5 Books to Read this Winter

July 10, 2024

5 Books to Read this Winter

Is there anything better than reading a good book while the rain falls outside? Well, perhaps a trip to the South of France in summer, but in this case, we’re talking about indulging in some compelling reads when it is cold outside.

Midnight is a clingy little creature, so she and I recently spent an indulgent few days under the duvet with some good books. She is not very good at making tea, so I did have to get up from time to time to replenish the mug. Below are 5 books to read in Winter. You might like to try these next time you have a weekend morning free when it’s a bit cold outside. Some of these are books that I have read recently (fiction and non-fiction), and some during winter-snaps past.

Our Winter Book Recommendations

Happy Place – Emily Henry

Yes, I know this novel is set during the summertime, but it’s the perfect little easy-to-read novel for any holiday period.

Harriet and Wyn, once the inseparable couple, broke up six months ago but haven’t yet told their closest friends. Now, during their final annual retreat at a Maine cottage—up for sale and filled with cherished memories—they decide to pretend they’re still together to spare their friends’ feelings.

Amidst seafood feasts and coastal breezes, they struggle to hide their lingering feelings for each other. Can they successfully maintain the façade of a happy couple, or will their unresolved emotions surface during their bittersweet farewell week?

I think any reader of Emily Henry’s novels will know the answer to that final question but read it anyway. Henry has a way of writing fun, indulgent novels set in beautiful places in a convincing way. You find yourself rooting for her characters and being absorbed in their stories – and she does all of this with a witty turn-of-phrase.

Foster – Claire Keegan

A young girl is sent to live with foster parents (the Kinsellas) on a farm in rural Ireland, uncertain of when she’ll return home. In the unfamiliar surroundings, she discovers a warmth and affection she’s never experienced, gradually blossoming under their care. However, when a hidden truth comes to light, her newfound happiness proves fragile.

Technically Foster is not a novel, but rather a deceptively simple novella that you will inhale in one sitting. However, the story will stay with you for a long time. That’s the magic of Foster – it’s short (perfect for a cold morning) and oh so precious. Read it!

Brooklyn – Colm Tóibín

Eilis Lacey, a young woman from small-town Ireland in the post-World War Two era, struggles to find work due to the country’s bleak economy. When an Irish priest offers to sponsor her move to Brooklyn, promising a familiar neighbourhood akin to Ireland, Eilis decides to leave her mother and spirited sister behind.

In Brooklyn, she lands a job at a department store and unexpectedly finds love with Tony, a patient and charming Italian man from a large family. As their relationship deepens, tragic news from Ireland threatens to upend everything Eilis has built in America.

This novel is (again) a beautifully concise and haunting story of the courage of a young woman to start a new life far away from what is familiar. She finds love, and independence, but she must also grapple with what she has left behind. This novel will take you from Ireland to New York and back again and explores love, loss, grief and the reality of immigration in search of a better life. I am anxious to get my paws on the recently published sequel, Long Island.

Educated – Tara Westover

Educated is the memoir of Tara Westover, a young woman who grew up preparing for the end of the world.

Westover grew up in the remote mountains of Idaho, born to survivalist parents who prepared for doomsday scenarios. She didn’t set foot in a classroom until she was 17, spending her days helping her mother with herbal remedies and working in her father’s junkyard.

Without access to hospitals due to her father’s beliefs, Tara’s injuries (and those of her six siblings) were treated at home, and she lacked any formal education. Despite these challenges, she taught herself enough to gain admission to Brigham Young University, where she discovered history and the wider world for the first time. Her thirst for knowledge led her to Harvard and Cambridge, but as she journeyed far from her roots, she questioned if she could ever return home.

Educated is a fascinating read – it talks about the power of family and loyalty, as well as the power of education, and what happens when these things don’t go together for various reasons. It is certainly an extraordinary story – and it might also be worth reading Westover’s mother’s “response” – Educating (LaRee Westover). As Queen Elizabeth once said, “recollections may vary” – as there are usually a few perspectives when it comes to family experiences.

This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor – Adam Kay

Scribbled in secret after endless days, sleepless nights and missed weekends, Adam Kay’s This is Going to Hurt provides an uncensored account of his time on the NHS front line.

This book is hilarious. It is also fascinating, heartbreaking and tragic – it has it all.

This is Going to Hurt is a speedy read in the form of diary entries that Kay wrote as a young doctor trying to balance his life as a medical professional and his personal life. I read it in one sitting – I laughed, wept and gasped and then I went and bought the sequel, Undoctored, and devoured that too.

Conclusion

We hope you find a moment to peruse one (or all) of the 5 books to read in winter that I’ve recommended above during a cold snap, or even just to enjoy while you put a log fire on YouTube for ambience while the sun is shining. Connect with our community on Facebook or Instagram and share your own winter book recommendations with us!