The weather is dropping and the days are getting shorter. What better way to enjoy these upcoming winter months than grabbing a good book, some hot chocolate, and getting lost in the pages of a story that transports you to another world. Whether it’s a thrilling mystery, a heartwarming romance, or an inspiring memoir, winter is the perfect season to slow down, savor the warmth, and let your imagination wander.

To help you in this endeavor, our community engagement team has compiled a list of books that GPB staff has read throughout the year and recommend for your 2026 winter reading list! Check them out below: 

  • Flight Path by Hannah Palmer 

    Why do you love this book?

    The author is trying to reconnect with her family homes in Mountain View, Ga., one of the communities cut up by the Atlanta airport as it expanded. Her ability to weave the history of the southern part of the city into her personal journey was remarkable. It's a beautiful read about an unfortunate and largely erased history of Atlanta. Since my parents grew up in College Park and were also displaced, her story felt resonated with me. 

    - Will Nunnally, Videographer and Editor

  • The Name of This Band is R.E.M. by  Peter Ames Carlin

    Why do you love this book?

    Growing up in Georgia, I've enjoyed this band's music since middle school and I learned some things I didn't know and got to relive some of the history I was too young to witness. Narrative Edge had an episode about this book too: https://www.gpb.org/blogs/narrative-edge/2025/01/28/the-name-of-band-rem-by-peter-ames-carlin. 

    -Ja'net Ridgell, Senior Platform Engineer

  • The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

    Why do you love this book?

    This was a beautiful story about the friendship between two girls as they grow up in the backdrop of political unrest in Iran in the 1950's.  The descriptions of food and culture is so vivid, it's like painting a picture while reading.

    - Amanda Densmore, Director of Community Engagement

  •  The Witch in the Tower by Júlia Sardà

    Why do you love this book?

    The illustrations by the author are mesmerizing and I immediately knew it was the type of book I would have spent hours staring into as a young reader.  The story is ultimately one of self-acceptance and, in reading it with my niece (7), opened up conversations about embracing her own uniqueness and the challenges she is facing just being a kiddo. 

    - Carrie Christie, Manager Individual Giving & Fundraising Produce

  • The road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

    Why do you love this book?

    The book is whimsical without being sappy. This put-together family of mismatched, broken people goes on one of the funniest and heartwarming road trips ever. Also, I listened to it while driving down to Florida with my girlfriend, so it fits.

    - Mark Davenport, Audio Engineer

  • The Small and The Mighty by Sharon McMahon

    Why do you love this book?

    Non-Fiction, but reads like a novel. Sharon tells the story of 12 ordinary Americans who changed US history, and the book is so full of hope about how our small actions can make mighty changes for good. You learn a lot and end very inspired!

    - Becca Hogue, Senior Director of Development

  • Fallout by Lesley M.M. Blume

    Why do you love this book?

    Fascinating to learn about how John Hersey did the reporting to publish "Hiroshima," without which we may never have learned about the horror of the atomic bomb.

    - Will Nunnally, Videographer and Editor

  • There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian Goldstone

    Why do you love this book?

    It was an eye opening look into the working unhoused people in the US.

    -Erik Etheridge, Transmitter Engineer II

  • The Hollow by Agatha Christie

    Why do you love this book?

    In addition to a wonderful mystery with a twist ending I did not see coming, the exploration of mental health through the lens of the 1940s and the introduction of early forensic science, particularly in regards to weaponry,  was fascinating. 

    - Alex Fincher, Multi-Media Platform Coordinator 

  • Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

    Why do you love this book?

    Amazing sci fi world building that goes places you'd never thought it would. Part species evolution, part survival voyage.

    - Jake Troyer, Business Intelligence Analyst

  • The Women by Kristin Hannah

    Why do you love this book?

    This was such a great novel based on actual events during the Vietnam War. The strong and powerful women in the story were inspirational in their commitment to each other, their families, and their country. I learned a lot about Vietnam and was inspired to research further! 

    - Emmalee Hackshaw, Chief Development and Engagement Officer

  • Blindsight by Peter Watts

    Why do you love this book?

    Interesting exploration of different ways of thinking and the nature of consciousness. 

    - Aliya Cooper, Communications and Development Coordinator

  • The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church  by Sarah McCammon

    Why do you love this book?

    I'm not sure "favorite" is the right word for this book, though it's fabulously written and quite moving in spots. I'm choosing it because of how eye-opening it was for me, illuminating an entire sizable, important subculture about which I knew little. It expanded my world and stuck with me.

    - Sarah Zaslaw, Music Director