Quick Facts
- The Winter 2025 Curated List: Features 14 essential titles ranging from culinary memoirs to evocative literary fiction.
- Global Perspective: Over 40% of this season's selections are set internationally, transporting readers to South Korea, France, and the Arctic.
- Genre Balance: A perfect 50/50 split between deeply personal non-fiction memoirs and immersive, world-building fiction.
- Top Recommendation for Foodies: The Pairing by Casey McQuiston—a wine-soaked, three-week European odyssey.
- Literary Milestone: Includes We Do Not Part by 2024 Nobel Prize winner Han Kang.
Introduction: Your Winter Escape Through Pages
As the mercury drops and the days shorten into indigo twilights, the concept of "armchair travel" ceases to be a mere metaphor and becomes a necessary ritual. There is a specific, tactile joy in being swaddled in a cashmere throw, a steaming cup of Earl Grey within reach, while your mind wanders through the snowy alleyways of Jeju Island or the sun-dappled vineyards of Provence. This winter, the Women Who Travel Book Club has curated a list that acts as a passport, offering an escape when the physical world feels small and frozen.
Our Winter 2025 selection is perhaps our most ambitious yet. We have intentionally balanced the scales, offering a 50/50 split between raw, unfiltered memoirs and lushly imagined fiction. More than ever, we are looking outward; over 40% of these titles are rooted in international soil, reflecting a global tapestry of stories that range from the French countryside to the rugged, breathtaking wilderness of Alaska. Whether you are seeking the "best memoirs to read in Winter 2025"—which undoubtedly include Ina Garten’s triumphant life story, Lola Kirke’s bohemian New York, and Vera Blossom’s radical coming-of-age—or you want to lose yourself in an award-winning literary masterpiece like Han Kang's latest, this list is your compass for the season.
Unfiltered Memoirs: Lessons in Luck and Resilience
There is something inherently communal about a memoir; it is an invitation into a stranger’s kitchen, a seat at their table. This winter, we find ourselves drawn to voices that speak of resilience with a wink and a glass of wine.
Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
For those of us who have spent years watching the "Barefoot Contessa" effortlessly whisk vinaigrettes in her East Hampton kitchen, this memoir is the ultimate "behind-the-scenes" access. Ina Garten chronicles her improbable journey from working on nuclear energy policy in the White House to becoming the doyenne of American home cooking. It is a story of pivots and bravery, written with the same warmth and clarity she brings to her recipes.
- Genre: Culinary Memoir
- Location: Washington D.C. & The Hamptons, NY
- Price: $21.00 (Hardcover)
Editor’s Vibe: It feels like a long, lingering lunch with a mentor who tells you exactly how to navigate life’s curveballs—with a side of perfectly roasted chicken.
Wild West Village by Lola Kirke
Lola Kirke, the actress and musician, delivers what we call a "snacky read." Growing up in a legendary rock-and-roll family in the heart of New York’s West Village, Kirke’s writing is punchy, hilarious, and deeply nostalgic for a New York that feels like it’s slipping away. It’s a love letter to the chaos of a bohemian upbringing.
- Genre: Personal Memoir
- Location: West Village, New York City
- Price: $28.00
Editor’s Vibe: Fast-paced and electric; it’s the literary equivalent of a late-night walk through Greenwich Village.
How to Fuck Like a Girl by Vera Blossom
Vera Blossom offers a bold, poetic manifesto that is as raunchy as it is tender. As a trans-woman of color navigating the complexities of late-stage capitalism and modern romance, Blossom’s voice is essential and refreshing. It is a coming-of-age story that refuses to play by the rules, demanding to be read in one sitting.
- Genre: LGBTQ+ Memoir / Essays
- Location: Various U.S. Cities
- Price: $26.00
Editor’s Vibe: A fierce, unapologetic exploration of identity that leaves you feeling both seen and challenged.
Immersive Fiction: Food, Love, and Faraway Lands
If memoirs provide the map, fiction provides the scenery. This season’s picks are tactile and sensory, particularly for the traveler who views a destination through its menu.
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
If you are asking which book is best for food and travel lovers, look no further. The Pairing is a "food-filled Euro-trip" that follows two exes who accidentally end up on the same three-week culinary tour through Italy, France, and Spain. McQuiston’s prose is delicious—you can almost taste the Barolo and smell the lavender fields of Provence. It is a romantic comedy with a sophisticated palate.
- Genre: Contemporary Romance / Travel Fiction
- Location: Italy, France, and Spain
- Price: $18.99
Editor’s Vibe: Lush, indulgent, and vibrant. It’s a three-course meal in book form.
We Do Not Part by Han Kang
For readers seeking award-winning literature, Han Kang (the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature winner) delivers a hauntingly beautiful narrative. We Do Not Part explores the Jeju April 3 incident through the lens of a woman’s quest to save a pet bird during a snowstorm. The prose is ethereal, weaving historical trauma with a dreamlike, winter atmosphere.
- Genre: Literary Fiction / Historical
- Location: Jeju Island, South Korea
- Price: $28.00
Editor’s Vibe: Poetic and profound. A book that demands your full attention and rewards it with soul-stirring imagery.
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
Kushner takes us to the rural French countryside in this intellectual spy novel. It’s a story of an American operative infiltrating a group of eco-activists, but it evolves into a deep meditation on human history and Neanderthal philosophy. It is sharp, witty, and perfectly captures the moody, damp beauty of rural France in the winter.
- Genre: Literary Thriller
- Location: Le Guit, France
- Price: $29.95
Editor’s Vibe: Cerebral and atmospheric. It’s for the traveler who likes to dig into the hidden subcultures of a destination.
Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey
Eowyn Ivey returns to the landscape she knows best: the Alaskan wilderness. This is a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast, but stripped of its Disney-fied tropes and replaced with the grit and majesty of the northern frontier. It’s a story about survival, isolation, and the unexpected ways we find connection in the wild.
- Genre: Magical Realism / Folklore
- Location: Alaska, USA
- Price: $30.00
Editor’s Vibe: Frost-bitten and magical. Best read while listening to the wind howl outside your own window.
Literary Journeys: Family and Cultural Identity
Travel is often a search for roots, and these selections explore the internal maps we carry of where we came from and where we belong.
Everybody Says It's Everything by Xhenet Aliu
Aliu presents a powerful story of adopted twins who journey back to search for their Albanian roots during the height of the Kosovo war. It’s a visceral exploration of the "immigrant daughter" experience and the complicated inheritance of history.
- Genre: Literary Fiction
- Location: Connecticut, USA and Kosovo
- Price: $27.00
Editor’s Vibe: Tense and heartbreakingly beautiful. It captures the frantic energy of searching for a home you’ve never seen.
Liars by Sarah Manguso
Manguso’s latest is a surgical examination of a marriage in decline. Moving between the high-pressure environment of New York City and the sprawling, deceptive calm of California, it explores how our surroundings shape our domestic realities.
- Genre: Contemporary Fiction
- Location: NYC and California
- Price: $26.00
Editor’s Vibe: Sharp as a razor. It’s a lean, mean, and utterly compelling deconstruction of intimacy.
The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich
Louise Erdrich is a master of the American epic. Set in the Red River Valley of North Dakota, The Mighty Red follows a community caught between traditional ways of life and the encroachment of industrial farming. It is a story of love, sugar beets, and the enduring power of the land.
- Genre: Historical / Regional Fiction
- Location: North Dakota, USA
- Price: $32.00
Editor’s Vibe: Expansive and grounded. It makes the flat plains of North Dakota feel as epic as any mountain range.
Future Previews: Books to Watch in February 2025
While we linger in the depths of January, the literary horizon for February looks exceptionally bright. Here are three titles to pre-order now:
- Land of Mirrors by Maria Medem: A breathtaking graphic novel that uses surreal imagery and vibrant colors to explore memory and companionship.
- State of Paradise by Laura van den Berg: A speculative thriller set in a Florida that is slowly slipping into another dimension. It’s weird, wonderful, and deeply atmospheric.
- Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner: From the author of Fleishman Is in Trouble comes a sprawling multi-generational saga about wealth, trauma, and a kidnapping that changes a family forever.
Best Book for Your Mood: At a Glance
| If You Want... | Read This... | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| A Culinary Adventure | The Pairing | It's a three-week food tour of Europe without the jet lag. |
| Pure Inspiration | Be Ready When the Luck Happens | Ina Garten’s career pivots are a masterclass in resilience. |
| A Literary Challenge | We Do Not Part | Han Kang’s prose is a masterwork of historical exploration. |
| A Cold Wilderness Escape | Black Woods, Blue Sky | Perfect for fans of folklore and Alaskan landscapes. |
| New York Nostalgia | Wild West Village | A hilarious, "snacky" tribute to the bohemian West Village. |
FAQ
Q: What are the best memoirs to read in Winter 2025? A: Our top picks include Ina Garten’s Be Ready When the Luck Happens for culinary inspiration, Lola Kirke’s Wild West Village for a witty New York narrative, and Vera Blossom’s How to Fuck Like a Girl for a radical, modern perspective.
Q: Which book is best for food and travel lovers? A: The Pairing by Casey McQuiston is our standout choice for foodies. It combines a romantic "enemies-to-lovers" trope with a deep dive into the wine and cuisine of Italy, France, and Spain.
Q: Is the Women Who Travel Book Club list focused mostly on fiction? A: No, the Winter 2025 list is a balanced 50/50 split between non-fiction memoirs and literary fiction, ensuring there is something for every type of reader.
Do you have a winter reading ritual? Or perhaps a book that changed the way you see a certain destination? Join the conversation in our community forum or share your #WomenWhoTravelReads on Instagram. Until then, keep the tea hot and the pages turning.
