It’s Dec. 1 and I cannot contain my holiday spirit anymore. Not that I was doing such a great job suppressing it. (My tree has been up since mid-November.)

This overabundance of holiday spirit is certainly due in part to the fact that I’ve been putting together the flyers and other information about our winter library programs. At the library, Dec. 1 doesn’t just mean the official kick off to our winter and holiday programming, it’s also the start of the ever-popular Winter Reading Club.

The premise is simple. Those who would like to participate can stop in any of the Delaware County District Library locations and pick up a Winter Reading Club bookmark. Each bookmark has four lines. Fill in a book you’ve read or library program you’ve attended during December and January, then return the bookmark to the library. Just drop your bookmark in the entry box for whatever prize basket you’d like to win. Then pick up another bookmark and start again.

It’s a challenge that rises to the reader. Your entries are limited to the number of books you can read and programs you can attend in a two-month period. The prize baskets are usually pretty good motivators, too. In the past, they’ve contained art supplies, jewelry, toys for the littlest readers, totes, and, of course, books. I’m always a tiny bit bummed that, as a library employee, I’m not eligible to win.

Here are a few titles recommended by librarians across the country to add to your Winter Reading Club list:

• “My Sister, The Serial Killer” by Oyinkan Braithwaite. Nigerian nurse Korede puts up with so much from her sister Ayoola (the serial killer). Braithwaite tells a dark, lively, and funny story of how begrudgingly cleaning up after someone else’s deadly habits is just one of those things one does for family. For fans of satirical humor

• “The Adults” by Caroline Hulse. Divorced couple Claire and Matt devise a terrific idea for Christmas: spend it at Happy Forest Holiday Park with their new partners and their seven-year-old daughter Scarlett (and her imaginary friend). Hilarious and heartrending, this debut novel asks the age-old question: “What could possibly go wrong?

• “Empire of Sand” by Tasha Suri. A modern take on the classic Disney tale of Mulan, this fantasy-adventure story features Mehr, a governor’s daughter who wants to make a name for herself and is passionate about saving the lives of those in her kingdom. Mehr’s unique magical powers make her a target and give the classic storyline a new twist

• “Newcomer: A Mystery” by Keigo Higashino. Newly transferred Tokyo Police Detective Kaga is assigned a baffling murder. The story is told almost entirely through the perspective of people he interviews, gradually revealing the puzzling who, how, and why in this mystery. For fans of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, and Columbo as well as lovers of international crime novels.