There’s so much build-up to the holidays, but once December 25th has passed, it’s easy to fall into a bit of a lull during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Our answer is more reading, of course, and better yet, reading one of our favorite books about New Year’s Eve!
We rarely change out of our PJs, we live on leftovers, and there’s nothing we’d rather do than curl up on the couch with a good book. In preparation for this ultimate week of relaxation, we’ve compiled a list of novels set on New Year’s Eve, plus a few where the new year plays a pivotal role in the plot.
We’ve scoured our bookshelves and bookstores to track down the best New Year’s Eve books for adults, and they cover a wide range of genres. While you’ll find quite a few New Year’s Eve romance books on this list, it also includes historical fiction, mysteries and thrillers, magical realism, literary fiction, and even some YA picks.
Books With a Focus on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day
New York City, 1984 with flashbacks to 1930s-1980s
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
3.9 out of 5 96% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
It’s New Year’s Eve 1984, and 85-year-old Lillian Boxfish decides to walk all ten miles to the party she plans to attend. Along the way, she looks back over her long life in the city. Her walk is both a quintessential New Year’s Eve reminiscence and a love letter to New York City.
In the 1930s, Lillian was a copywriter at Macy’s and worked her way up to become one of the highest-paid ad women in the country. Throughout her life, she’s seen a lot in her changing city and country, from the Jazz Age to the onset of the AIDS epidemic and from the Great Depression to the birth of hip-hop.
Why This Book Made the List
Lillian’s walk across New York takes place on New Year’s Eve, giving the book an “end-of-an-era” tone. As she encounters signs of the city changing, it prompts memories of her life and career, for a looking back and starting over theme that is fitting for the holiday.
The night before Oona’s 19th birthday, on New Year’s Eve 1982, she’s struggling with a big decision. Should she go all-in on her commitment to her band and boyfriend or follow through with a long-time plan to study economics in London with her best friend?
Before she can go down either path, she wakes up on New Year’s Day. Except she’s now in the year 2014. Instead of being 19, Oona is suddenly 51. She continues to live her life out of order, traveling backward or forward each New Year, but never knowing what age she’ll be when she wakes up.
Our Thoughts On This Book
This book is only enjoyable if you’re willing to suspend your disbelief around the core concept that Oona wakes up a different age each year, and someone other than Oona also knows this happens to her. If you start questioning details, you’ll be taken out of the story. However, if you just go with it and stay engaged, it’s a fascinating premise and a great look at how technology has changed over time.
This New Year’s Eve novel is told through four interlinked perspectives: Ailish, her daughter Emmy, her mum Minnie, and Dario. Each POV reveals a piece of what’s been broken in the family, but also what could be fixed before midnight.
Ailish’s marriage fell apart due to her husband’s affair. She’s been hiding out ever since, but a friend is forcing her to finally face her new reality.
Emmy thought her boyfriend was nothing like her cheating father, but now she’s questioning the faith she’s put in him.
Grandmother Minnie is on a mission to deliver a special gift to a lifelong friend.
Dario has worked for the family business his whole life, but with the business in trouble, he feels out of options.
Thoughts On This Book
This entire novel takes place over a 24-hour period. Readers say that it’s filled with realistically flawed but likable characters and that it’s an enjoyable, uplifting journey.
Piper works as a personal assistant to Camille Laurent, a famous actress, but an awful human. One of her key responsibilities is text-flirting with Holden Archer on Camille’s behalf. Conveniently, while Camille may not be interested in Holden, Piper is – he’s long been her celebrity crush.
Camille is all about the optics, though, and wants to be seen spending a romantic New Year’s Eve with Holden, so she sends Piper ahead to set up a picture-perfect mountain cabin. But things take an awkward turn when Holden shows up early and catches Piper dancing her way around the cabin while drinking straight from a champagne bottle and (as if that weren’t bad enough) wearing a wedding dress that she found in a closet.
Cue a terrible snowstorm that prevents Camille from reaching the cabin and leaves Piper and Holden snowed in together for NYE.
About the Series
This is the final book in Kayley Loring’s Very Holiday series that also features steamy rom coms set around Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Father’s Day, and Halloween.
Readers are first introduced to a younger Piper in earlier books, but A Very Snowed In New Year is the first in which her character takes center stage, so it works well as a standalone if you don’t want to read the full series.
When the bride’s sister vanishes during a lavish New Year’s Eve wedding, Detective James Walker is called away from his holiday break to investigate.
Newlywed Libby was furious when her sister, Rachel, slipped out before the wedding breakfast speech, but when evening rolled around with no sign of the maid of honor, Libby realized something was terribly wrong. Before the wedding night is over, police are searching the lake for Rachel’s body.
About the Series
Each book in Alex Pine’s DI James Walker series is a police procedural with a fully contained case, so they can be read as standalones. However, the series does have recurring characters and Walker’s personal backstory develops over time, so if you read in order, you’ll catch references to earlier investigations and his home life.
In 1990, Minnie & Quinn were born in the same hospital on New Year’s Day. Quinn was born just before Minnie, earning him the prize for the first baby of the year in London. From that day forward, Minnie has had terrible luck, especially on each birthday.
When Minnie & Quinn run into each other on their 30th birthdays, she sees that her hunch was correct, and Quinn has continued to have more than his fair share of good luck. But it turns out this isn’t actually the first time their paths have crossed. As the reader, you’ll travel back through all their chance encounters over the years.
Thoughts On This Book
While the book is largely a British rom-com, there’s also a deeper element as Minnie confronts her lifelong view that she is and will always be unlucky.
Quincy feels like she’s acquired a lifetime of unfinished challenges, but it’s time to start checking them off one by one. The first is the biggest – she’s temporarily moving to New York with her childhood best friend, Brynn.
As Quincy tries to complete other resolutions, from running a marathon to learning to cook French cuisine, she discovers new strengths, skills, and confidence. And she rediscovers Brynn’s older brother, who’s still swoon-level cute.
What to Expect in This Book
Readers call this a “clean and heartwarming romance,” but it’s also a great read about finding yourself and the power of new beginnings. While
Rhys Lloyd has a vacation home on Mirror Lake on the border between Wales and England. He’s generously invited the whole village over for New Year’s Eve, but by midnight, Rhys will be dead. And by morning, every one of his guests is a suspect.
Detective Ffion Morgan must determine which of her neighbors is guilty, but she also has secrets of her own to protect. As she uncovers lie after lie, the question is no longer who wanted Rhys dead but rather who finally killed him.
About the Series
The DC Morgan Series is a character-driven Welsh crime series that mixes police procedural elements with small-community secrets and Morgan’s complicated personal life.
The crime at the center of The Last Party is fully resolved by the end of the book so that it can be read as a standalone. It does, however, plant ongoing threads that continue into later books, rewarding readers who continue the series.
It’s 1927, and mystery writer Marius Quin is behind on his mortgage and struggling with his next book. When his friend, Lady Isabella, invites him to a New Year’s Eve party, he’s happy for the distraction from his life. He heads to the opulent Everham Hall with his basset hound by his side.
The celebrations include fireworks, champagne, and…a murder. The police can’t reach the estate due to heavy snowfall, so Marius is nominated as the closest person to a detective. But as he sets out to solve his first real-life case, he learns that it’s even harder to solve mysteries than to write them. Can he figure out the killer before he becomes the next victim?
About the Series
The Marius Quin Mystery Series is a 1920s-set cozy line starring a mystery novelist with writer’s block who keeps stumbling into real murders at lavish English settings. Each book offers a self-contained whodunit with classic country-house vibes, colorful suspects, and light humor. Each subsequent book adds to Marius’s character development, but all can be enjoyed as standalones.
James has his mind on his career as a newly appointed judge. While visiting Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve, he runs into Summer. She’s just discovered her fiancé was cheating on her, and he’s in the right place at the right time to console her.
Because they have to return home to their normal lives despite their undeniable connection, they vow to meet again in Vegas the next New Year’s Eve. Between meetings, their relationship grows through monthly letters.
Consider This Before Reading
Keep in mind that this is a New Year’s Eve romance originally released in 1995, so some say it feels outdated at times. But if you prefer the classic romance genre over contemporary, it might be perfect!
Master Quilter Sylvia Compson has discovered that it’s never too late in life to find love. This story takes place over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, beginning with Sylvia and Andrew’s festive surprise wedding at Elm Creek Manor. The newlyweds are very happy, but Andrew’s adult children are less than thrilled with the marriage. As the story progresses, the family conflict brings back many memories for Sylvia of the estrangement within her own family’s past.
This light and cozy read reflects on many New Year’s traditions celebrated by Sylvia and her ancestors and also includes many well-researched details about the history of quilt-making.
About the Series
This is book 11 in the Elm Creek Quilts series, but readers (and the author) say that you can pick up any one of the books out of order without feeling lost. However, keep in mind that while each story stands alone, some characters are consistent between books, so their current circumstances may be spoilers for earlier books.
For ten years, a group of now 30-something friends has met to ring in the New Year together. This year, they’re traveling to an isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands.
The vacation begins on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard separates them from the rest of the world. However, by New Year’s Day, secret resentments will have reached a breaking point, and one of them will be dead.
Thoughts On This Book
This book is described as perfect for fans of Agatha Christie-style mysteries.
Lucy and her daughter have won a trip to New York City for New Year’s makeovers from a fashion magazine. However, in the midst of their whirlwind introduction to the high-pressure world, fashion editor Nadine mysteriously dies.
Lucy is on the case when her daughter begins to experience the same symptoms. Suddenly, it’s even more vital to find the culprit.
About the Series
Although this is book 12 in the long-running Lucy Stone series, it’s also a perfect standalone if you’re looking for a cozy mystery to read between holidays.
Sophie is an intern at a grand but aging hotel in the Swiss Alps. There’s an annual New Year’s Eve Ball that brings back the glory days. Sophie frantically prepares to make sure the event goes flawlessly.
But when the guests arrive, they bring unexpected problems. In fact, many of them aren’t even who they say they are!
Thoughts On This Book
If you’re open to YA books about New Year’s Eve, this mystery will take you right into a winter wonderland!
Phoebe, the youngest of four siblings, is tired of being seen as the family’s lovable mess, and she has a special mission this holiday season. She needs to get Steve, a rescue puppy meant as a surprise for her nieces, from London to her sister’s family in Devon in the next 24 hours. That task would be a lot easier if her car hadn’t just broken down. Luckily, her sister’s house sitter has one!
Joshua is a mathematician visiting from New York to focus on his work and heal his broken heart. He has no interest in driving a disturbingly cheerful stranger and a howling dog through a blizzard on Christmas Eve. But Phoebe is very persuasive, and somewhere between a snowball fight and a snowed-in night in a shepherd’s hut, the ice between them starts to melt.
What to Expect in This Book
This laugh-out-loud grumpy/sunshine romance goes beyond Christmas in England and includes a magical trip to NYC for New Year’s Eve. Readers can’t stop raving about Steve the dog, who steals every scene.
While the overall vibe is light-hearted fun, there are some deeper topics woven in. There is also one open-door bedroom scene.
Sabrina Post is a 26-year-old struggling writer who arrives at the Plaza Hotel to begin her next gig: ghostwriting a memoir for a famous art dealer. It’s a dream job – she gets her own suite and a big paycheck! Her week gets even more magical when she finds out the art dealer once worked for the author of the Eloise books, Kay Thompson.
Throw in a member of the British aristocracy that Sabrina meets at the hotel bar, and you have the perfect heartwarming holiday read!
Why We Think You’ll Love It
Despite the title, this book actually takes place during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. While it features many of the quintessential NYC Christmas activities, it culminates with a glamorous New Year’s Eve gala.
Fans of Fiona Davis novels will love this book! Like many of Davis’ books with an NYC landmark building at their center, the Plaza Hotel is like a character in the story. You’ll learn so much about the history and architecture of this grand hotel. We also love books that feature characters interacting with real authors, and this holiday novel has a dual timeline with a historical fiction story that introduces us to the author of the famed Eloise books.
On New Year’s Eve in 1999, no one was certain what to expect. Would the Y2K bug cause a digital apocalypse? While that didn’t happen, in Linden, New Jersey, four teenage girls were attacked at a Blockbuster. Only one survived.
Fifteen years later, four teenage employees were attacked at an ice cream shop. Again, only one survived. But survivors remember the killer saying the same words.
The second attack brings the first back to mind and causes three lives to intersect – the survivor of the Blockbuster massacre, the brother of the original suspect, and an FBI agent determined to solve both cases.
Recognition for This Book
The Night Shift was a 2022 Goodreads Choice Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Mystery & Thriller.
Eva has defied the odds in 1940s Washington, DC. At only 24 and as a Black woman in the Jim Crow era, she owns a very successful upscale restaurant. As 1947 comes to an end, she hosts an integrated New Year’s Eve party that challenges segregation laws to welcome 1948. One of the attendees is Courtland, a wealthy, white senator from Georgia. When they lock eyes across the room, sparks fly instantly.
However, a relationship between them could challenge everything they have both worked so hard for. Courtland is already under pressure from his family and constituents for his liberal ideals, and his family has a line of smiling debutantes waiting for him on every visit. Eva has seen what happened to her family after both her mother and grandmother fell in love with white men. Is their love worth the loss of their dreams?
Thoughts On This Book
While the NYE party early in the book plays an important role, the story then moves forward throughout 1948.
Beth Is Dead is a modern take on Little Women set in present-day Concord. On New Year’s Day, Beth is found dead in the snowy woods, and her three surviving sisters vow to find the person responsible. Months earlier, their father published a controversial bestseller about his own daughters, and in that book Beth is the sister who doesn’t survive. Now that the story has come true, the family is in the public eye, and plenty of people have a reason to resent them. Beth’s own voice comes through in flashbacks that run alongside her sisters’ increasingly tense investigation.
There are plenty of suspects, from the neighbor with feelings for two of the girls to Amy’s flirtatious mentor and Beth’s lionhearted first love. However, the sisters don’t have to dig far before they find motives within their own family. Jo is an aspiring author with a huge social media following who would do anything to hook readers. Amy needs money from their aunt to study art in Europe, and that money has always been meant for Beth. Meg would never hurt her sister, but she will protect her boyfriend at all costs. As suspicion spreads through the family, the Marches must decide how far they can trust one another before the tragedy tears them apart.
Reader Thoughts on This Book
Readers who loved this book praise its long list of suspects, its red herrings, and the short chapters that make it hard to stop reading. Many were surprised by how emotional it got, especially in Beth’s flashback chapters. However, readers who are devoted to Little Women are the most divided. Some love the clever callbacks, while others feel the modern versions of the sisters lose what made the originals special.
If you enjoy audiobooks, reviewers often note the full-cast recording of Beth Is Dead being great.
Sadie’s big mouth cost her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend all in one fell swoop. While she doesn’t usually believe in magic, she’s desperate to fix her ruined life. So, when a fortune teller gives her one wish, she asks to redo her entire year. Sadly, when she opens her eyes, nothing has changed. She’s so out of sorts that she makes another questionable move and kisses her brother’s best friend, Jacob.
When Sadie wakes up the next morning, she’s shocked to find that it’s January 1st…of last year. Her old boyfriend is in her apartment, and her boss expects her at work. As the year progresses, she begins to wonder if her only mistake was wishing for a second chance.
This dark and witty novel about the Winter family follows their dissolution after a line is crossed at matriarch Maren Winter’s annual New Year’s Eve party.
Maren is a world-renowned restaurateur who leads an empire, but is close to retirement. Her three daughters all work for her and watch closely for the chance to step into her powerful role. Will one of them prevail, or will their narcissistic mother continue making their lives difficult?
Consider This Before Reading
This character-driven book is full of unlikeable people, so skip it if you prefer more relatable characters. On the flip side, if you enjoy the family drama and cutthroat, dysfunctional personalities on Succession, this could be a fun read.
Iris, a young chef, grew up in London watching nostalgic movies set in New York with her mom while eating their special homemade gelato, a secret recipe. Now an adult, Iris didn’t fully grasp the scale of Manhattan before moving there to restart her life. She’s ready to hide away instead of exploring her new home, but her BFF Bobby drags her to a street fair in Little Italy instead. She’s surprised when she sees a little family-run gelateria that looks just like one in a photo her mom had.
She returns to the shop to find a handsome man, Gio, who shares that the shop is in danger of closing. His uncle kept all the recipes secret, but he’s in a coma, and they haven’t been able to make any more. When Iris samples the last batch of vanilla gelato, she knows it’s her mother’s recipe. She volunteers to help Gio restore their business and finds that they have chemistry outside the kitchen as well. But when his uncle finally wakes up, everything she has built is at risk.
Thoughts On This Book
Set in New York between Halloween and New Year’s Eve, this book is perfect to pick up anytime throughout the holiday season. Readers say that fans of Katherine Center and Emily Henry may enjoy this holiday novel by the author of One Day in December and The Two Lives of Lydia Bird.
The Cunha family has been overwhelmed with misfortune for generations. Grandfather João was born to a prostitute and had to raise his siblings when he was still a child himself. His daughter, Maria, was so envious of her younger sister that she took vicious revenge and then fled to the States, abandoning her children: Daniel and Lucia.
As a New Year’s Eve party on Brazil’s Copacabana Beach approaches, Daniel feels the weight of the family’s misfortune. His grandfather João has passed away, his pregnant girlfriend has dumped him, and the family matriarch is returning to Brazil…and bringing old family secrets with her. In Rio, there is rampant poverty, political unrest, and the ever-present threat of violence. Can this family finally be repaired with so many challenges surrounding them?
Translated from German, this book will transport you to Hamburg. The main character, Jonathan, is wealthy, driven by routine, and avoids all kinds of relationships. On New Year’s Day, he finds a planner while jogging. The first page says “Your Perfect Year,” and the dates for the upcoming year are marked with handwritten notes, like “eat cake until it makes us ill.” Jonathan can’t help but follow the plans as he tries to find the planner’s owner.
Alternating chapters feature Hannah, who is launching a brand new business with her best friend and waiting for her boyfriend to propose.
Thoughts On This Book
This book is not as light as the cover implies and contains themes of suicide. There are, however, light moments in between serious topics.
If you are looking for a book that’s not focused on the traditional elements of New Year’s Eve, this could be the perfect pick. Anxious People takes place all in one day – the day before New Year’s Eve – in a small town in Sweden.
A failed bank robber stumbles into an apartment open house and inadvertently holds hostage a group of strangers. The eclectic group of captives may just be the worst hostages in the world, and none of them is who they appear to be. Throughout the ordeal, they divulge secrets, form allegiances, and set into motion a chain of events so unexpected that, when questioned by the police, they can hardly explain what happens next.
Why This Book Made the List
We both love all of Fredrik Backman’s books, and Anxious People, with its quirky characters and witty prose, is no exception. Backman has such a knack for writing that is both entertaining and gets right to the heart of the matter!
Although this book doesn’t have a strong connection to the holiday, we figure this is the perfect excuse to read it if it’s already on your TBR.
The film adaptation of this book is currently in the works, with an all-star cast that includes Angelina Jolie and Jason Segel. Several articles, however, indicate that the film’s time setting may be changed to the day before Christmas Eve rather than New Year’s Eve.
Alex is the early 20-something son of the first female US President, and Prince Henry is the 2nd in line to the British throne. Alex considers Henry his nemesis, and the two get into an embarrassing scuffle during a royal wedding.
Both sides develop a damage control plan. In order to calm the press and convince them that the sons of the US and the UK aren’t foes, Alex and Henry agree to make public appearances as friends over the course of several months. After spending more time together and exchanging many amusing text messages, Alex realizes there is more to Henry than he assumed.
Soon, the relationship between Alex and Henry begins to feel real – and it all begins with a New Year’s Eve kiss!
On New Year’s Eve 1937, 25-year-old Katey Kontent has a chance encounter with a handsome banker in a Greenwich Village jazz bar. She suddenly finds herself thrust into a yearlong journey into high society, where she must rely on her bracing wit and calm nerves.
Thoughts On This Book
This is a slow read, but if you enjoy character-driven novels, you may be drawn in by the characters and the sparkling depiction of New York’s social strata. As one review put it, “If a novel could win an award for best cinematography, this would take home the gold.”
After disgracing themselves at a high society New Year’s Eve party in Philadelphia in 1944, Madeline Hyde and her husband, Ellis, are financially cut off by his father. Ellis decides that the only way to regain his father’s favor is to succeed in a venture his father famously attempted and failed at…the hunt for the Loch Ness monster.
He believes that if he can find the monster, he can restore his father’s good name. Ellis, Maddie, and their wealthy friend Hank make their way to Scotland
As the two men go off to hunt the monster each day, Maddie is alone in a foreign country. This novel focuses more on her experiences in Scotland during WWII and offers a glimpse into daily life marked by rationing and air raids.
Why This Book Made the List
The New Year’s Eve party and its aftermath play a very prominent role in the early chapters of this historical fiction novel by the author of Water for Elephants.
For many people, the new year is a time for a fresh start. Bridget Jones begins her diary on New Year’s Day with a list of her New Year’s Resolutions, divided into two columns: “I Will” and “I Will Not.” She’s convinced that she’ll finally be happy if she can lose 7 pounds, stop smoking, develop a functional relationship with a responsible adult, and learn to program her VCR.
In her determined quest for self-improvement, Bridget then chronicles her daily successes and (more often) her perceived failures. Her diary entries are “devastatingly self-aware” and laugh-out-loud funny!
Our Thoughts On This Book
You may be familiar with the movie, but the book is where it all began. This is the perfect New Year’s book if you are in the mood for something light and humorous with a whole lot of heart. One thing is for sure: you won’t feel alone if you can’t keep all of your New Year’s resolutions.
This book is very reflective of the 1990s obsession with dieting and weight loss. While much of it is tongue-in-cheek humor, beyond the surface, it’s an interesting comparison to the more body-positive books we see now.
If you enjoy Bridget’s adventures, there are three more books in the series.
Delilah is shy and has chronic migraines, yet she is also the lead singer of a punk band. On the night of her first show, she meets Reggie, who usually plays D&D and writes anonymously about the lack of BIPOC representation in the game.
Delilah & Reggie don’t seem to have much in common, so they go their separate ways after a brief chat. But then they run into each other again on Valentine’s Day…and St. Patrick’s Day. Is the universe pushing them together for a reason?
Consider This Before Reading
This book starts on New Year’s Eve and continues as the main characters have chance meetings on other holidays throughout the year. The story is told from dual points of view.
The romance sections are clean, but swearing is used throughout, so skip this one if you’re sensitive to language.
Are Any of These Books Included With Kindle Unlimited (KU)?
While we can never promise a given book is included with KU as availability can change daily, the following titles have been included in the past and are a good place to start if you’re looking for a KU option.
Is there a book that takes place entirely on New Year’s Eve?
Yes, and we have a few favorites. One Midnight With You unfolds over a single 24-hour period ending at midnight, and Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk follows one woman’s walk across Manhattan on New Year’s Eve 1984. If you prefer a little danger with your countdown, The Last Party opens with a New Year’s Eve gathering where the host ends up dead by midnight.
Which New Year’s Eve romance books are the most fun to read?
For a swoony, lighthearted pick, start with A Very Snowed In New Year, a forced proximity rom-com about a personal assistant stranded in a mountain cabin with her celebrity crush. This Time Next Year follows two people born on the same New Year’s Day whose paths keep crossing, and Same Time, Next Year is a classic romance about a couple who meet in Vegas every New Year’s Eve. Red, White & Royal Blue also earns a spot, since its central romance starts with a New Year’s Eve kiss.
What are the best mysteries set around New Year’s Eve?
If you love a closed-circle whodunit, The Hunting Party traps a group of old friends at an isolated Scottish estate during a blizzard. Cozy mystery fans should try Murder at Everham Hall, a 1920s country house mystery, or New Year’s Eve Murder from the Lucy Stone series. For a darker police procedural, The Winter Killer begins with a bridesmaid disappearing during a New Year’s Eve wedding.
Are there any good New Year’s books for teens and YA readers?
Absolutely. Beth Is Dead reimagines Little Women as a modern murder mystery that begins on New Year’s Day, and A Castle in the Clouds takes place at a grand Swiss hotel during its annual New Year’s Eve Ball. For a YA romance, Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling starts on New Year’s Eve and follows two teens who keep running into each other on holidays all year long.
What should I read for a fresh start in January?
New beginnings are the heart of several books on this list. In The Second Chance Year, a woman gets to redo her entire year, and Your Perfect Year follows a man who finds a planner full of someone else’s plans for the year ahead. New York, New Year, New You is a feel-good story about checking off long-abandoned goals, and Bridget Jones’s Diary opens with Bridget’s famously ambitious list of resolutions.
Which historical fiction books feature a New Year’s Eve celebration?
Rules of Civility begins on New Year’s Eve 1937 with a chance meeting in a Greenwich Village jazz bar, and At the Water’s Edge kicks off with a disastrous New Year’s Eve party in 1940s Philadelphia. The Light Always Breaks centers on an integrated New Year’s Eve party hosted by a young Black restaurant owner in Washington, DC.
Which of these books would make a good book club pick?
We think Anxious People is a fantastic choice for book clubs, with quirky characters and plenty of heart to discuss. Rules of Civility and Family Reservations also give groups a lot to talk about, from 1930s New York society to a cutthroat family business.
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The Book Girls are best friends who jointly read over 200 books per year. We started Book Girls' Guide in 2019 to help others de-stress and find joy through the power of a great book. We do in-depth research on thousands of novels and non-fiction titles each year to provide curated book lists covering a variety of genres.
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“A Magical New York Christmas” was made into a Hallmark movie this year! It was fun! They changed the name to “A Suite Holiday Romance.” Anyway just thought people might be interested in that 🙂
I think Something from Tiffany’s by Melissa Hill can be added to the New Years challenge. I’m reading it now. It’s a different type of book than I normally read, but I’m really enjoying it.
I was surprised to see that I had already read two books on the list Royal Holiday and The New Year’s Quilt. So I will probably go with Your Perfect Year.
I’m not generally a rom-com reader, but was in the mood after a heavier tome. This Time Next Year was the perfect choice – it’s absolutely charming! And the list reminded me to re-read Bridget Jones – such a fun book.
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“A Magical New York Christmas” was made into a Hallmark movie this year! It was fun! They changed the name to “A Suite Holiday Romance.” Anyway just thought people might be interested in that 🙂
That is fun, thank you for sharing!
I think Something from Tiffany’s by Melissa Hill can be added to the New Years challenge. I’m reading it now. It’s a different type of book than I normally read, but I’m really enjoying it.
Thanks for letting us know! We love a good book set in NYC at the holidays!
I was surprised to see that I had already read two books on the list Royal Holiday and The New Year’s Quilt. So I will probably go with Your Perfect Year.
I’m not generally a rom-com reader, but was in the mood after a heavier tome. This Time Next Year was the perfect choice – it’s absolutely charming! And the list reminded me to re-read Bridget Jones – such a fun book.