Winter is historically not my favorite season, but there’s plenty to love about winter reading: the cold, grey days are the perfect excuse to stay inside and read. The Danish concept of hygge is still having its moment, and for good reason: it encourages us to indulge in the seasonal aspects of life by being intentionally cozy in the wintertime.
So grab yourself a cup of tea and a warm blanket, and light the candles. Then pick up one of these twenty titles set in the wintertime to bring the feeling full circle. Whether or not you expect to see snow outside your own window this year, you can experience that snowy winter weather on the page.
The Snow Child
The Children’s Blizzard
Beartown
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: The Chronicles of Narnia
Peace Like a River
The Bear and the Nightingale
Greenglass House
In the Midst of Winter
Snow Falling on Cedars
The Great Alone
Still Life (Chief Inspector Gamache Mysteries, No. 1)
In the idyllic small town of Three Pines, Quebec, where people don’t even lock their doors, a beloved local woman is found in the woods with an arrow shot through her heart. The locals believe it must be a hunting accident, but the police inspector senses something is off. The story is constructed as a classic whodunit but it feels like anything but, with its deliberate pacing, dry wit, and lyrical writing. A stunningly good first novel. Still Life is the first in a series that keeps getting better. Great on audio.
More info →One Day in December
Murder on the Orient Express
The Terror
The Winter Sea
Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I
Winter Solstice
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
All the Light We Cannot See
What are your favorite cozy reads? Tell us all about them in comments!
105 comments
I’m going to respectfully disagree about The Great Alone being a winter pick. I think it NEEDS to be read in the summer, where there is light and growth and warmth! The dark content in such a dark season could be so bleak. Absolutely fantastic book though, one of my favorites this year.
Agree with JanCanRead! Great book, but better in summer due to its darkness. Much of it also happens in summer.
I loved THE SNOW CHILD. I thought it was such an original story, set in the Alaskan frontier with this folkloric child seemingly come to life. Magical realism at its best!
THE WINTER SEA sounds really good. Anything set in Scotland already has my heart, and add in some romance and paranormal stuff? Sold!
Thanks for the recs!
Definitely go for The Winter Sea! I discovered Susanna Kearsley this year and did indeed proceed to binge read almost all of her work. But The Winter Sea has remained my favorite! The Firebird and A Desperate Fortune are up there too.
agreed! I read this a few years ago and have read all of hers and The Winter Sea is by far my fave!
Thanks!!! I already requested it from my library. 😀
I agree, The Winter Sea sounds so good! I discovered Susanna Kearsley this year when I read Bellewether and loved it!
I agree about The Winter Sea. It was my first Susanna Kearsley book and still my favorite after reading all of her others!
The Winter Sea and all of Susanna Kearsley’s novels are wonderful. But that one is definitely my favorite!
So excited to read this one now!!
Thank you!!
I’ve read a few of these already but I’m always looking for good seasonal “reads” especially in winter when I love curling up with a book and an early bedtime, ideally after a day spent skiing (bliss).
Just finished The Great Alone and wow. I’ve got the biggest book hangover coming on!
I see many favorites on this list plus some new ones to try.
I absolutely adored The Vanderbeekers of 141st St. I am not typically a crier when I read, but that story made me tear up. In the best way. It was heartwarming and just so wonderful!
I’ve heard this is a good book for younger readers. What would you say the age appropriateness/reading level would be?
Thanks!
You mean for „light on snow“? It tackles some heavy issues, I read it when I was in my 30ies and that was totally fine.
No, sorry! It was meant as a response to Kari’s comment on The Vanderbeekers of 141st St.
Mandy- I read it with my 10 year old and it was fine. It would make a great read aloud. I’d have no issue reading it with all my kids- ages 6-13.
I really loved “Light on Snow” by Anita Shreve. a heartwarming winter novel!
Thanks for recommending this, Pauline. I’ve been wanting to try Anita Shreve’s books for a while so after your comment I thought I’d give this one a shot. I’m thoroughly enjoying this novel and, yes, it’s perfect for winter. I will also be reading more of her books in the future. Thank you!!
I’d like to add “Spinning Silver” by Naomi Novik to the list! Perfect if you loved her book, “Uprooted,” and also good for fans of “The Bear and the Nightingale.”
Yes! I was going to suggest Spinning Silver. It’s fantastic for winter.
That one’s been on my stack for months! It’s reassuring to know that my subconscious just wanted to save it for the right season. 🙂
Spinning Silver has been on my shelf for quite a long time. Good incentive to pick it up now and read it! I also like Anita Shreve and will try the one suggested here.
Such a great list, Anne! I love winter and winter reading. I would highlight The Long Winter from the Little House series as a favorite. I always try to read A Christmas Carol and, last year, I paired it with Mr. Dickens and His Carol. Little Women and most of Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series feel like a winter reads to me.
That’s my favorite Little House book too. And I agree, A Christmas Carol every year!
Love “The Winter Sea!”(and all Susanna Kearsley-Bellewether was so captivating). I read it around Thanksgiving at my parents’ house in Michigan and it is the perfect cold weather book. Doesn’t hurt that I absolutely adore Scotland. 🙂 “Named of the Dragon” is another good winter Kearsley book. It takes place around Christmas in Wales.
Oh you goodness—I just added SO many books to my TBR list! A lot of these sound like a fabulous way to make it through a Colorado winter. I absolutely loved Greenglass House, and can’t wait until my daughter is old enough for me to read it to her.
Sigh. Oh *my* goodness. Oh, autocorrect.
I read and loved Greenglass House on the recommendation of last year’s list, and just finished the sequel over the Thanksgiving holidays (perfect, since we had snow.) Maybe it’s time to pull out another winter read.
No, sorry! It was meant as a response to Kari’s comment on The Vanderbeekers of 141st St.
My Mom reads Winter Solstice every December. I have enjoyed many of these books a few are on my shelf. May I suggest Late Nights On Air ny Elizabeth Hay and Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt. Canadians know about winter.
LoriAngela, I also read Winter Solstice every Christmas – wonderful descriptions of place, well drawn characters, and the Scottish winter setting is a stark contrast to my usual, sometimes sweltering, Sydney Australia Christmas! For me, it is like welcoming a cherished family member back home.
Another great Rosamund Pilcher book is “September” – which would be great for my Northern Hemisphere book friends now, as it is set in the Autumn (Fall). Anne, thanks for this great list – I have added so many to my TBR list!
James Herriot’s books are cozy winter reads in the memoirs line, starting with All Creatures Great and Small. A new young vet arrives in 1930s Darrowby, survives his first encounter with his manically engaging boss, and falls in love with his surroundings and a local girl. Lots of being called out in the middle of freezing slushy nights to tend farm animals in distress, lots of awkward situations, lots of camaraderie and heart.
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande is non-fiction but a terrific read for winter.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles was also great. What can you do when you’re confined, kind of like being snowed in for the winter?
Love James Herriot! Read and reread his books in my childhood! Either curled up my bedroom armchair or under the covers with a nightlight after bedtime lol. Definitely very cozy reading.
I’ve read and own all of your suggestions…totally agree!
OMG! Thanks so much for reminding me about those books. I LOVED Herriot’s books, but haven’t read them for so long. I also loved A Gentleman in Moscow. Great suggestions!
yes to all creatures great & small
I read “The Dark is Rising” by Susan Cooper every winter. Not the whole series, just that one book.
I just finished Still Life a few days ago–my first Louise Penny! And I loved The Greenglass House and The Bear and the Nightingale–I agree, they are both excellent choices for cozy winter reads.
The dark is rising is every year for me too!!
This is truly a wonderful list. One book that I loved which is not listed is Snow Day by Billy Coffey, one of favorites to read each year at this time.
This added a bunch to my list, thanks! Forgot I had already downloaded The Winter Sea – just moved that up higher on my TBR list. 🙂
Just wanted to note that the Little House books are problematic in their portrayal of Native Americans. If you read Deb Reese’s blog – American Indians in Children’s Literature – she covers this in a lot of detail. It’s tricky, as many of us loved those books as children, but when read with a more critical (and adult) lens…there are major flaws.
I’m not trying to be a hater, I love your work! I’m an elementary school librarian, so this is something I think about a lot, and when I saw it listed, just felt I should share.
Thanks for the great post!
Have you read the children’s series by Louise Erdrich, starting with The Birchbark House? The novel follows an Ojibwa girl and her family and their way of life, in the late 1800s. You follow the family legacy through the series. I loved reading it as an adult, and my children were enthralled as well.
Oh I second this! I just found these and enjoyed them so much as an alternative view of that period of history.
I read Murder on the Orient Express last winter and really enjoyed it. It is definitely meant to be read in the winter; it would feel wrong to read it in the summertime! I would add Sherry Thomas’ latest book in her Lady Sherlock series, The Hollow of Fear. There’s something about a cozy mystery that needs to be read by a fire.
I plan to start War & Peace this winter, not necessarily because of the season, but because I tend to read longer books in the winter and leave shorter, faster-paced books for summer reading.
My husband just read The Terror and absolutely loved it. He cannot stop talking about it. AMC did a miniseries on it that he watched after he read it, if anyone wants to watch that.
I’m excited that I have several of these titles either on my kindle or in print form, stocked up for winter. And a couple of these are on my wish list, The Bear and the Nightingale being one – unfortunately I can never get it on sale in Canada for my kindle. I’m intrigued by the Susanna Kearsley one, love magical realism such as Alice Hoffman and Neil Gaiman. And will definitely put The Snow Child on my tbr list! Great list.
The Bear and the Nightingale is the most atmospheric wintery magical book I’ve read of late. Im OBSESSED with the series (reading an ARC of the last book right now, and it holds up well!) and have been recommending it to anyone who will listen for the past year!
I just discovered The Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley. If you want some books that will help you while away some long winter nights (and maybe take you into the wee hours of the morning!) here’s your answer. I can’t believe I’d never heard of this author before!
This is so timely for me. I was just lamenting last night that I couldn’t find the right book to read. I want something that I can immerse myself in with a cozy, wintery feel. I wanted a Kearsley-type book because I’ve read all of hers, but was having a hard time finding something. Your list has a few titles I haven’t read that look intriguing. Will try Snow Falling On Cedars and One Day in December. I just finished Kate Mortenson’s the Secret Keeper which was a decent winter read. I love Susannah Kearsley and I loved the Snow Child.I think the Vanderbeeks and Greenglass House will be good as read alouds during winter break for my son. Off to start reading now!
Snow Falling in Cedars is such a touching book and love the writing
I love Kate Morton’s books and have read them all. Her most recent, The Clockmaker’s Daughter, took a hit among Morton’s fans for being too long with too many characters. It wasn’t my favorite of her works, but I still liked it.
Thank you! I put Beartown, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, and Greenglass House on my wishlist at my state downloadable books library!
This is why you’re my favorite – there are 7 on here that my library has that I have never read. Thank you!
I hope you find a new favorite here!
I’ve read a few of these already at your suggestions, but I will definitely try to find a couple here, the Last Christmas in Paris sounds very good. I read All The Light We Cannot See last year, it was the best book I read all year! I loved it and this is unusual for me as I read lots of biographies, history, and such. I just finished Becoming Dallas Willard, an excellent book if you are a Dallas Willard fan, which I am. Thanks for helping to expand my reading life! Loved I’d Rather Be Reading as well. Giving it as gifts this year for Christmas!
Loved many on this list–The Snow Child and Winter Solstice, in particular. I also love The Christmas Letters by Lee Smith, which is one of the few books I reread almost every year. (And I just noticed it is $1.99 right now on Kindle if you are interested, although it is a sweet little book to hold in your hands.)
Clarification for my comment–it is a little book and is sweet to hold. I don’t want to give the impression this is a sweet little story, as there is way more to it than that!
Thanks for this great list – winter is my favorite seasonal setting!! I highly recommend The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. It is YA, which I don’t usually like to read, but this book is the front-runner for my favorite book of the year! It takes place in November, is highly atmospheric and is a spell-binding story.
On the other hand, The Bear and the Nightingale is one of my least favorite books of the year. I wanted to love it because of the fully realized winter setting and the beautiful cover art. I am still not able to articulate clearly what I didn’t like about it, and even tried (and failed) to convince myself to read the second one! Just curious if anyone else felt the same way about it. It should have hit my book ‘sweet spot’ but missed the mark considerably.
Hi Amanda–I did feel like there was something holding me back from flat out loving The Bear and the Nightingale–but I went ahead and read the second book and loved it! I felt like it was everything I wanted TBATN to be. It almost seemed like the first book was just set up for the meat of the story. I’m really hoping the 3rd book is as good or better than the 2nd! Also, if you like that type of story, I suggest checking out Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. I liked that one better than TBATN.
P.S. I’ve read The Scorpio Races too and loved it!
Lisa, my kindred book spirit, thank you so much for validating my feelings! I will definitely get Spinning Silver from the library and maybe reconsider the second book in TBATN trilogy based on your comments. 🙂
I really hope you like it! 🙂
I agree that something was missing from The Bear and The Nightrngale, I have the second one but haven’t read it yet. Uprooted by Naomi Novik was very good!
The Winter Sea is my favorite Kearsley book. Winter Solstice has been my annual Christmas season read for many years.
Those are both winter favorites of mine as well and it does seem to snow a lot in Three Pines.
I just started Beartown this morning – at your recommendation from another blog or podcast. Now, I added One Day in December and Last Christmas in Paris to my holds list at the library! Thanks for the great suggestions!!
I live in the Midwest and hate the cold weather. I want winter to be over already! 🙂 That being said, I’m loving this list.
For an easy lighthearted read, go for Winter Wonderland by Belinda Jones. I read it one January after visiting Quebec the previous July. It made me look at it in a whole new light… and made me yearn to visit in WINTER! I think it is a great read after the hustle of the holidays is over.
Great list! Reading books that take place during the current season is something I didn’t make an intentional effort to do until the last few years, and I’ve found that it really adds something special to the reading experience 🙂
I would add The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin (which takes place on the planet Winter, of course) to this list. My book club just finished it, and I was diving in during our first cold snap of the year. It really enhanced the whole setting for me!
I love and reread Winter Solstice every December (well, started a little early this year, but so did winter in Ohio!)! I also love Peace Like a River, just haven’t reread it as much. Added several to my TBR list as well. Thank you! Sigh… it’s way too easy to wrap in a blanket and read when there are so many things I ‘should’ be doing…but that’s great downtime too.
I’ve read several on this list. I’m currently reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe aloud with my daughter right now and enjoying it immensely! I’ve read Peace Like a River and Snow Child and liked them both. And I actually have Greenglass House and The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street on my shelf!
“Winter’s Tale” by Mark Helprin was my 2018 winter read. I’m originally from upstate New York and am happy to say that it only bears a slight resemblance to the way it’s depicted in this book! “Snow Child” was my 2017 winter read and I loved it! I’m planning to read “Bear Town” by Frederik Backman this year. I read his short novel, “A Deal of a Lifetime” earlier this year and really like his style of writing.
I’m from upstate too and have this one on my reading list- didn’t realize it was set there!
A fictional version of upstate NY is one of several settings as well as NYC.
I love A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella Bird. She is an Englishwoman who travels through the mountains in Colorado in the winter of 1873. I read it every year.
Thank you so much for these recommendations!! I still have The Great Alone on my list and now I feel like there’s 20 new books I need to add to my library queue. And I like winter only because it allows me to be maximum cozy for a few months 😉
Eva | http://www.shessobright.com
Like a lot of these. Really tried to like Beartown because I enjoyed Ove…but after struggling through over 200 pages I abandoned it. I don’t know if it has a happy ending but what I did read totally depressed me. Guess I prefer happier escapes when it comes to books.
I felt the same way about Beartown – I didn’t like the writing style and if I’m going to read a book about a heavy topic, I usually prefer nonfiction to fiction for some reason.
There’s nothing wrong with that, truly.
I have 17 of these! It seems I am very attracted to cozy winter reads, no matter what time of year it is! Now, which one to read first??
Terrific list! I tell everyone I know about Louise Penny’s wonderful Chief Inspector Gamand series. Such engaging characters. If I didn’t hate the cold winter I would want to live in Three Pines! Perfect for binge-reading.
Louise Penny is one of my favorite authors; have read all of the Three Pines novels. Finished her most recent book, Kingdom of the Blind, this month and loved it. It was made more special because my knitting friends and I attended her book signing in New Hampshire and we got to meet her. What a wonderful speaker (full of humor)!
I’m surprised that no one else mentioned reading The Gentleman from Moscow. While not what I expected, I think it may be one of, if not the, favorite book I’ve read (so far). It was beautiful, sad, great character development and, when I finished, I had to sit quietly (as in speechless) for awhile. And, while not intentional, it was during Winter/Christmas that I read it.
Melanie, I am in my mid-60s and A Gentleman in Moscow is the best book I have ever read. When it was over, I hugged the book to my chest and cried.
I did notice that KG also recommended “Gentleman” in a post on 11/28.
Loved so many of your suggestions! I love anything written by Rosamunde Pilcher–September, The Shell Seekers, but unfortunately Winter Solstice was the last book she has written–a fantastic author!
A favorite is The Gift of the Deer by Helen Hoover, illustrated so beautifully by her husband. Living in a remote cottage in Minnesota, a wounded deer comes to them. They nurse him back to health and over the next four years, the deer (Peter) brings his offspring and their offspring.These deer were not pets but the Hoovers did their best to keep them safe from hunters and supplied with food for the harsh winters. Nature lovers will embrace this book.
I’ve got a couple of cozy reads of my own — MAY B., which is set on the 1870s Kansas frontier in the midst of a blizzard, and JASPER AND THE RIDDLE OF RILEY’S MINE, which takes place during the 1897 Klondike Gold Rush. BRRR! 🙂
I can attest to the fact that both of these are fantastic winter reads!
Thank you! You’ve made my day.
The Snow Child is one of my absolute favorites! I didn’t love “The Great Alone,” but I really wanted to. Instead, Kristen Hannah’s “Winter Garden” is a wintery novel with a bit of history and a great mother/daughter storyline. It’s also sad, but less traumatic than “The Great Alone.”
I love to reread “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott at this time of year! A great pairing for LW is “March” by Geraldine Brooks. Also, second Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
I’m planning to also curl up with the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy again this year, just for something lengthy and adventuresome. I may have to reread “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” first!
Several of these are on my December/winter list! I have Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah, Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg, and The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn.
on my list too. (Didn’t finish my sentence lol!!)
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing. Definitely need to be snuggled under a warm blanket when you read this true story about his expedition to Antarctica. Great read!!
Yes to The Great Alone! I started reading it recently and I can’t put it down. It would be a perfect book to curl up with next to a fire with a blanket and a cup of tea. Any other Kristin Hannah lovers out there with a recommendation of which of hers to read next? I’ve already read and loved The Nightingale.
Every one of Kristin Hannah is good, but personally I think her best is Night Road. But be prepared, it will make you made enough to throw the book across the room, but when you go pick up you have to see how it ends.
I am from Australia. Christmas is usually 30 degrees celcius. Any books for us?
I like to read winter books in summer when it’s so, hot in Texas. That might work down und, too.
What a lovely list for prompting memories of some favourite reads (Snow Falling on Cedars in particular) and suggesting some future reads. It also meant I spent a few minutes coming up with my own suggestions (not on this list) and would suggest: EM Aldmedingen’s “Little Katia”, Rose Tremain “Music and Silence”, Celia Eckback “Wolf Winter” and Harry Thompson “This Thing of Darkness”.
Yes, yes for A Gentleman In Moscow! It is my top read for this year.
I also loved Eowyn Ivey’s To the Bright Edge of the World, which would also be a great winter read. She’s a fantastic author.
Question about The Great Alone. I’ve debated reading this but my first and only Kristen Hannah read was Winter Garden and I didn’t care for it. Are they similar?
Thank you!!! I did not realize she had written more books. I fell in love with The Snow Child!
One Day in December is a new favorite. I could not put it down and the characters really are so warm and relatable, especially when they make decisions that you really wish they wouldn’t.
Sitting here in Melbourne, Australia on a cold, wet, winter’s day, I resolved to read only cosy, uplifting books for the rest of the season. This blog post was the first I came across, with plenty of inspiration. Thanks!
Peace Like a River is one of my favorite reads ! Another great book by the same author is So Young, So Brave and Handsome—but it’s more of a summer read!
yes to all creatures great & small
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher is my go to read every December. Please please do yourself a favor and settle in on a cold winter night with a cuppa and read this glorious book with a heartwarming plot and characters to love. Happy Holidays to all and you’re welcome.
I love this book ❤️
The audiobook is absolutely marvelous – like a warm hug. I listened to it a few years ago and was recently listening to The Air Raid Book Club and had a similar cozy feeling (wonderful book, by the way). Several books later I thought that I’d like to listen to some other books the narrator of Air Raid Book Club recorded and realized she was the narrator for Winter Solstice! Her name is Jilly Bond and she has a lovely voice.