Books To Keep You in the Winter Mood
This winter has been short and strange around the world but if you want to keep that snowy mood going here are some books to keep you chilled through the end of the cold season...
Let's start with books that are atmospheric, moving and ultimately will make you question your assumptions and see others differently. These books will give your compassion muscle a workout. One is by acclaimed Turkish author Orhan Pamuk the other is by the award-winning David Guterson and each in its own way is about love, memory, extremism and the challenge of hate in a world where we are always intimate with the 'other'.
Be prepared to be haunted by this novel...
“Despite the loss they were suffering, they'd both relaxed - as people do when they realize they've run out of chances for happiness” Snow
“That the world was silent and cold and bare and that in this lay its terrible beauty” Snow Falling on Cedars
Like your novels short? Here are two masters of writing with a story in each collection set in snowy landscapes.
"So this was how you died, in whispers that you did not hear." The Snows of Kilimanjaro
"People live within the winter in a way outsiders do not understand. They are watchful, provident, fatigued, exhilarated." "Fits" in The Progress of Love
"Like snow crystals, we are made mostly of water. When we die, the water in us will find its way to the seas where in time it will be lifted up by the sun, to fall again as snow." The Snow Tourist
This is a classic of writing about the arctic and the love for that landscape and its mystery.
These are two classics of Scandinavian thrillers and they have each been made into films which you can also enjoy. Snuggle in some warmth and dive into these mysteries.
“Confronted with people who have power, and who enjoy using it, I turn into a different person, a baser and meaner one.”
― Peter Høeg, Smilla's Sense of Snow
“Evil is not a thing. It cannot take possession of you. It’s the opposite; it’s a void, an absence of goodness. The only thing you can be frightened of here is yourself.”
― Jo Nesbø 'The Snowman'
For those who love old school mysteries here are two from the lovely British Library Mystery series
We read this one in two sittings.. it's an old fashioned cozy mystery for those who don't like too much violence and gore.
Vintage short crime novels set in winter.
We havent forgetten the little ones in your life who love the snow as much as we all do. Here are some beautiful books to share with the children in your life.
"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again."
— Lewis Carroll
