27 Best Books on My Winter TBR I Can’t Wait to Read

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Winter is my absolute favorite season for reading, and I’ve been keeping a close eye on new book releases every month to build the perfect winter TBR list. 

Winter books just feel right – they tend to be deep, introspective, and really make you think, which is exactly the kind of reading I crave when the days get shorter and the nights get longer.

This year’s winter picks are no different. 

These books go into the kind of thoughtful, reflective stories that help you slow down and really connect with the characters and their emotions. 

Honestly, I’m desperate to start reading and get lost in those winter vibes. If you love books that make you pause and think, you’re going to love what I’ve gathered here.

Haven’t Killed in Years by Amy K. Green

If you’re into fast-paced thrillers for winter 2025 with a dark angle, this one’s high on my list.

Gwen Tanner is quietly living her life until someone starts sending body parts to her door. Gwen, once Marin Haggerty, is the daughter of a serial killer, and someone clearly wants to expose her. 

I’m super curious how this thriller will blend suspense, true crime obsession, and emotional depth. 

I also love that it asks big questions – can we really escape our past? 

For fans of twisty plots and flawed yet fascinating women, this feels like a must-read. I’m so excited to see how Gwen manages secrets, danger, and possibly real connection. 

If you’re craving winter 2025 psychological thriller books with female leads, this could be the one to cozy up with. 

Bitter Honey by Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström

This mother-daughter drama with secrets feels perfect for thoughtful winter reading in 2025. 

We follow Nancy, who leaves sunny Gambia for icy Sweden in 1978, thinking she’s found love and a new beginning. But by 2006, her daughter Tina is trying to find herself, all while Nancy hides a past full of pain. 

I’m drawn to stories like this that span decades and continents – especially when they explore identity, silence, and generational healing. 

It promises everything I love in multi-generational novels to read in winter 2025: emotion, beautiful writing, and strong women. 

I can’t wait to dive into Tina and Nancy’s relationship and see how buried truths come to light. 

It’s giving quiet power and real feelings and I just know it’s going to move me deeply.

The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick

Doesn’t this sound like a cozy hug in book form? I’m a sucker for uplifting magical realism books, and this one fits right into my 2025 winter TBR picks. 

Greta is stuck – her marriage, career, and connection with her daughter are fading. But when she finds a magical coffee shop, she’s whisked away into the ideal life she once played in commercials.

I love the idea of her getting to try on a perfect life only to learn that real life, imperfections and all, might be even better. 

There’s something really comforting about this story and how it reminds us we can always rewrite our lives. 

For anyone needing a warm, heartfelt read about second chances and self-worth, this is one to keep on your winter 2025 reading list.

Last Call at the Savoy by Brisa Carleton

This historical mystery set in a hotel is honestly everything I want this season. 

I’ve been craving something atmospheric and a little glamorous for my winter 2025 TBR, and this hits the mark. 

Cinnamon Scott is grieving, lost, and trying to feel again. When she visits her sister at The Savoy in London, she uncovers a forgotten story about Ada Coleman, the hotel’s first female bartender. 

I love when books mix past and present, and this one promises a powerful story about reclaiming voices erased from history. There’s even a little romance, which I never mind.

For fans of books about women in history, hidden stories, and a little healing along the way, this one feels like sipping something warm while it rains outside. I’m so eager to get lost in it.

Queen Esther by John Irving

I love stories that combine personal history with bigger historical truths, and Queen Esther is that kind of sweeping historical fiction for 2025. 

It revisits the world of The Cider House Rules but follows Esther Nacht, a Jewish girl orphaned by anti-Semitism and raised by a kind New England family. 

I’m really drawn to how this explores identity – especially as Esther grows up and carries her love for her adoptive family while still searching for her roots. 

I think this one will make me reflect a lot on belonging, gratitude, and the ways we carry our histories. 

If you like literary historical novels with strong female leads, this feels like an emotional journey worth taking. 

I’m so ready to be immersed in Esther’s world and all the questions it raises.

Deeper than the Ocean by Mirta Ojito

Set between the Canary Islands, Cuba, and modern-day America, this multi-generational novel about family secrets is perfect for my 2025-2026 winter reading list. 

Mara thinks she knows her family’s story until she finds out her great-grandmother was on a shipwreck decades before her mother was even born. 

I’m so into books that untangle mystery and history through a family lens, and this one looks beautifully written too. 

I’m expecting rich settings, emotional discoveries, and that slow-burn kind of beauty that leaves you thinking long after the final page. 

For readers who love historical family dramas that span continents, this one’s a must. I honestly can’t wait to fall into this one with a blanket and tea.

House of Day, House of Night by Olga Tokarczuk

This book feels like walking through a dream and I’m so curious about it. It’s not like anything else on my winter 2025 TBR. 

The story is made up of many smaller stories set in a little town in Poland, all woven together into something quietly magical and deep. 

I think I’ll enjoy how it connects tiny, personal details to big, universal truths. 

It’s definitely one of those literary books to read slowly and savor, and I’m excited (and a little nervous) to see how it all unfolds. 

It includes everything from gossip to recipes to folklore, which feels so unique.

For readers who love books about place and memory, this one seems like a thoughtful winter pick. I’m ready to get swept away into its quiet, strange beauty.

Lucky Seed by Justinian Huang

This chaotic, hilarious, and heartfelt saga is about the powerful Sun Clan in LA, where family drama explodes when the matriarch decides someone needs to have a male heir or else they’ll face haunting in the afterlife.

Honestly, this is giving dysfunctional family drama meets cultural tradition, and I’m so ready. 

I love that it combines modern life, ancient beliefs, wild secrets, and sharp humor, which are all things that make a story unforgettable. 

I’m especially curious about Wayward, the nephew caught in the middle, trying to make peace. It sounds like a messy, funny, emotional journey. 

For fans of books about Asian families with big secrets, this will be a wild ride on any 2026 winter reading list.

The Birdwatcher by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Felicity Wild is in prison for murder, but her childhood best friend Reenie believes she’s innocent and sets out to prove it. 

I love stories where friends go to great lengths for each other, especially when there’s mystery involved. 

I’m also drawn to how this explores the complexities of power, truth, and what we do to protect the people we love. 

If you’re looking for a character-driven crime novel for 2025, this is one to watch. 

I think it’ll keep me turning the pages and tug at my heart too. Plus, the whole I didn’t do it but maybe I’m not innocent either vibe is so compelling.

Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto

I adore Jesse Q. Sutanto, so this intergenerational queer love story is one of the books I’m most excited to read in winter 2025.

Izzy dreads her flashy family gatherings until her grandmother shows up with a surprise: a beautiful woman on her arm.

This sparks a heartfelt conversation between generations, and I’m honestly emotional just thinking about it. 

Magnolia’s story – her love, her struggles with identity, and all she lost – feels like it’ll be so moving and rich. 

I love how it shows the ripple effect of love across time and culture. 

If you’re into LGBTQ+ historical fiction with heart and hope, this is such a great pick. 

I’m ready to be swept away, cry a little, and finish the book feeling full. This one’s so special.

That’s a wrap on my winter TBR – I hope you found some books that spark your curiosity and fit perfectly with those cozy, reflective winter days. 

If you love diving into thoughtful stories, don’t forget to check out my related posts on cozy reading nook ideas and how to plan a bookish self-care day to make your winter reading even more special.