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Readers Recommend 28 Perfect Wintertime Books
When the weather outside is frightful, your TBR pile is so delightful. To get into proper wintertime reading mode, we asked our Goodreads members on social media to recommend books they consider to be the perfect wintertime reading.
We rounded up some of the most popular responses below. Whether it's a dark thriller, a magical fantasy, a serious Russian novel, or a heart-warming childhood classic, all of these books will pair perfectly with a cozy reading nook. Don’t forget to add what catches your eye to your Want to Read shelf.
What books fits your definition of the perfect winter read? Share it with us in the comments!
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Dimitrije
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Dec 06, 2019 02:19AM
The Terror by Dan Simmons, definitely!
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Fantasy lovers read Winternight Trilogy immediately. This is not a request, it's an order.
Wintertime is Harry Potter time for me. I don't even know why. If you like some contemporary Christmas fluff, I recommend "Henry the Queen’s Corgi" by Georgie Crawley
Steffi wrote: "Wintertime is Harry Potter time for me. I don't even know why. If you like some contemporary Christmas fluff, I recommend "Henry the Queen’s Corgi" by Georgie Crawley"
I think because he heads to school in the fall and ends up staying since he has no real home to go to over the break. OR if he does it is to the home of his wonderful friend Ron Weasley who let's face it we all want to be adopted by his family!
Ben wrote: "I recommend Hogfather by Terry Pratchett"I'm definitely going to read this one. Thanks for the recommendation!
Enjoyed going over the list. I'll be looking for a couple I've not had the pleasure of reading yet. I think winter is as good as time as any to sit down with some Shakespeare: The Winter's Tale. I know reading a play is not everyone's cup of tea, but why not have a play reading party with a few friends and read TWT aloud. (Doesn't necessarily have to be TWT.) Happy Holidays everyone.
Pam wrote: "Anything by Ivan Doig."Perfect choice. I went on an ID roll a couple of years ago. What a superb writer.
At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft.
Bernd Heinrich's Winter World and Peter Marchand's Life in the Cold.
Dimitrije wrote: "The Terror by Dan Simmons, definitely!"YES. So good. And so worth reading during winter.
Louise Penny's Still Life and even more her A Fatal Grace are excellent mysteries for the winter months.In addition to At the Mountains of Madness, Who Goes There? (basis for The Thing (from Another World) (1951) and The Thing (1982), which was also from another world, but by then we knew that).
Far less well-known, most horror fans would probably like, Midnight Sun.
Suzannah wrote: "The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey"We definitely think alike. This book was my first thought. :)
Heidi wrote: "The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik... both have really awesome, really COLD snowy settings. Those two books sparked a love of winter for me."Me too! Although I haven’t read Spinning Silver. Will have to look for it at the library.
One Day in DecemberA really good book to read in december for a little bit og christmas spirit, heartbreak and love! I absolutely loved this book!
Dimitrije wrote: "The Terror by Dan Simmons, definitely!"You scooped me. Best book about being cold.
Another great winter read -- James Hilton's 1933 classic Lost Horizon.
Cristiano wrote: "Bernd Heinrich's Winter World and Peter Marchand's Life in the Cold."Now that you mention it, his "Summer World" might be even better to read in the winter!
I just read The Academy Saga by CJ Daly and can't say enough good about it. Finished it in a weekend and haven't done that forever. Need another winter read asap!
LDODOU wrote: "Bear Town" Agree that this was a great read for winter.
Ginger wrote: "Heidi wrote: "The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik... both have really awesome, really COLD snowy settings. Those two books sparked a love of winter for me."Me too! Alt..." I really enjoyed "The Snow Child."
Suzannah wrote: "The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey"Came here to make this comment! Needs to be on the list.
I like Spinning Silver but Novik's other book Spinning Silver is better in my own opinion and has more of a winter theme.
City of Thieves was the 1st book I read for my 2019 Reading Challenge and if it wasn't the best book I've read in 2019 then it is definitely 1B....
The Winternight TrilogyThe Snow Child
The Signal Flame
Sweetgirl
The Winter People
Ethan Frome
The Book Thief
Between Shades of Gray
just read the Winternight Trilogy immediately, one of my favorites!!
I want some Christmasy books to read, hope they do one of those soon.
Dimitrije wrote: "The Terror by Dan Simmons, definitely!"I second that choice!
"Abominable" by Dan Simmons too!
Madison wrote: "I want some Christmasy books to read, hope they do one of those soon."If you like Hallmark movie style stories, try Christmas Camp by Karen Schaler. The author actually writes some of the movies and the book is a fun feel-good story. She has a couple others that I am looking for for this year.
Whenever I think about winter in fiction my mind races back to Stephen King's THE SHINING, and the deadly car ride through a brutal blizzard that Halloran takes to get to the evil & haunted Overlook to save young Danny from the deadly grasp of the hotel and his own father (turned evil and used by the hotel as its' murderous pawn). Just chilling!
Heidi wrote: "The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik... both have really awesome, really COLD snowy settings. Those two books sparked a love of winter for me."I now want to read "The Snow Child" because I have seen it rec'd as a good winter read a couple of times. It's really funny that people think of "Uprooted" as a winter read but not of "Spinning Silver" which is the most obvious choice between the two, for a winter read. I've seen this a couple of times now and wonder why. I don't really remember "Uprooted," which I love btw, being all that wintery while winter plays a central role in "Spinning Silver..."
Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days it’s not just Christmas, and it’s Jeanette Winterson who is *amazing*..,can’t recommend enough...
Favorite books for the winter season:The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Any of the Harry Potter Books by JK Rowling
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Emma by Jane Austen
Books I want to read this winter:
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Nutcracker
One Day in December by Josie Silver
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Beartown by Frederick Backman!
Best winter book is To Build a Fire. Literally just a dude freezing to death. Nothing like it to make you appreciate your nice, warm, 21st century home. Just kidding, that story is terrible, don't actually read it.
I loved A Woman in the Polar Night a memoir from a woman who spends a year above the Arctic Circle with her researcher husband . . . in the 1930's! So good.
Most definitely Bear Town by Frederick Backman! The sequel is great too!
I recommend The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. Beautiful, stark, atmospheric.
Dimitrije wrote: "The Terror by Dan Simmons, definitely!"1000000% agree.
Dimitrije wrote: "The Terror by Dan Simmons, definitely!"Agreed!!
My Life as an Explorer by Roald Amundsen.Also recommend: Master and Man and The Snowstorm by Leo Tolstoy (merciless russian winter, and I'm in Russia near Siberia rn, perfect)
