Looking for some great books to help get you through the rest of winter? Today’s post is just the ticket. We’re talking about 13 books to read in winter that are perfect for to pick up right now – especially if you’re a seasonal reader like I am.
Many of these titles are set in winter or feel like they’re especially appropriate for reading on dark winter evenings while you’re curled up under a blanket. Think lots of cozy mysteries, a dash of melancholy reflection, and a few snowstorm-filled plot-driven page turners.
Let’s jump right to it!
P.S. All books are linked to both Amazon and Bookshop. I am an affiliate for both sites – if you buy a book through one of my links, I make a few pennies off your purchase, but it does not raise the cost for you. Thanks for helping keep this site running!
The Best Books to Read in Winter
Beartown – Fredrik Backman
Gah, this book. From the very opening pages, you know that something terrible is going to happen in Beartown, a hockey-obsessed town that’s beginning to be overtaken by the forest (and the more thriving cities nearby). At risk of spoiling anything, that’s all I’ll say. If you’ve read other works by Fredrik Backman, this is definitely his darkest, but the memorable, oh-so-human characters make it readable.
I also think Beartown begs to be read in winter. I once picked it up in June and couldn’t get into it – nope, this book begs to be read on the coldest and darkest of winter nights. It’s like reading in a pressure cooker, but it’s SO GOOD.
Winter Solstice – Rosamund Pilcher
I already gave Winter Solstice the award for coziest book ever in my Best Books of 2021, but it bears repeating: THIS BOOKS IS THE COZIEST BOOK EVER. I want to crawl inside its pages and hibernate in it all winter long. The plot follows a cast of grieving, oh-so-dear characters who accidentally find themselves spending the holidays in a small Scottish town. It’s sweet and charming but not too saccharine – plus, you could read it after the holiday season without feeling weird. It’s truly one of the best books to read in winter.
Bellweather Rhapsody – Kate Racculia
This book is such fun! A group of high school students head to a creepy old hotel for a music conference. One of the musicians disappears from a room where a murder/suicide once happened as a snowstorm is about to set in, and hijinks ensue. This book doesn’t feel quite as dark as it could given the plot description – the characters are quirky and delightful, the setting is perfectly macabre but not outright scary, and overall this read is a really good time. (This one also won the Alex Award as a book that’s intended for adults but crosses over for YA readers, too.)
Peace Like a River – Leif Enger
This is one of my favorite books ever, and I’m overdue for a reread. Narrated by eleven-year-old Rube, this novel follows Rube, his sister Swede, and their father as they search for their oldest brother, who recently escaped from jail. I don’t entirely know how to capture the magic that is Peace Like a River: there’s a perfect blend of loveable characters, enough plot to keep things interesting, and incredible writing. As a Minnesota native, I also love that this takes place in my home state (and accurately depicts a northern winter). Just trust me and read this one.
Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
Brideshead Revisited follows Charles Ryder as he reflects on his relationships with the colorful members of the Flyte family and their magnificent manor, Brideshead. It’s a story of friendship and lost love and changing times in early 20th century England, and it’s perfectly brooding and beautiful.
Winter feels ripe for this type of reading – there’s something about the pensive tone in this novel that begs to be read in a slower, quieter season. Both Adam and I loved it, and if you’ve ever watched anything on BritBox, you’d probably love it, too.
The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
In this award-winning novel, a butler takes his first-ever road trip across England to visit a former coworker. While driving, he reminisces about the glory days at Darlington Hall, his service to an influential politician, and his regrets over missed opportunities. The narration is fascinating and the tone perfectly wistful, perfect for a slow, snowy evening.
If you liked Brideshead Revisited, you’ll probably enjoy The Remains of the Day, too. Both revolve around British great houses, and both retain that melancholy end-of-an-era vibe. (This one made my best of 2021 list, too!)
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis
I mean really, there are few more iconic scenes in literature than Lucy stumbling into a wintery Narnia, finding a lamppost, and meeting Mr. Tumnus. (C.S. Lewis apparently formed the entire story around the image of a faun with an umbrella walking through a snowy wood, so hey, it makes sense.) If you’ve somehow never read this story or you’re due for a reread, you can tackle this one in one winter evening.
The Snow Child – Eowyn Ivy
In this novel, based loosely on the Russian fairytale of the same name, takes place in Alaska. Jack and Mabel are buried under grief at losing an unborn child and at the backbreaking work it takes to survive the Alaskan wilderness. One winter night, they build a snowman, and the next morning a young girl appears.
I’ll warn you, the premise of this book sounds charming and whimsical. But the story is not. There’s a lot of grief, and terrible things happen one after another, as is perhaps realistic for homesteading in the wilderness. But the beautiful descriptions of the Alasakan mountains and forests feel especially appropriate for dark winter nights.
Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie
In this book, the Orient Express train has been trapped by a snowstorm when one of the passengers is found dead in his cabin. Ah, what a classic. Agatha Christie is truly the OG mystery queen, and this unique setting makes for extra-fun reading.
Iron Lake – William Kent Kruger
This mystery opens in a blizzard. A paperboy heads out in the snow to deliver papers, witnesses the aftermath of a local judge’s suicide (or murder?), and disappears. I devoured this one in about 24 hours, and it feels just right if you’re caught in a snowstorm yourself. (Plus the author is from Minnesota and definitely understands blustery weather – the number of MN authors on this list probably isn’t coincidence.)
A Fatal Grace and Bury Your Dead – Louise Penny
There is no wrong time for an Inspector Gamache novel, let’s be clear. Set primarily in a quaint little Canadian village called Three Pines, this mystery series follow the investigations of Armand Gamache. Gamache is principled and empathetic and the father figure we all want, and these are some of the coziest mysteries ever.
A Fatal Grace and Bury Your Dead are especially wintery. In the former, a murder takes place on a frozen lake at a curling tournament. In the latter, Gamache tries to solve a mystery in the middle of a Montreal blizzard. I would recommend reading these books in order, so if you’re new to the series, jump in with A Still Life (book #1) so you can finish A Fatal Grace (book #2) while snow is still on the ground. (Bury Your Dead is book #6).
A Fatal Grace: Amazon | Bookshop
Bury Your Dead: Amazon | Bookshop
Winter books On My TBR
I haven’t read these wintery books yet, but they’re on my list to read before the snow melts!
A Week in Winter – Maeve Binchy
This book follows a woman who turns a crumbling Irish mansion into a bed and breakfast and the various characters who spend a week there together. It sounds so dear, like the perfect cozy palate cleanser.
The Essex Serpent – Sara Perry
This book had been languishing on my Kindle for a while when I heard Anne Bogel recommend it to reader on her podcast What Should I Read Next as the perfect book for deepest, darkest winter. In an English village, rumors are spreading about the return of the Essex Serpent, and an unlikely team of characters investigate this murderous beast. I’m jumping on it as soon as my library holds list isn’t holding me captive!
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