Winter Retreat Day 2: Cosy Book Club
10 Books that Feel Like Winter
Hello and welcome to day two of our Winter Solstice Retreat! (If you missed yesterday’s welcome post, don’t worry, you can find it here.)
Today we’re curling up in a comfy armchair with a warm drink and some the very best Wintery books.
Each book on this list has been chosen because it has a cosy, magical or somehow ‘Midwinter’ feel to it. You’ll find a mix of fiction, non-fiction, cookery books and folklore tales. Hopefully something for everyone.
There are no affiliate links here, because this is an ad-free space. Hurrah! But you should be able to track these books down in all good bookshops.
(All the books on this list would make excellent Christmas presents too, if you need a last-minute idea for someone.)
Right, let’s take a look shall we. And please do leave your own Winter reading suggestions in the comments… I’m all ears.
10 Books that Feel Like Winter
1. The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey
Every so often you read a book that stays with you for a long time. This is that book for me. I read it last Winter and it’s lived in my memory ever since; I’ve been itching to reread it all year. I’ve just finished it for the second time and I loved it even more this time if that’s possible. It’s magical, mystical, sad, fantastical, eerie. I really don’t know how else to describe it. Just… read it.
2. Dark Skies, by Tiffany Francis-Baker
The perfect book for reading on dark winter nights, Tiffany’s lyrical and magical book is part memoir, part nature writing, part travel writing. It will take you on a journey into the wild night from the comfort of your armchair. Perfect.
3. Wintering, by Katherine May
Part memoir, part self-help book; I know a lot of people read this book religiously around this time of year. If you want to dive deeper into the concept of seasonal living and give yourself permission to rest and retreat in the darker months, this is the one for you.
4. Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year, by Beth Kempton
This is such a sweet, soothing book to read around December. It reframes the festive season and is packed with ideas for opting out of the commercial madness and creating a cosy, calm Christmas of your own design. I’m all in favour of that.
5. The Shortest Day, by Susan Cooper
A celebration of the Winter Solstice, this short and beautifully illustrated poem celebrates the ancient magic of the Solstice and celebrates the return of the light. This is sometimes labelled as a children’s book, but I think this is a beautiful read for children and adults alike. It was actually written to be performed on stage at a Winter Solstice theatre production so it lends itself beautifully to being read aloud.
6. Nordic Tales, illustrated by Ulla Thynell
This collection of folktales from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark is perfect scaring yourself with on a dark Midwinter night. And it’s beautifully illustrated too.
7. A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
We’ve got to have this one in here haven’t we. The classic feel-good Christmas read. At the time of year when nostalgia is high, this read feels familiar, festive and comforting. Plus there are TV and film adaptations galore too; The Muppets Christmas Carol version is high on my list of favourites. No judgement.
8. The Christmas Chronicles, by Nigel Slater
This is another Wintry book that I think lots of you will be familiar with and might already re-read each year. Packed with notes, stories and recipes that take you from November through to January. It looks like the perfect Midwinter book to dip into when you just have a free minute or two.
9. His Dark Materials trilogy, by Phillip Pullman
This trilogy ticks all the boxes for Midwinter reading, so the books are firmly on my reading pile this winter. I’ve seen and loved the BBC adaptation of this so I’ve been meaning to read the books for years. As a story it’s uniquely ‘Wintry’ in feel, with polar bears, an arctic landscape, big ideas and adventure to lose yourself in.
10. Winter: An Anthology for the Changing Seasons, edited by Melissa Harrison
A collection of nature writing compiled by Melissa Harrison for the Wildlife Trust. This looks like a beautiful way to embrace the magic of a wintry landscape.
I hope you enjoyed that list and that you’ve discovered a new Winter read.
Now it’s over to you.
Please let me know your favourite Winter book in the Comments.
The quiet reading days between Christmas and New Year are approaching and the more books I can have towering on my bedside table at this time of year the better.
I’ll see you tomorrow for day three of our retreat where we will immerse ourselves in all the festive magic of baking season.
Until then!
Vicky xx
Missed a day? You can catch up with all our Retreat activities on the Seasonal Retreat tab on my homepage. Enjoy.
I do love your book list with many titles new to me! Calm Christmas and Christmas Chronicles are my cherished reads in this period together with Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher📖❄️🌟☕️🫖
Last year I read The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper for the first time. It's set beginning on December 20th and I listened to a chapter a day of the BBC production from then until the new year (apparently lots of people do this around the world - it's a great slow-read). This year, I've started with the first book in the series, (Over Sea, Under Stone) so I can continue the full series after my slow-read of the Dark is Rising. The first book is decidedly not wintery, but The Dark is Rising works perfectly well as a standalone anyway. I definitely recommend it.