As winter break draws near, many of us are looking forward to relaxing as we get ready for the new year. What better way to unwind than to curl up with a good book? We polled Temple Libraries staff members for the books they recommend you check out this winter:

I recommend The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. You might know Atwood from The Handmaid’s Tale, but The Blind Assassin is by far my favorite of her novels. It’s a story within a story within a story. There might even be another story in there. It’s genre-bending, hard to classify, and the more I write about it, the more I think I’m due for a re-read.
—Beckie Dashiell, Editor, Library Outreach and Communications

I recently read The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett and thought it was such a page-turner. I always love a novel that pulls you into its world so much that you are still thinking about it even while you are not actively reading, and The Vanishing Half did that for me.
—Geneva Heffernan, Lead Administrative Specialist, Library Outreach and Communications
(Bonus: This ebook is available through the Libraries.)

I would recommend Useful Phrases for Immigrants, a short story collection by May-lee Chai. Temple University Press published her memoir, Hapa Girl, back in 2007 and I’ve followed her writing ever since. I particularly love short stories so I devoured this collection. Chai’s writing is so precise and emotional. She freights so much meaning and reveals telling details about her characters, sometimes in a single sentence. And I love that the collection provides so many vivid characters.
—Gary Kramer, Publicity Manager, Temple University Press

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer—A collection of essays on how botany and the teachings of Native America are connected. I particularly loved the traditional story of the three sisters (corn, squash, beans) and how that story is reflected in the garden (each helps the other grow) as well as supporting the body nutritionally. Kimmerer teaches at the SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry and is also a member of the Potawatomi tribe. 
—Nancy Turner, Associate Director for Organizational Research and Strategy Alignment
(Bonus: Another ebook that’s available through the Libraries.)

I picked up Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid because another library staff member was reading it, and then couldn’t put it down. The novel takes place in Philly and the protagonist is a Temple alum, so reading it felt like a little local scavenger hunt. It also provides a really nuanced depiction of race, class, and privilege, and manages to do so with a lightness that still makes it—forgive me—such a fun read. 
—Sara Wilson, Assistant Director, Outreach and Communications
(Bonus: This ebook is available too!)

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. This book quickly became possibly one of the best books I have ever read. I describe it as a mix of Agatha Christie and Groundhog Day. This book is full of twists and turns and I literally couldn’t put it down! Highly recommend if you like mystery, historical fiction, a twist of sci-fi, intrigue, and fast paced writing.
—Carly Hustedt, Bibliographic Assistant II, Access Services

Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson. A wonderful book which is little known in this country: “one of the defining masterpieces of modern nature writing…that seeks to transcend the boundaries between the human and the animal worlds.” —New York Review Books (NYRB)
—Gregory McKinney, Librarian