Recommended Reads: Winter

So winter is probably the season I read the most because it is the season I spend the majority of my time inside (because I live in Canada, and it’s cold) so I spend quite a bit of time reading. What makes a good winter read for me? A good winter read is a book I can curl up all day with, one I can get lost in while sitting in front of the fire, with a mug of tea and a couple of blankets (it is REALLY COLD OKAY?) nestled on top of me. It’s even better if it is snowing outside. A lot of my winter reads tend to be fantasy – because what better time of year is there to get entranced by very complex fantasy worlds? I also tend to read quite a bit of historical fiction (romance in February – because I like to read in theme) and also, I’ve noticed, quite a lot of Russian –inspired stories (because the only place that does winter better than Canada is Russia). So without further or do, here are some great reads (I think) for your winter this year!

Classics

1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I read this every year before Christmas and it is always a great December read. It is quite short – easily read in a day (or two) and tells the classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge. I don’t think I have to give a synopsis because everyone at this point should know the classic story of A Christmas Carol. It really is a lovely Christmas story and it never fails to put me into a winter-y Christmas-y mood! I’m currently listening to the audiobook version narrated by Time Curry (link) and absolutely loving trying it in a new form! If you're looking for a classic this Christmas I highly recommend this one!

YA

2. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely #1)

This is a book about Aislinn who has always been able to see the dark, evil faeries that are all around us all the time. Aislinn has three simple rules to live by – don’t stare at the faeries, don’t speak to the faeries and definitely don’t ever attract their attention. Slowly, because of her gift, Aislinn is drawn into a war between the Winter Court and Summer Court – and desperately tries to escape her fate. This was the book that started my love of faeries. I read it when I was 13 and I still love it today. It’s a quick read and has some amazing descriptions of a different type of faery – brutal, blood thirsty and vicious. The Winter Queen, Beria, is a delight to read about. Aislinn and my first ever book-crush Seth have crackling chemistry as Aislinn fights her destiny to stay with her crush. It’s got some classic YA tropes for sure but I really enjoyed this book when I read it, the setting is very winter-y and the series is great overall. It makes a great transition book from winter to spring and I still love it as much as I did 10 years ago! Also the cover is to die for and definitely one of the reasons I picked the series up.

3. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (Shiver #1)

This is the first book I ever read by Maggie Steifvater and it got me absolutely hooked on her works. I feel like everyone knows about The Raven King quartet but no one talks about Shiver! Shiver is a great winter read if only for its title and cover alone (another gorgeous cover I love). The story follows Grace, a teenage girl who was attacked by wolves as a child, and now has a strange fascination with the wolves that live around her home – especially once she discovers that the wolves are actually shape shifters. Naturally Grace is fascinated by one of the werewolves in particular, Sam, and falls in love – but they are in a race against time as the wolves “shift” is triggered by the cold and it is getting colder by the day, and this time – Sam may never become human again. IT really is a love story at its core, but it does have an interesting take on the werewolf myth – in that the change is controlled by temperature. Each chapter gives the temperature at the moment – and it helps to immerse you in the ever-freezing world in which these two star-crossed lovers live. I don’t think it’s the best written work by Maggie Stiefvater, but it is addictive nonetheless. I would read this as a standalone though because the rest of the series is not as good!

4. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (Six of Crows #1)

If you haven't read a synopsis of Six of Crows -- just go read it now! It takes place in Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse and is like if fantasy mixed with Ocean's Eleven and it is amazing! This first novel follows six individuals - all with shady backgrounds and a variety of skills - as they try to do the impossible and break into an unbreakable prison in the heart of the frozen country of Fjerda. This book is SUCH a winter fantasy read – you will start reading it and be unable to put it down! It is so immersive and it is perfect for a day of reading when it is too cold to venture out. And then once you finish it, you can immediately pickup Crooked Kingdom and finish the addictive duology. It is one of the best YA (if not the best) YA fantasy series I’ve read – fast-paced, with a unique and amazing world, and wonderful characters who you can’t help but root for (even when they do terrible things). Also I will ship Nina and Matthias until the ends of the earth.

5. Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

This was a recent read, that I was quite surprised I enjoyed this past November. It is truly a unique story – and quite unlike anything I have ever read. It takes place in the magical Kingdom of Brooklyn, where Vassa is dared one night (by her evil half-sister) to go to Baba Yagas… and the story proceeds into insanity from there. It is based on the Russian fairytale Vassilissa the Beautiful and I will admit – it is very weird. It is so weird. But it was light-hearted, even at its most gruesome, and I really enjoyed how much the writing resembled a real fairy tale. It was the kind of book I loved to curl up in bed with – it has great writing and such a unique story that I think it is worth giving a chance!

6. The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges (Katerina #1)

This is a historical-fantasy fiction, it takes place in Russia in 1888 and deals with Katerina Alexandrovna, a Duchess who is a necromancer. The story follows her adventures amongst the Russian nobility as she tries to to control her power, while drawing interest from all sides of the magical Russian court – including the Tsar’s son George Alexandrovich. Once again, Russia! Russia is great for winter tales – and this story was a unique historical story with a fantasy twist – in which the Russian nobility is divided between the light and the dark faeries. I really enjoyed the whole series and think it is far too underrated in the YA world!

Adult

7. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

I read this book last February and got completely addicted to this harrowing story of two youths – a boy and a girl – during WWII and the occupation of France. One is from France, one is from Germany, and this is the story of their struggles and the circumstances that lead up to their fateful meeting. It is a beautiful story, that while slow-paced, draws you in until you’re saying “just one more chapter” at 4 in the morning (not that this happened to me). It is beautifully written, absolutely heartbreaking and I cried so much. It is not something you will be able to put down, and because of that it makes a great book to curl up with one winter-y night.

8. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (The Bone Season #1)

Now I know a lot of people say that this series is hard to follow and confusing – but once you get a hang of the jargon it is SO GOOD. It is one of the best world-building stories I’ve seen in ages. The story starts in 2059, when Paige Mahoney – a criminal working in Scion London – is arrested and transported to Oxford simply for the crime of being a clairvoyant – more specifically a dreamwalker. Once in Oxford, Paige discovers that an otherworldly race had secretly taken control of England hundreds of years ago, and require clairvoyants as their slaves – Paige is assigned to Warden, one of these monsters, who becomes her master. From here there is action, romance and a murderous otherworldly race intent on world-domination. It sounds really weird but it is so good, and so compelling. I was not expecting to like it as much as I did but I read this book ans the second in the series (The Mime Order) in a few days. I highly recommend if you wish to get addicted to a new complex world, with a doomed romance, and lovable but complicated characters. No one is innocent, but you can’t help understanding even the villains in this grim dystopian fantasy.  

9. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The first few lines of this book are amazing– “The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede. It is It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements.” If that doesn’t make you want to read it, I don’t know what would. Within this magical circus two young magicians, Celia and Marco, have been battling by their competing instructors to participate in a game of imagination, wits and will – with dire consequences. But, by chance, the two fall in love and the fate of the circus itself depends on how their actions. It was a beautiful story, a beautiful book overall (the cover is to die for). It was immersive, dark and magical – something that is perfect for reading on a wintery night when you simply want to escape and read about true love.

Non-Fiction

10. History Works of Robert K. Massie
So as I mentioned above, Russia and winter sort of go hand in hand. So I always enjoy reading a history non-fiction book by Robert K. Massie who has done some fascinating biographies of the Romanov family! I highly recommend his work on Catherine the Great or Peter the Great - but he has also written about Nicholas and Alexandra and their brood. He writes history like its a novel, so his biographies are highly readable, informative and addictive. A definite must for any history lover!

So those are my winter reading recommendations! If you end up reading some (and enjoying them) let me know! What kind of books do you like to read in the winter? What are you planning to read this winter?