Winter Reading List 2025: Epic Fantasy, Heartwarming Holiday Magic & Entrepreneurial Freedo
Winter always feels like an invitation to slow down, reset, and reach for stories that help make sense of where you are right now. This year’s winter reading list spans three seasons of life: mythic transformation, meaningful conversations with kids about kindness, and a reset for ambitious entrepreneurs who want success and real freedom. Whether you’re craving an escape, a cozy read-aloud, or a mindset shift for the new year, these picks deliver big themes in totally different ways.
For epic escape and self-discovery: Legacy series by J Leonard Costner
If you love character-driven fantasy with high stakes and a beating emotional core, the Legacy series by J Leonard Costner belongs at the top of your winter TBR. The story follows Luke Hart, an “ordinary” army brat who discovers he’s the reincarnation of Spartacus and is pulled into Legacy, a hidden institution where descendants of history’s greatest warriors train, fight, and confront the power buried in their bloodlines.
Across the seven-book saga, Legacy blends historical echoes, arena-style competition, and coming-of-age transformation as Luke uncovers his past lives and what it means to step into his true potential. It’s a great pick if you’re navigating your own life pivots, because the series keeps circling back to one core question: who could you become if you stopped underestimating yourself?
Perfect for:
Fans of fantasy with rich mythology and training-school vibes.
Readers who want a completed series they can binge all winter without waiting for the next installment.
For cozy family reading and conversations about kindness: The Legend of Chris Moose by Allen Northcutt
The Legend of Chris Moose is a charming, rhyming picture book that feels made for Christmas Eve story time. It follows a gentle but tattered moose nicknamed “Ugly” and a cast of eleven animal friends on a snowy walk through the woods to Mama and Papa Bear’s house, where a forgotten Christmas tree becomes the catalyst for a very memorable holiday.
Under the cozy woodland setting and festive fun, the book opens the door to important conversations with kids about name-calling, exclusion, and how the very things that make us different often turn out to be our greatest gifts. By the end, the animals recognize their friend’s true spirit and rename him Chris Moose—leaning into the Christmas pun and the idea that kindness can completely rewrite someone’s story.
Perfect for:
Parents, aunties, uncles, and caregivers looking for a meaningful holiday read-aloud that still feels fun and festive.
Families who want to talk about bullying, labels, and empathy in a gentle, age-appropriate way.
For your entrepreneurial era: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Freedom by Mark Rampolla
If your word of the year is “alignment” or “freedom,” An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Freedom is the mindset reset to pair with your planner and vision board. Written by Mark Rampolla—founder of ZICO Coconut Water and co-founder of GroundForce Capital—the book challenges the myth that freedom comes after the exit and instead offers seven steps to build it into how you live and lead right now.
Rampolla draws on decades of experience as a founder, investor, and coach to help entrepreneurs redefine success on their own terms, release hustle-culture conditioning, and design businesses that support their lives instead of consuming them. It’s equal parts practical and reflective, making it a strong winter pick if you’re mapping out goals, rethinking what “growth” looks like, or coming back to your original “why.”
Perfect for:
Founders, creatives, and multi-hyphenates who feel stuck in grind mode and want a more spacious definition of success.
Readers who love actionable frameworks but also want a values-driven, introspective approach to business and life.