Winter can be a chunk of the year that drags by. Especially if you live in Winnipeg. Yes, the first snowfall is magical. Yes, the Christmas lights are beautiful. However, once Christmas is over and when the bitter winter chill sticks around for almost half the year, it gets pretty old pretty fast. The trick to not going insane during winter is to embrace all things cozy. One of the greatest, coziest hobbies to have during the bitter cold is reading.
Now, I won’t lie to you, I have been going through a reading slump for the last few months… Ok, year.
Even so, I still have some book recommendations that I think are great for the winter season!
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott Ok, so I haven’t actually read this one completely, but it’s one I’m working through at a snail’s pace. That said, I’m liking it! I love Greta Gerwig’s film adaptation (the last time I cried that hard during a film in the theatre was during the end of Toy Story 3). The story is all kinds of hot chocolate and blanket burrito worthy. Plus, many of the memorable moments occur during winter and at Christmas. The classic novel follows the story of four sisters, which you might assume will be dull, but then maybe you’ve never dealt with sister issues. All the drama ensues. The story focuses mostly on the second eldest sister, Jo March, who struggles with balancing her want of being an independent female writer and her relationship with her friend Laurie – the rich boy who lives next door.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry – Gabrielle Zevin I heard about this novel via BookTuber Regan (PeruseProject) a few years ago. It follows the difficult life of a grumpy man and his bookshop. Basically, anything that features a bookshop is winter reading, in my opinion. The story contains a great moral message and highlights the fact that struggles, too, are a part of living.
The Bookshop on the Corner – Jenny Colgan You see, a bookshop again. Now, I wasn’t a huge fan of this one, because as much as I wish I was a person who enjoys those Hallmark Christmas films, I’m just not. That said, this book reads exactly like a Hallmark Christmas film, so even if it’s not my cup of tea, it might very well be yours! A librarian who loses her job decides to move to a little village and sell books out of a van, essentially. She pays rent to live in a barn that is owned by a dreamy rough-around-the-edges man. There’s also this poetry-loving train conductor that zips by every now and then for picnics. (Am I doing a good job selling this yet?) Get ready for the kicker! She must choose the right love interest. Bet you didn’t see that one coming!
The Music Shop – Rachel Joyce A love story I actually enjoyed! Now, it’s not a bookshop this time, but it is a music shop. It also takes place in England during the 80’s when CDs were on the rise and record sales were dropping. It also highlights the struggles of small businesses (hello, 2020). The story follows the store owner, Frank, who falls in love with this woman in a green coat that comes into the shop one day. He hasn’t had the easiest life and his story is unravelled throughout the book with plenty of song references (that I believe someone on Spotify made a playlist for).
My True Love Gave to Me – Edited by Stephanie Perkins – An anthology of Christmas stories to enjoy at your own pace. I recommend sitting by a Christmas tree or by a fireplace (real or virtual) for this one. Grab a cup of hot chocolate/coffee/tea, cookies and either go ahead and read the book in order or go absolutely mad and choose to read the stories out of order. No surprise, Rainbow Rowell’s was my favourite.
Attachments – Rainbow Rowell See? Rainbow Rowell again. This one gave me all the You’ve Got Mailvibes. Except, instead of two business enemies unknowingly messaging each other online, it’s the shy tech guy falling in love with a woman via her emails to her best friend and colleague. I realize I just made it sound like a creepy stalker thriller, but it’s far from that, I promise.
Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares – Rachel Cohn and David Levithan Did any of ya’ll watch the Netflix series of this novel that premiered in early November this year? I did! It was too cute, so I purchased the novelization for my Kobo and then learned that this is actually a series of books, too. Even better! The story follows two teenagers who are basically spending Christmas alone for different reasons. Quirky Lily leaves a red notebook at a bookstore in hopes of luring in a pen pal boyfriend. Dash so happens to be a pessimistic lad who adores old books and discovers said notebook at the Strand. The two 1. Write back and forth to one another about their lives and 2. Send each other on dares to acquire said notebook back each time. The best part about this entire plotline is that it takes place in New York at Christmas. That alone will sell me on anything.
What’s on your winter reading list? Comment below so I can check it/them out!