It’s that time of the year again, when the cold settles in, the first fall of snow’s in the air, Christmas season, for those of you celebrating, is coming around…. To be completely honest with you all, I’m not a fan of this season, at all. Yet, I enjoy -and I feel like there are not enough- YA books set in winter every now and then. There’s something cosy about reading books set in winter, books with snow and comfortable blankets, dreamy landscapes and Christmas YA books with people celebrating, too.
Here’s my little selection of young adult books to, hopefully, give you all the cosy feels you’re looking for this season! Feel free to add your own suggestions in comments, I’d love to hear from you!
This blog post contains affiliate links. If you buy something on my recommendation, I will receive a small commission. Purchasing via these links will not cost you any extra and will help me cover the costs of book blogging. You will find more info on my privacy policy and disclaimer pages. Thank you!
10 YA Books To Read for Christmas and Winter
One Way or Another, Kara McDowell
Aside from an excellent anxiety representation, One Way or Another is such a great book for the winter / christmas season. It gives off all the cosy, winter feels, has baking and winter in New York / a cabin in the woods and romance and what more could you really want?
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Cold Day in the Sun, Sara Biren
When the hockey team’s chosen to be on TV, Holland, the only girl in the all-boys team, is thrown into the highlight. Cold Day in the Sun is a lovely YA contemporary with a driven, incredible main character and such a soft romance, you’ll love it. And it gives you all the winter feels!
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
A Castle in the Clouds, Kerstin Gier
If you’re looking for a little winter vacation, I’d recommend A Castle in the Clouds. One of the best things about this book is definitely its setting. At an aging hotel in the Swiss Mountains, you’re following Sophie who’s trying to handle all the messiness around the New Year’s at the hotel… it’s an entertaining read, perfect for the season!
Add to Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Together at Midnight, Jennifer Castle
Two strangers in New York, deciding together to perform random acts of kindness to strangers for New Year’s Eve… Together At Midnight is such a fun contemporary romance that makes you want to travel to New York City and be kinder to the world. It’s such a feel-good story!
Add to Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Let It Snow, John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle
Let It Snow is an obvious choice for a list of Christmas YA books, but what can you do! Three stories, three main characters, all with their own messy, unexpected Christmas Eve filled with encounters they don’t expect. This is a feel-good YA book you’ll love to curl up with as you watch the snow fall outside of your window.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Girls Made of Snow and Glass, Melissa Bashardoust
I LOVE this book and I wish more people screamed about it okay. Girls Made of Snow and Glass is a queer retelling of the Snow White fairytale and it’s so beautiful, with a stepmother who desires to be more delicate and a young girl who wants to be stronger and stop being compared to her dead mother. Their stories intertwined, the snowy decor, the emotions and the writing like poetry will make you devour this book.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Recommended for You, Laura Silverman
Laura Silverman is one of my favorite authors of all times. Recommended for You is about two booksellers fighting to sell the most books, it starts at the Hanukkah season and ends around New Year, which makes it the perfect book for this season! Also, it’s so soft and fun and adorable and I LOVE IT READ IT.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik
Spinning Silver is a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. One of the best things about this story is that it’s such an atmospheric, wintery fantasy story that will give you all the chills as you read on!
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
The Silvered Serpents, Roshani Chokshi
Okay, The Silvered Serpents is The Gilded Wolves‘ sequel, so.. you should just read the entire series okay? That second installment in the series is a perfect read for the winter season, as our cast of incredible characters go on a wild chase in the icy Russian palaces. A little bit of mystery, a little bit of historical fiction, a lot of incredible characters: this series is a must-read.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares is one of these reads that will make you want to go on an adventure. Two teens meet around the Christmas season, through a forgotten notebook on a bookshelf and get to know each other through its pages, exchanging clues. It’s such a fun, wintery-YA contemporary!
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Enjoyed this list? See a book you’d like to read? Order them through these retailers below!
For more book recommendations, check out these blog posts:
- Wordy & Whimsical’s book recommendations for the winter season
- 16 Most Anticipated YA Books For The Second Half of 2021
- My Most Anticipated YA Books Of 2022
📌 Pin 10 Perfect YA Books to read for Christmas and the Winter Season!
Enjoyed this list? Please consider supporting my work by ordering yourself a little book through my affiliate links. No extra cost and a brand new book to read for you!
Twitter ☂️ Bookstagram ☂️Goodreads ☂️ Bloglovin’ ☂️ Support the blog
Subscribe to the newsletter for more book recommendations, exclusive intl giveaways, behind the scenes and more:
Lay @ bookshelfsoliloquies says
I love this list! I’ve read both Let It Snow and The Silvered Serpents (haven’t dared to read the Bronzed Beasts yet, I’m scared lol) and enjoyed them! I also tried reading the original German edition of A Castle in the Clouds but found the main character and writing voice super annoying so I immediately unhauled my copy 😂 Girls Made of Snow and Glass sounds so interesting, definitely checking that one out for my wintery TBR!
drizzleandhurricanebooks says
Oh thank you so much! SAME HERE I’m terrified to start The Bronzed Beasts 😂 I hope you’ll give Girls Made of Snow and Glass a try, it’s a stunning book, really <3
Julie @ Struck by Stories says
ahhh Dash & Lily is the best!! and ooh I haven’t checked out A Castle in the Clouds but it sounds really cute as well ☺️
thanks for sharing this holiday-themed post! 🎄❤️
drizzleandhurricanebooks says
Ahh thank you Julie, so happy you enjoyed these recommendations! 🙂
anovelglimpse says
I’m so happy to see Cold Day in the Sun on here. That book doesn’t get enough love, in my opinion.
drizzleandhurricanebooks says
Agree! It’s such a great contemporary read and I loved the main character! 🙂
ashley @ socially awkward bookworm says
Great list! I love the Dash & Lily series. I really want to read One Way or Another. I might have to buy it this month if I can finish the other three books that I have planned for the month. <3
drizzleandhurricanebooks says
Thank you Ashley! I hope you’ll get a chance to read One Way or Another soon, it’s one of my favorite reads! 🙂
Kat Impossible says
I’m not much of a holiday-theme reader, but I do love Dash & Lily. I’m so devastated they won’t continue with the Netflix show and make the other books come to life as well. I would have really liked to see the last book adapted.
drizzleandhurricanebooks says
I’m SO sad about it as well, I really liked the show and wanted to see more of it, too! 🙁
whisperingchapters says
I highly recommend Mistle Text by Whitney Dineen and Melanie Summers! It’s such a cute laugh-out-loud Hallmark movie-feel meets Pretty Woman. It’s one of my fave holiday reads of the year.
drizzleandhurricanebooks says
Oooh, thank you so much for the recommendation, I’ll check it out! 😀
Caro @ bookcheshirecat says
I do love all books about the festive season/winter ❄ I’m happy that they at least make you feel cosy even though you’re not a fan of winter! I love rereading Let it Snow every year, the setting of a big snow storm is right up my alley 😄 I also finally managed to read Recommended For You this year and was pleasantly surprised that it’s set during the festive season 🥰
Some other Christmas YA books I love: My True Love Gave to Me (Anthology of 12 Stories). I usually don’t read much MG, but there are so many great wintery/festive stories like Winterhouse, A Boy Called Christmas. The Christmasaurus and Frostheart 😊
drizzleandhurricanebooks says
Ahh yay! I’m really happy you liked these books as well, Caro! Thank you so, so much for the recommendations, I need to read My True Love Gave To Me, I heard great things about it! 🙂
theorangutanlibrarian says
ooh love the sound of girls made of snow and glass! Great list!
drizzleandhurricanebooks says
It’s such a fantastic read! Thank you so much 🙂