Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar 2025

Winter has a way of sharpening our curiosity.

As the world outside grows quieter, many of us feel an unexpected pull inward — toward ideas, questions, and reflections that don’t compete for attention, but reward it patiently. This is often when non-fiction finds us.

I used to think of non-fiction as something best suited to brighter months: train journeys, summer mornings, purposeful reading time. But over the years, I’ve noticed something different. In winter, non-fiction feels less like work and more like companionship.

Perhaps it’s the slower pace. Perhaps it’s the long evenings. Or perhaps it’s simply that winter gives us permission to think more deeply without having to hurry toward conclusions.

Winter nonfiction does not shout.
It speaks quietly and stays awhile.

These are the books that sit comfortably beside a lamp and a warm drink. They don’t demand that you read quickly or remember everything. They allow for pauses. They welcome re-reading. They are perfectly content to be dipped into and returned to over days or weeks.

Today, on Day 11 of our Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar, I invite you to choose a non-fiction book not because you should read it — but because you want to keep it close this season. Something thoughtful. Something nourishing. Something that feels like a winter conversation rather than a lecture.

📚 Today’s Reading Picks — “The Winter Non-fiction List”

Reflective, accessible non-fiction for quiet days:

• At Home — Bill Bryson
• The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse — Charlie Mackesy
• H is for Hawk — Helen Macdonald
• The Comfort Book — Matt Haig

These books don’t rush you. They meet you where you are.

You can explore the full Advent Calendar titles here:
👉 Explore the Advent Calendar collection on Bookshop.org

And if you’d like to continue gently into the season:
👉 Visit the Reading-for-Pleasure Starter Shelf

• A Man Called Ove — Fredrik Backman: Short chapters, deep heart, unforgettable payoff.
• Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine — Gail Honeyman– Relatable loneliness, gentle humour and hope
• The Reading List — Sara Nisha Adams: A love letter to books for non-readers.
• Before the Coffee Gets Cold — Toshikazu Kawaguchi – Short, magical and deeply satisfying.
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — Mark Haddon: Fast, different and instantly engaging.
• Remarkably Bright Creatures — Shelby Van Pelt: An octopus narrator that wins over even non-readers.
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry — Rachel Joyce: Simple premise, quietly transformative.
• The Outsiders — S.E. Hinton: Fast, emotional and accessible at any age.
• Sapiens — Yuval Noah Harari: Big ideas, conversational tone.
• Educated — Tara Westover: Compulsive, human and inspiring.
• Born a Crime — Trevor Noah:  Laugh-out-loud storytelling with substance.
• The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind — William Kamkwamba: Short, hopeful and deeply motivating.
• Atomic Habits — James Clear:  Bite-sized, practical and confidence-boosting.
• How to Stop Time — Matt Haig: Gentle fantasy with emotional pull.
• Tuesdays with Morrie — Mitch Albom: Short, meaningful and accessible.

This winter, let your curiosity wander slowly.
Let ideas unfold at their own pace.
And let nonfiction become a place of warmth, not effort.