Whether you are packing up and visiting friends or family away from home for the holidays or staying home and enjoying some time away from the regular schedule, time to read and savor a good book becomes more readily available when the end of the year arrives and the holiday occasions abound.

Based on your predilection for cozy, leisurely reading, I have rounded up ten books, most of which are new releases, some which are time-tested favorites and all of which look to keep you engaged and enthralled based on your genre preference. Take a look and enjoy the time with a new book to dive into and unwind.

Foodie Pick

~The Gourmands’ Way: Six Americans in Paris and the Birth of a New Gastronomy by Justin Spring

If you enjoy food, the history of food and especially Paris, you will want to pick up Justin Spring’s new book about the Americans (one being Julia Child, another Gertrude Stein) in the twentieth century that influenced what we know and love about French cuisine.

Find your True Strength

~Feminine Genius: The Provocative Path to Waking and Turning On the Wisdom of Being a Woman by LiYana Silver

Currently, I am reading LiYana Silver’s new book Feminine Genius. In fact, by the time this post goes live, I may have finished it. I have been enthralled with her breadth and depth of the truth about women regarding how they have been perceived in history, how various cultures, including our own and current religious and political ideologies have taken words that once praised the strengths of women and twisted them to minimize the strength we all possess. While the historical context is present, it isn’t primary. What is the focus is how to recognize the strengths we all have within us and the journeys we all go through, and in so gaining this knowledge, finding our true capabilities and embracing them. An inspiring read.

Lifestyle Inspiration

~Lagom: Not Too Little, Not Too Much: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life by Niki Brantmark

First it was the Danes with the Hygge movement and now the Swedes with their approach to living a content and balanced life. And as Sweden as been ranked as one of the top three happiest countries in the world, perhaps we should take a look at what ‘Lagom’ is all about. Meaning “not too much and not too little—just right”, why not look to a culture that has figured out how to find what many other countries purport to seek but have yet to find?

Francophiles

~A Taste of Paris: A History of the Parisian Love Affair with Food by David Downie

Released this past September, step into the past of Paris to discover why it is defined as a food lover’s paradise.

Money Motivation

~The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money & Miracles by Marianne Williamson

A classic inspirational book by the best-selling motivational lifestyle author Marianne Williamson, discover how to overcome financial stress and unleash the possibilities of abundance when it comes to financial security

Dreaming about Cooking without Stepping Foot into the Kitchen

~Downtime: Deliciousness at Home by Nadine Levy Redzepi

Released last month, Bon Appétit recently recommended Nadine LEvy Redzepi’s new cookbook. And with the culinary mantra of “pair the very best ingredients with restaurant-inflected techniques that make the most of out their inherent flavors”, I am curious to discover new delicious recipes which are paired with tips and tricks to assist cooks of all talents.

WhoDunnIt? Lovers

~Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

If you are a mystery lover, Anthony Horowitz’s new novel is a novel set within a novel. Based on a writer in modern day who has a successful career telling tales of murder in small English countrysides, the second murder comes to light when his editor begins to consider that his latest manuscript may have been inspired by his own life experiences.

Fascinated with Current Culture

~The Golden House: A Novel by Salman Rushdie

Critics are applauding Salman Rushdie’s new novel which was released this past September. Described as a “modern American epic set against the panorama of contemporary politics and culture”, it begins during the Obama administration, and with a few characters said to have been inspired by well-known individuals in the media’s eye currently, perhaps it is just the escape and release you’ve been looking for. Have a look and enjoy the tale.

Ideas for Party Conversation Starters with Strangers

~Wine All the Time.: The Casual Guide to Confident Drinking by Marissa A. Ross

Having listened to an interview with the author, Marissa Ross, her cover is deceiving. Why? Honestly, it looks on the surface to be superficial and cheesy. And yes, while cheese would be a perfect accompanient with all of the wine discussed, the book is worth taking a look at. As the wine editor of Bon Appétit magazine, Ross knows, talks and enjoys wine without the fuss. So if you’re looking to learn a little bit more about wine, but enjoy reading the book as you learn, dive in and have something benign, yet interesting to talk about with that new stranger that wants to sip and chat at the holiday work party.

Classic Reading for Living Well

~The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

Looking for a reminder of how to enhance your holiday experience, and more broadly your everyday life? Reread or read for the first time Eckhart Tolle’s best-selling book The Power of Now.

~For more book recommendations, have a look below at SIMILAR POSTS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

~10 Books to Read & Enjoy This Summer of 2017

~10 Books to Read This Summer of 2016

~My 10 All-Time Favorite French Books

~Check out weekly Book Recommendations each Friday on TSLL on the This & That post. 

~Discover all TSLL Book Recommendations here in TSLL Boutique