24 WINTER BOOKS TO READ THIS SEASON
For all of us living in the northern hemisphere, there is no escape… Winter is coming! It officially starts with the winter solstice, December 21.
The winter solstice, also called the hiemal solstice or hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth’s poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. Northern Hemisphere, this is the December solstice (usually December 21 or 22). Traditionally, in many temperate regions, the winter solstice is seen as the middle of winter, but today in some countries and calendars, it is seen as the beginning of winter. (source)
With winter also comes shorter days, longer nights and somber, cold weather. It may sound dispiriting but, instead it can be an opportunity to do some “seasonal reading” .
In the past we used to live in a way that was intimately connected with the natural cycles, especially regarding farming, harvesting and hunting our food. However, since most of us don’t have to grow or hunt to eat anymore and we spend a good amount of time in indoor environments, we easily forget about the world we live in and feel detached from it.
Feeling connected to the world often increases our sense of purpose and belonging, and therefore improves our overall sense of well-being. Intentional choices toward a more seasonal living allow us to reconnect with the world around us. Some of these activities include mindfulness, seasonal eating, seasonal outdoor activities and even seasonal indoor activities like decorating our spaces according to the season and.. yes, of course, reading!
So, here are some of the most popular wintry books that will hopefully inspire you to get cozy, grab a hot drink and enjoy the cozy season!
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ADULT | HISTORICAL | FICTION
A powerful novel of friendship set in a traveling circus during World War II, The Orphan’s Tale introduces two extraordinary women and their harrowing stories of sacrifice and survival.
Sixteen-year-old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby. She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep. When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her. And in a moment that will change the course of her life, she snatches one of the babies and flees into the snowy night.
Noa finds refuge with a German circus, but she must learn the flying trapeze act so she can blend in undetected, spurning the resentment of the lead aerialist, Astrid. At first rivals, Noa and Astrid soon forge a powerful bond. But as the facade that protects them proves increasingly tenuous, Noa and Astrid must decide whether their friendship is enough to save one another – or if the secrets that burn between them will destroy everything.
This is such a beautiful tale of courage, resilience, sacrifice, survival, sisterly love! The events at the beginning of the story are strikingly dark and violent, but so representative of the horrors of this time. They will shake you to the core. Afterwards, the story moves at a slower pace but pregnant teenager Noa and abandoned wife Astrid, both betrayed by those who they trusted the most, will win your heart. Their attempts to hide from the Nazis will keep you at the edge of your seat until the heartbreaking end that is the best reward! The end will stay with you forever!
YOUNG ADULT | CONTEMPORARY
Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in fragile bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the thinnest. But then Cassie suffers the ultimate loss—her life—and Lia is left behind, haunted by her friend’s memory, and feeling guilty for not being able to help save her.
In her most powerfully moving novel since Speak, award-winning author, Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia’s struggle, her painful path to recovery, and her desperate attempts to hold on to the most important thing of all—hope.
The story is told in first person, from Lia’s perceptive, and the experience is SO DEEP. So incredibly real. You feel the pain, the angst, the desperation, the isolation and the hopelessness.
YOUNG ADULT SCI-FI
IAfter angering a local gangster, seventeen-year-old Sena Korhosen must flee with her prize fighting wolf, Iska, in tow. A team of scientists offer to pay her way off her frozen planet on one condition: she gets them to the finish line of the planet’s infamous sled race. Though Sena always swore she’d never race after it claimed both her mothers’ lives, it’s now her only option.
But the tundra is a treacherous place, and as the race unfolds and their lives are threatened at every turn, Sena starts to question her own abilities. She must discover whether she’s strong enough to survive the wild – whether she and Iska together are strong enough to get them all out alive.
A captivating debut about survival, found family, and the bond between a girl and a wolf that delivers a fresh twist on classic survival stories and frontier myths.
This was incredibly enjoyable! And soooo movie worthy! “Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves” reads like a retelling of Star Wars with a setting similar to the ice planet Hoth and the adventures of Anakin Skywalker as a racer in Tatooine. And, just like Star Wars , this is an emotional, non-stop action, coming-of-age adventure, so It is impossible not to connect with orphaned Sena and root for her as she tries to overcome the grief of losing her mothers (yes it is also an LGBTQ read!) while trying to escape the dangerous, gang ruled icy tundra of a planet where she lives.
YOUNG ADULT SCI-FI FANTASY
Princess Winter is admired for her grace, kindness and beauty, despite the scars on her face. She’s said to be even more breath-taking than her stepmother, Queen Levana…
When Winter develops feelings for the handsome palace guard, Jacin, she fears the evil Queen will crush their romance before it has a chance to begin.
But there are stirrings against the Queen across the land. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even find the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.
Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter claim their happily ever afters by defeating Levana once and for all?
My favorite thing about The Lunar Chronicles has to that it It touches on so many social issues like inequality, racism, mental health, and disability. And then, the characterization! Not only the characters’ profiles but their individual story arcs. The characters had the perfect depth. They weren’t super developed to the point they felt “too real”. They felt like characters from a fairy tale but they were given enough quirkiness, challenges and backstories [like mental illnesses and handicaps] to make them relatable and make you root for them. What was great was that their quirkiness didn’t define them and their challenges didn’t get magically addressed or “cured”.
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