Winter is the perfect season for reading, and what better to read than a book fully set in winter. The snowy landscapes, the biting cold, the hushed (or joyful) spirit of the season — you’ll be able to feel all of it that much better if it’s happening all around you.
And because I love pairing my reads with seasons, I’ve read a ton of excellent winter books, and I’m here to present you the very best. There’s something for everyone on this list, whether you like lit fic, romance or fantasy. I hope you find your next favorite!
The Bear and The Nightingale by Katherine Arden
“He picked her up and sank onto the warm oven-bench with her in his arms. He was gentle. His breath was the winter wind, but his flesh was warm, and his heart beat under her hand.”
If you need a book that feels like a cold winter day while you sit in front of a fire and someone is telling you a story, this is it. It’s heavily based in Slavic folklore, and reads almost like a fairytale, a slow, ponderous, beautifully written book.
Vasya is happy to live on the edge of Russian wilderness with her family, even though there’s no one around for miles and it snows most of the year. She knows she’s different and she loves the stories her mother’s nursemaid tells her.
But then her devout stepmother is determined to root out all old beliefs from the family, and turn Vasya either into someone marriageable or send her to a convent. And the fact that the old rituals are not done anymore is affecting the land, so Vasya decides to do something about it.
It’s one of my favorite books to return to every winter, and I cannot recommend it enough!
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of The Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
“Winter mornings are made of steel; they have a metallic taste and sharp edges. On a Wednesday in January, at seven in the morning, it’s plain to see that the world was not made for Man, and definitely not for his comfort or pleasure.”
If you want something more literary and perhaps shorter, but with a murder mystery twist, and creepy winter vibes, this might be your book. Also, if you like stories about unhinged old ladies, give it a try.
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of The Dead tells you all about Janina, who lives alone on a mountain and rarely interacts with people except a few select friends. She’s fiercely devoted to animals and hates the hunters that live all around her. But then a series of murders happens and she and her neighbors become embroiled in the investigation.
It’s a slow, almost philosophical novel, and almost cozy in some ways, except for the persistent feeling of dread that permeates the story. I really liked it and you can see more of my thoughts in my review of this book.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
“There are men who are wolves inside, and want to eat up other people to fill their bellies. That is what was in your house with you, all your life. But here you are with your brothers, and you are not eaten up, and there is not a wolf inside you. You have fed each other, and you kept the wolf away. That is all we can do for each other in the world, to keep the wolf away.”
Spinning Silver is practically a staple of winter reading. You should give it a try if you like fantasy, maybe romantasy, and definitely stories about capable women saving the world.
We follow three very different young women as they grapple with their challenges. Miryem’s father is a moneylender who doesn’t know how to collect debts, leaving the family destitute, so Miryem takes over. Wanda’s father is abusive to her and her two brothers and they live in poverty. Irina’s father wants to marry her to the tzar who may or may not be a demon.
Their fates intertwine in ways you won’t expect. I really loved this book and I hope you do too! My full review of Spinning Silver is here.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
“Always it was the same, Furlong thought; always they carried mechanically on without pause, to the next job at hand. What would life be like, he wondered, if they were given time to think and reflect over things? Might their lives be different or much the same – or would they just lose the run of themselves?”
You should give this book a try if you want something short and literary but really impactful. It’s beautifully written and set over one winter and Christmas season in a small Irish town in the eighties.
The main character is Bill Furlong who deals in coal and has a family to take care of. Their lives depend on the community and is heavily impacted by religion, but then Bill gets disturbed by what he sees in a convent while delivering coal, and his life changes forever.
I won’t spoil anything more, but you should definitely give it a read because it’s such a good story. My full review of Small Things Like These is here.
And Now, Back to You by B. K. Borison
“Why do important things have to be things that hurt us? Why can something only be valued and held in high regard if it’s…dark and damaging? Why can’t we keep the bright things? The lovely things? Why can’t those things be special too?”
If what you want out of your winter read is a romance, something cute and relaxing, then I recommend And Now, Back to You.
It follows two reporters — one from the local radio station, one from the local TV station — who despise each other but who are sent on an assignment together to track an incoming storm in the mountains. As they spend more time stuck in close quarters (there’s only one bed, etcetera), they grow to understand each other more and slowly their animosity turns into something else.
Personally, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this book, as you can see in my review, but it’s a fun, easy-going rom com that will give you a blissful afternoon of fun reading material.
Final Thoughts
I hope you found the book you’ll read this winter, or at the very least, something enjoyable and comforting. If not, leave me a comment below and I’ll do my best to give you a rec you’ll like. And if you prefer to search on your own, here are some pages you should look at:
- My favorite romance books of all time live here.
- And you can find some of my favorite fantasy romance books here.
- If you’d like an autumn-y read, you should check out my collection of fall books.
- Plus, you can try some cozy fantasy books you might like.
- If you want to get into classics (because there are some good wintery choices), here are the easiest classics to start with.
- And if you absolutely must have romance, give these classic romance books a try.
What’s your favorite book to read in winter? Let’s chat in the comments!
