Just the Thing: Books to go with those mugs & hot drinks

Your giftee is guaranteed to need a mug of something hot (or maybe even a nip of the harder stuff) to take the edge off of this chilling read. Set in the depths of a dark, cold, Canadian winter, The Dead of Winter follows Inspector Luc Vanier down the blustery streets and back alleys of Montreal to solve a series of murders after five homeless turn up dead on Christmas Eve. This powerful and atmospheric novel will transport any crime lover from cozy comforts to chasing down killers.

For that person on your list who is content to curl up during the winter, consider gifting a copy of Your Heart is the Size of Your Fist. Based on the true stories of her experience working in an urban medical clinic for refugees, Scholtens recounts the diverse and vivid stories of her patients as they establish new lives in in B.C. Interwoven through these complex relationships, Scholtens finds the balance of her own identity as a mother, an individual and as a doctor. All at once humorous, hopeful and deeply moving, we recommend pairing this novel with one more gift: a box of Kleenex. Your giftee will thank you for it.