As the year winds down and the days grow colder, many of us turn to familiar comforts, warm lights, warm drinks, and books that feel like home. We asked a few Atlantic Books Today contributors what titles they’re hoping to find under the tree this holiday season. Their answers highlight the breadth of storytelling happening across Atlantic Canada, from festive short stories to local history, literary novels, visual art, and quiet tales of kindness.

Here’s what’s on their wish lists, featuring books from our winter gift guide, Books From Home for the Holidays!

Heather Fegan

“Any of the holiday-themed short story collections are high on my list, including Down Home for Christmas: Holiday Stories from Atlantic Canada, Cape Breton’s Christmas: An Eleventh Treasury of Stories and Memories, and Winter Sky: Stories for the Season by Shelley Thompson. Sitting by the Christmas tree in a cozy living room done up for the holidays and reading by the glow of Christmas lights with a nice hot beverage is dreamy!”

About the books:

These collections capture the spirit of Atlantic Canada in winter — homes glowing with hospitality, stories passed around kitchen tables, memories shaped by snowstorms, songs, and community. Whether drawn from Cape Breton’s storytelling tradition or written by contemporary Atlantic authors, each book gathers warmth, humour, nostalgia, and the complicated beauty of the season. Perfect companions for reading by a lit tree.

Sarah Butland

“Every Little Thing: How Small Acts of Kindness Make a Big Impact by Janice Landry is on my grown-up Christmas wish list. It has been highly regarded by many of my friends and seems the perfect gift for giving back all year long.”

About Every Little Thing: How Small Acts of Kindness Make a Big Impact:

Janice Landry’s latest explores the ripple effects of everyday kindness. Through interviews, reflections, and real stories of compassion, the book is both a celebration and a gentle call to action—a reminder that small acts can, in fact, change the world. Hopeful, uplifting, and well-timed for a season built on generosity.

Meg Edwards

“Someone ought to buy me Lesley Crewe’s The Spirit of Scatarie, A friend of mine announced on Facebooks that this is her best yet. Lesley is a lot of fun to read, and to interview!  And I would like to read Renee Belliveau’s A Sense of Things Beyond. I met the delightful Renee when she helped me with some research in the archives of the Mount Allison library and I enjoyed her book, The Sound of Fire, so please tell Santa about that book as well.”

About The Spirit of Scatarie:

Lesley Crewe returns with a wildly heartfelt and humorous novel set on remote Scatarie Island. With her signature Maritime wit and compassion, Crewe offers a story full of eccentric characters and emotional depth — a perfect blend of chaos, charm, and heart.

About A Sense of Things Beyond:

Set in the aftermath of WWI, Belliveau’s literary historical novel is rich with atmosphere, longing, and remembrance. Blending archival detail with poetic prose, it is a deeply human story about grief, recovery, and the quiet ways history shapes us.

Katie Ingram

“I’m hoping to receive Railroaded: The Untold History of Halifax’s Rail Cut by Bob Chaulk. As someone not originally from Halifax, I love finding out about different historical things I didn’t know about before. I also love when people look back and analyze poor planning and development decisions because it’s often mirroring what we see today.”

About Railroaded: The Untold History of Halifax’s Rail Cut:

Chaulk unpacks one of Halifax’s most contentious planning decisions — the construction of the railway cut — and reveals the personal, political, and environmental stories buried beneath it. For readers fascinated by urban history and the way cities evolve, Railroaded is both a cautionary tale and a captivating deep dive.

Marjorie Simmins

“So many wonderful books to choose from but I am hoping that Santa brings me A Sense of Things Beyond by Renee Belliveau, because this literary historical novel, set post-World War One, sounds scrumptious. “

About the A Sense of Things Beyond :

Belliveau’s novel appears on more than one contributor’s wish list — and with good reason. This post WWI story offers an intimate look at loss, memory, and healing, written with warmth and literary grace.

Sharon Bala

“Fingers crossed Santa brings me a copy of Erica Rutherford: Her lives and Works/Ses Vies, Wes Oeuvres by/par Pam Wendt (ed.). Her retrospective exhibition just arrived at The Rooms in St. John’s and I’m completely smitten by her colour-drenched landscapes, renderings of awkward humanity, and depictions of groovy 70s femininity.”

About Erica Rutherford: Her lives and Works:

This bilingual retrospective celebrates the life, creativity, and evolution of Erica Rutherford — painter, printmaker, writer, and trailblazer. Filled with coloursaturated artworks and thoughtful essays, the book is an essential tribute to one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most distinctive artistic voices.

A Season Made for Storytelling

From holiday anthologies to historical nonfiction, from literary fiction to visual art, the books on our contributors’ wish lists reflect the diversity and richness of Atlantic publishing. Whether you’re gifting, receiving, or simply treating yourself, there’s an Atlantic book waiting to bring joy, curiosity, comfort, or wonder to your season.

After all, the best gifts are the ones that stay with us — long after the lights have dimmed and the year has turned.