Books of Interest Part 12: 2025 Winter Reading Recommendations
For the past few years, we have curated a list of our employees’ favorite reads. We are excited to return with Part Twelve of our “Books of Interest.”
If you are looking to be captivated by a story or have already binged your way through your streaming watch list, here is a list of eleven books recommended by our employees. To check out even more recommendations, here are parts 1-11 of our Books of Interest blog posts: Books of Interest Archives | Stillman 2 Cents.
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
The Last Thing He Told Me is a mystery novel about a woman named Hannah whose husband disappears and leaves her a note to protect his teenage stepdaughter, Bailey. Hannah and Bailey must work together to uncover the truth about Owen’s disappearance and his involvement in a corporate crime. I could not put this book down! The suspense was killing me. I had to know what happened next, then the ending had me in tears. Excellent weekend read!
– Recommended by: Rene L.
The Waterworks by E.L Doctorow
One rainy morning in 1871 in lower Manhattan, Martin Pemberton a freelance writer, sees in a passing stagecoach several elderly men, one of whom he recognizes as his supposedly dead and buried father. While trying to unravel the mystery, Pemberton disappears, sending McIlvaine, his employer, the editor of an evening paper, in pursuit of the truth behind his freelancer’s fate. Layer by layer, McIlvaine reveals a modern metropolis surging with primordial urges and sins, where the Tweed Ring operates the city for its own profit and a conspicuously self-satisfied nouveau-riche ignores the poverty and squalor that surrounds them. Who doesn’t love a good mystery set in historic and well-known places but with a different vantage?
– Recommended by: Brad H.
The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore
What a cute book, for the holiday season!
A little bit about the book; Kira North grew up rich and did not have to lift a finger. Her twin sister falls in love and moves away, Kira doesn’t know what to do. So, she decides to purchase a Christmas tree farm even though she hates Christmas. She wants to prove that she is capable of doing this thing called life on her own with no one’s help. Kira had this picture-perfect plan in her head, but she came across some challenges and accidentally falls in love. Giving up was not an option, she had a point to prove, and falling in love was the cherry on top.
– Recommended by: Ally N.
The Secret History of Christmas by Bill Bryson
Over the holidays, I listened to the audiobook, The Secret History of Christmas by Bill Bryson. Christmas is full of traditions and rituals that most of us have been observing all our lives without the slightest idea of where they came from. Why do we sing about Good King Wenceslaus, who was neither good nor a king? How did an ancient Catholic bishop turn into the modern-day Santa Claus? Bryson gives a wonderful history lesson about everyone’s favorite holiday.
– Recommended by: Chris L.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
This 1997 bestselling nonfiction book details Krakauer’s experience in the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, in which eight climbers were killed and several others were stranded by a storm. Krakauer’s expedition was led by guide Rob Hall. Other groups were trying to summit on the same day, including one led by Scott Fischer, whose guiding agency, Mountain Madness, was perceived as a competitor to Hall’s agency, Adventure Consultants.
– Recommended by: Terry F.
Cross My Heart by Megan Collins
Rosie Lachlan wants nothing more than to find The One. A year after she was dumped in her wedding dress, she’s working at her parents’ bridal salon, anxious for a happy ending that can’t come soon enough. After receiving a life-saving heart transplant, Rosie knows her health is precarious. She suspects her heart donor is Daphne Thorne, the wife of local celebrity author Morgan Thorne, who she begins messaging via an online platform that anonymously connects donor’s families with recipients. But Rosie has a secret: She’s convinced that now that she has his wife’s heart, she and Morgan are meant to be together. As she and Morgan correspond, the pretense of avoiding personal details soon disappears, even if Rosie’s keeping some cards close to her chest. But as she digs deeper into Morgan’s previous marriage, she discovers disturbing rumors about the man she’s falling for. Could Morgan have had something to do with his late wife’s death? And can Rosie’s heart sustain another break—or is she next?
I absolutely recommend this one to people who enjoy dark, twisty thrillers. While I had so many armchair theories throughout the novel about what really happened, I must say the cat-and-mouse theme throughout left me guessing until the very end! Collins does an incredible job piecing together a narrative where you are unsure what is real, what is imagined, and how far the characters will go to get what they want. It makes for a fast-paced read that I loved jumping into!
– Recommended by: Jennifer K.
Overlord by Kugane Maruyama
In the future of the 2100s, the once popular virtual reality game, Yggdrasil, is shutting down. One player decides to spend the last few hours as his character Momonga, and reminisce, walking through the magnificent guild he and his friends built. His friends all stopped playing over time, but he couldn’t let go and kept everything in good condition in the event some of them came back. As the clock strikes midnight, Momonga expects the server to close, but he is still controlling his skeleton body. His body suddenly feels real, and the unthinking NPCs begin to talk and move on their own, concerned for their great ruler. Everything in his base is now quite real, transported to a fantasy world, different from the Yggdrasil game. Now Momonga must lead his army of monsters, demons, and undead in this new world where they are stronger than almost any other being. This is a story where the villains are the main characters, set on world conquest through politics and overwhelming might. Book 1 of an ongoing Dark Fantasy series.
– Recommended by: Dakota B.
The Women by Kristin Hannah
The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country have too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.
– Recommended by: Cristy M.
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy is a heartbreaking, enlightening, and funny memoir. Jennette has found a non-overwhelming way to detail her life as a child star and the abuse laid on her by her mother on that journey as well as a little early background on the Nickelodeon scandal. Growing up the last thing she wanted was to be an actress and be thrown into the spotlight yet her mother had other dreams for her and those dreams included fame and a rail thin body (sure it’s normal for a child to worry about calorie counting) and never looking a day over 15…..sorry 12. McCurdy did a truly fantastic job reflecting the grass is not always greener mindset of growing up in the limelight. By the end of the book, you feel strongly along with her that she and many other child stars really live lives we could never fathom yet are quick to criticize. I highly recommend this read whether you know who she is or not, you’ll find yourself agreeing with the title choice as well as rethinking any thoughts you could have had about children in the “Hollywood” life.
– Recommended by: Lindsey S.
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
This is a low-stakes cozy romantasy (romance-fantasy) about Kiela, an awkward librarian, and her sentient spider plant assistant, Caz. In the midst of a revolution, they flee to Kiela’s childhood village on an island far away from the capital. In tow are the homes they were able to save as the library went up in flames. While in her old home she slowly befriends a nosy (and very handsome) neighbor who checks in on her and helps her fix up her house.
While Kiela has a duty to keep the spell books safe, she finds out that she can use them to create income for herself & supply jam to the island. (I mean who doesn’t love jam??) With an old recipe book and some illegal spells, she grows berries in her garden and gets to work.
If you want a book to enjoy a warm cup of tea with, this is a delightful read.
– Recommended by: Julia B.
Soul Care by Debora Fileta
I wanted to share a book recommendation that has been really impactful for me recently – Soul Care by Debora Fileta. It’s focused on self-care and offers some great insights into how we can avoid burnout in both our personal and professional lives. In a world where we’re all juggling so much, it’s easy to push ourselves too hard, and this book does an excellent job of reminding us of the importance of rest, self-awareness, and finding balance. It also provides practical strategies for what to do when we do feel burned out, which is something I think we can all relate to at one time or another. I highly recommend giving it a read if you’re looking for some inspiration or tools to help take better care of yourself.
– Recommended by: Mary H.