering over each chapter, letting the characters and their worlds settle in your mind, and embracing the slow, peaceful joy of reading.
So pour yourself a steaming cup of tea, hot chocolate, or mulled wine, wrap up in your favourite blanket, and let December be a month devoted to stories that make the season feel truly magical. From adventures that sweep you off your feet to gentle tales that soothe the soul, there’s no better time to lose yourself in a book and make the most of the cosy, reflective days of winter.
Huguette
by Cara Black
In spring 1945, seventeen-year-old Huguette Faure struggles to survive in the chaos of liberated France. Orphaned, pregnant, and on the run from her father’s enemies, she must reinvent herself to stay alive. With the help of kindhearted police officer Claude Leduc, Huguette lands a job with a legendary film director, where she moves from menial tasks to helping him cook the books, seizing a chance to escape her haunted past.
In this gripping tale of resilience, New York Times bestselling author Cara Black brings postwar France vividly to life and introduces Claude Leduc—the man whose legacy would later inspire his granddaughter, Aimée, to become a private investigator.
Everybody Wants to Rule the World
by Ace Atkins
It’s 1985, “The Year of the Spy,” and fourteen-year-old Peter Bennett is convinced his mom’s new boyfriend, Gary, is a Russian agent. With an untraceable European accent and a gun in his Porsche, Gary seems like something out of a thriller—but Peter’s BMX skills and MTV obsessions are hardly enough to convince anyone. When another lab worker is murdered, Peter teams up with a washed-up pulp writer and his drag performer friend, only to find themselves hunted by a deadly Russian hitman obsessed with Phil Collins.
Meanwhile, young FBI agent Sylvia Weaver investigates the nest of spies at Scientific Atlanta, unaware her efforts are sabotaged by a corrupt colleague colluding with a lovesick KGB defector playing both sides. As Reagan and Gorbachev prepare for a historic summit, the stakes rise—and Peter’s freshman year might just shape the course of the Cold War.
Mating Game
by Lana Ferguson
Tess Covington has spent her whole life as a normal human—until a shocking diagnosis reveals she’s a late-presenting omega wolf shifter. With her family in financial trouble and a contract for her own TV show on the line, Tess can’t afford to back out of the renovation job she’s come for. But with her wolf at risk of going into heat, she’s been warned to steer clear of alpha shifters…especially the brooding, irresistible Hunter Barrett.
Hunter has spent years avoiding omegas after one broke his heart, so when Tess arrives at his lodge smelling like everything he’s supposed to resist, he’s faced with a dilemma he can’t ignore. Tasked with helping her succeed while keeping their distance, Hunter and Tess quickly discover that chemistry doesn’t follow the rules. As sparks fly and boundaries blur, they must navigate a dangerous game where the stakes are high—and the only thing on the line is their hearts.
We Who Will Die
by Stacia Stark
Life in the Thorn district is a constant struggle for Arvelle and her younger brothers, but nothing could prepare her for the choice she must make: a magically binding vow to kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. To fulfill her mission, Arvelle must survive the Sundering, a brutal arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest are chosen for the emperor’s elite guard.
As the stakes rise, Arvelle finds herself caught between enemies and allies, drawing the ire of the Primus—protector of the emperor—while depending on the emperor’s own vampiric son to hone her growing power. Amid deadly challenges and unraveling secrets, she must navigate treacherous conspiracies that will reshape everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires bound to her fate.
This Year
by John Darnielle
A celebration of one of music’s most visionary storytellers, This Year: 365 Songs Annotated collects the definitive lyrics of John Darnielle alongside illuminating first-person commentary. From his early boom-box recordings to the evolution of the Mountain Goats into a full band, Darnielle reflects on the songs that shaped his life, the people who inspired them, and the literary influences—from Flannery O’Connor to Stephen King—that inform his work.
Spanning decades, this annotated collection includes classics like “This Year,” “No Children,” and “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton,” offering fans an intimate glimpse into the creative process of one of the greatest songwriters and enduring voices in indie music.
The Once and Future Queen
by Paula Lafferty
After the sudden death of her boyfriend, Vera is ready to fade into the background, content to spend her days quietly washing sheets and cleaning bathrooms at a Glastonbury hotel. But everything changes when a mysterious guest reveals himself as Merlin and whisks her back to seventh-century Camelot. There, he insists she is not merely Vera, but Guinevere, and that only she can lift the curse draining the kingdom’s magic and save Camelot from the ambitions of a power-hungry mage.
Yet Vera remembers nothing of her past life. As Merlin works to restore her memories, she uncovers a tangled web of betrayal, heartbreak, and secrets, questioning why King Arthur recoils at her presence and what truly happened the night the curse was cast. With Camelot teetering on the edge of collapse, Vera must confront her own identity—and decide who she truly is—before the past destroys the future.
Crowntide
by Alex Aster
Isla Crown has forged a new path and leapt into the unknown, determined to defeat her sinister ancestor, Lark, no matter the cost. Skyshade, however, is nothing like she expected, and surviving its dangers—let alone ending Lark—will test every skill she possesses.
Meanwhile, Grim and Oro would rather burn their own kingdoms than leave Isla to face certain death alone, but rescuing her means forging an uneasy alliance and confronting old betrayals. With the fate of the realms hanging in the balance, Isla must reconcile her past and harness the power close to her heart if she hopes to shape a future of her own. Filled with secrets, deception, romance, and twists worthy of the darkest thrillers, The Lightlark Saga is essential reading for fans of Marie Lu, Marissa Meyer, and Leigh Bardugo.
