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Books set in winter
Winter reads you can hunker down with and escape into.
Published on January 19, 2024
Curated ByLanie Pemberton
Lanie is a San Diego-based freelance writer who loves reading crime thrillers and nonfiction about animals and the natural world. When not writing and reading (or writing about what to read), Lanie spends as much time as possible at the beach with her husband and pampered pittie, Peach.
In the Midst of Winter: A Novel
Isabel Allende“This winter’s tale has something to melt each frozen heart,” writes Kirkus of “In the Midst of Winter.” In Brooklyn during a blizzard, a lonely professor and his tenant must work together to help an undocumented Guatemalan emigrant after a fender-bender reveals a dark secret. Allende (“The House of the Spirits”) explores how opening up to others can help us heal from the past.
Winter Garden
Kristin Hannah“Winter Garden” mines the bittersweet complexities of relationships, womanhood, family, and memory. This story, which moves from one chilly landscape to the next, follows two estranged sisters who reconnect after learning their mother’s harrowing history — a tale of loss and resilience rooted in real historical events.
Ethan Frome
Edith WhartonThere’s something deeply chilling about Wharton’s novella, and the wintry New England backdrop is hardly the half of it. With sparse dialogue, a stark landscape, and vivid descriptions of domesticity, Wharton creates a rich atmosphere and an unforgettably depressing story.
The Last Chairlift
John IrvingLikened to Dickens by both Time magazine and The New York Times, Irving (“The Cider House Rules”) published this novel after a seven-year hiatus. Part family saga, part ghost story, it covers legacy, sexual identity, and acceptance. In search of the father he’s never met, writer Adam Brewster visits the ski resort in Aspen, Colorado, where he was conceived in 1941.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
C. S. LewisFour English school children find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia. There, they assist Aslan, the golden lion, in his quest to defeat the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia” series has 10 books total, guaranteed to keep readers of all ages transfixed for weeks.
Winterwood
Shea ErnshawBoasting what Publishers Weekly calls “a dark, thrilling atmosphere that drives the biting cold of Winterwood deep into readers’ bones,” Ernshaw’s YA fantasy intertwines a family of witches, an eerie forest, and a series of “accidents” at a school for wayward youth into a page-turning mystery.
Wintersmith
Terry PratchettIn this standalone story in the “Tiffany Aching” series — which takes place in Pratchett’s beloved Discworld universe — a trainee witch must defeat the Spirit of Winter, lest he curse the world with an everlasting frost. This fantasy is whimsical, funny, and atmospheric, with an astute young heroine at the core. Read “Wintersmith” on your own or to your kids while snuggled up by the fire.
Eight Perfect Hours: A Novel
Lia LouisWhen Noelle Butter finds herself stranded in her car during a blizzard, a handsome samaritan offers to keep her company until help arrives in the morning. Sparks fly while the snow falls, but this isn’t your typical sickly sweet rom-com. “Eight Perfect Hours” features relatable characters and a love story full of twists, turns, and charming reveals.
The Do-Over
Lynn PainterIs it Valentine’s Day, or is it “Groundhog Day”? After having the worst Valentine’s Day ever — crashing her car, losing a fellowship, catching her boyfriend kissing his ex — Emilie can’t wait for February 15th. But it never comes, and instead she just keeps crashing right into Nick — who is admittedly very attractive. The repeated heartbreak and hijinks never get dull in this fast-paced YA romp for fans of “Better Than the Movies.”
Smilla's Sense of Snow: A Novel
Peter HøegIn Høeg’s Nordic noir — an international sensation — a loner woman named Smilla tries to prove her young neighbor’s death was not a tragic accident: It was murder, and she’s determined to catch the culprit.
All the White Spaces: A Novel
Ally WilkesWilkes’ Bram Stoker Award-nominated horror novel follows Jonathan Morgan, a young trans man who, while grieving the loss of his brothers during the First World War, stows away on an expedition to the South Pole. Soon, it becomes clear that the cold is the least of the crew’s worries.
One by One
Ruth WareRead this chilling tale of a corporate retreat gone wrong from mystery maven Ware (“The Woman in Cabin 10,” “In a Dark Dark Wood”). When an avalanche leaves employees of a tech startup snowed in at a resort in the French Alps, terror takes over, wiping out any chance of bonding. One by one, each member of the group must fight to survive.
The Hunting Party: A Novel
Lucy FoleyThings turn deadly after a group of college friends, now in their 30s, reunite to celebrate New Year’s with a cozy getaway at a Scottish hunting lodge. Foley (“The Paris Apartment”) moves back and forth between before and after the murder without revealing the killer or the victim. If you love a good twist, “The Hunting Party” delivers — not just on who the killer is, but also their sinister motive.
Misery
Stephen KingIn this story by the King of Horror, famous author Paul Sheldon is kidnapped by a demented fan who demands another novel — one reviving a popular character that Paul recently killed off. It’s hard to decide what’s more frightening about “Misery” — the near-unbearable suspense or the no-holds-barred gore. The wintery setting adds to the claustrophobic feel.