The 10 Best Books To Read In December

While we enjoy the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, let's be honest: All that festive fun can be overwhelming. That's why this is also our favorite time of year to retreat from it all and curl up with a great book.

If you're looking for that perfect page-turner, check out our holiday reading list. These books — a mix of picks from Patch staffers and Amazon editors — are the must-reads everyone will be talking about. From Lisa Jewell's latest thriller to J.K. Rowling's illustrated screenplay, there really is something for everyone. Happy reading!

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#1 "Milkman: A Novel" by Anna Burns

Middle sister has a way of standing out, even though all she wants is to blend in. She becomes very interesting, however, when a local paramilitary figure known as "the milkman" starts pursuing her. While middle sister tries to avoid him, rumors spread, and the threat of of violence lingers. In this wry, eye-opening book, we see how inaction can have big repercussions.

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#2 "One Day in December: A Novel" by Josie Silver

Laurie didn't believe in love at first sight — until she laid eyes on Jack. She sees him on a bus, but before she can speak, it drives away. She looks for him everywhere, only to be be formally introduced to him six months later as her best friend's new boyfriend. What follows is a decade of friendship, heartbreak, bad timing and "destinies reconsidered." After all the ups and downs, will fate bring Laurie and Jack together in the end? In this heartwarming book, the reader tags along with three friends on a windy road to romance.

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#3 "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" by J.K. Rowling

This second illustrated "Harry Potter" screenplay, includes beautiful art by Mina Lima, and provides in-depth background on earlier events that shaped the wizarding world. This book is an ultimate gift and collector's item for fans of J.K. Rowling's books and movies.

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Related: The Best Holiday Gifts For Book Lovers

#4 "Watching You: A Novel" by Lisa Jewell

Tom Fitzwilliam is the charming but unavailable headmaster of a posh school in Bristol. Tom's new neighbor, Joey Mullen, is infatuated with him, and she soon finds herself watching the respected academic around the clock. But as Joey and a few other neighbors begin to discover, the handsome headmaster isn't as wholesome as he appears to be. For fans of "Gone Girl" and "The Girl on the Train," this suspenseful thriller is a true must-read.

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#5 "Look Alive Twenty-Five: A Stephanie Plum Novel" by Janet Evanovich

If you're looking for a great sandwich, it's tough to beat the Red River Deli in Trenton. You might not want to work there, though, because over the last months, three of the store's managers have mysteriously disappeared. Police are baffled, but Stephanie Plum is on the case. She steps in as the new manager of the Red River Deli, but will she figure out what's going on or be the next employee to disappear?

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#6 "The Day the Sun Died" by Yan Lianke

Fourteen-year-old Li Niannian and his parents run a funeral parlor in a small mountain village in China. One evening, Li notices his neighbors taking to the streets and carrying on with their daily business like it's still daytime. Soon hundreds of residents are found "dream walking," and acting out all the desires they suppressed during their waking hours. Soon, the community is in chaos, and it's up to Li and his parents to save the town before the sun comes up.

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#7 "Target: Alex Cross" by James Patterson

A leader has fallen, and Alex Cross joins a procession of mourners from Capitol Hill to the White House. During this trek, a sniper's bullet strikes a target in the heart of D.C. Soon, there are snipers all over the city, and the president enlists the help of Alex Cross to keep the nation's capital safe. This fast-paced thriller is a page-turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

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#8 "How Long 'til Black Future Month?" by N. K. Jemisin

This collection of short fiction is thought-provoking and transformative. N. K. Jemisin takes readers to a parallel universe where a utopian society watches our world, aiming to learn from our mistakes. In another story, dragons and hateful spirits haunt the flooded streets of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. If you're looking for a unique, fascinating read, "How Long 'til Black Future Month?" is it.

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#9 "King of the Dinosaur Hunters: The Life of John Bell Hatcher and the Discoveries that Shaped Paleontology" by Lowell Dingus

John Bell Hatcher was a real-life Indiana Jones who played a vital role in our understanding of paleontology. The man who unearthed the bones and fossils of dinosaurs was every bit as fascinating as the prehistoric beasts themselves. This brilliant biography, written by acclaimed paleontologist Lowell Dingus, is a must-read for anyone interested in dinosaurs, natural history or discovery.

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#10 "Love à la Mode" by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Two American teen chefs meet in Paris while attending Denis Laurent's prestigious cooking school. While they're both overjoyed at the opportunity to learn from the best, they find themselves overwhelmed by the competitive nature of the program. In this young adult novel, love finds a way, and these teenage cooks fall madly for food, France and each other.

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Looking for even more great books? Check out last month's reading list!

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