As temperatures drop and snow starts falling, our instincts tell us it’s time to hunker down indoors with a stack of books. Long nights are made for losing oneself in stories that conjure nostalgia and comfort—tales that feel like wrapping up in your favorite sweater.
This winter, cozy up with books transporting you to snow-globe villages full of quirky characters, magical frozen landscapes, warm family gatherings, and even a little romance kindled by the glow of firelight. Lose yourself in fictional worlds where hearths crackle, cinnamon and cocoa perfuse the air, and scenes inspired by the sparkling stillness of the season play out.
Whether you’re searching for an absorbing storyline or just want to recreate the perfect hygge atmosphere at home, these lyrical and heartwarming books hit all the right notes for this winter season.
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
As the quintessential winter book, Rosamunde Pilcher’s Winter Solstice needs little introduction. Her beloved novel from 2000 encapsulates the nostalgic fantasy of an ideal countryside Christmas in the Scottish Highlands.
When veteran actress Elfrida Phipps leaves London behind, she finds refuge from heartbreak in a remote village cottage as snow isolates it from the rest of the world. The peace and solitude allow her to reconnect with simpler rhythms, finding profound meaning through everyday tasks.
But the weather soon necessitates that a motley crew of strangers—each recovering from their own relationship troubles—take shelter together under one roof for the holidays. Over the next few weeks, they forge unexpected connections that mend their scarred hearts and rekindle their capacity for hope.
As the frozen landscapes outside sparkle under brilliant starry skies and the northern lights, Pilcher’s evocative settings and complex yet relatable characters work their magic. Her lyrical exploration of personal growth’s inner quiet parallels the hushed beauty of snowy pastorals.
Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris
Published in 1995, this lesser-known book by Mary McGarry Morris unfolds over one pivotal 1960s Vermont winter. After the sudden death of her abusive husband, the ferociously strong-willed mother, Marie Fermoyle, moves with her three children to a tight-knit rural town.
The small community closes ranks around them, absorbing the family into the rhythms of pastoral life. Marie’s children begin attending the local school, finding a sense of belonging among new friends. Long-time residents also assist in subtle but profound ways as the Fermoyles rebuild their lives—from quietly dropping off baskets of food on their doorstep to offering forgiveness instead of judgment regarding past mistakes.
As Marie determinedly resumes her music studies to pursue a better future, glimmers of hope and resilience displace previous darkness. Morris weaves beauty even amidst hardship through poetic explorations of the land. Vivid winter scenes, like moonlit forests coated in ice, encapsulate the clarity and light gradually entering these characters’ lives after turmoil.
Ultimately, it’s a timeless story of the human connections anchoring us through seasons of change. The warmth radiating from this close-knit community makes Songs in Ordinary Time a perfect fireside read.
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Alaskan author Eowyn Ivey’s award-winning debut novel, The Snow Child, published in 2012, ingeniously combines stark wilderness survival with fairy tale wonder. Set in the 1920s on a secluded homestead plagued by a lack of offspring, middle-aged farmers Jack and Mabel struggle in isolation to tame the unforgiving landscape.
Just as they’re about to abandon their frontier dream, the first snowfall awakens an imagined girl built by hand, who then mysteriously comes to life. The wild child Faina befriends the couple, alleviating their loneliness with fleeting visits while straddling the line between fantasy and reality.
Ivey’s ethereal blizzard scenery, imbued with magic, conveys the savage beauty of Alaskan winters alongside timeless themes of yearning for rebirth. As Jack and Mabel construct a new world, the falling snow offers tranquility and possibility where there had only been grief.
Hints of supernatural folkloric mystique respectfully pay homage to Alaska’s indigenous traditions as well. But ultimately, this crystalline gem explores the true magic of embracing life’s impermanence and the connections binding us.
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
The Night Tiger pulls us into exotic 1930s colonial Malaysia through intricately linked quests across class and cultural lines. Published in 2019, Yangsze Choo’s transporting historical fiction subtly subverts power dynamics against the portentous backdrop of the tropical jungle and the emergence of rebellion.
When a young houseboy is tasked with finding his recently deceased master’s missing finger to bury intact for the afterlife, Chinese medicinal apprentice Ji Lin offers her assistance. But reckless decisions also land her in debt to a crooked dancehall madame, tangling secrets that threaten to destroy reputations and lives.
The two confidants traverse verdant landscapes shrouded in superstition, navigating societal double standards and unrest on the verge of boiling over. Lush depictions of the locale’s unique biodiversity reflect internal turmoil. But despite the omnipresent danger, Choo celebrates the enduring force of love and loyalty throughout.
Ultimately, Ji Lin and the houseboy Ren’s intertwined fate reverberates with the richness of Malaysian culture and rituals honoring life’s ephemeral cycles. Their devotion in the face of doomed odds makes this steamy, forbidden allies-to-lovers mystery perfect for suspensefully whiling away long, sultry nights.
The Snow Gypsy by Lindsay Jayne Ashford
For an emotionally charged historical saga, pick up Lindsay Jayne Ashford’s 2015 tour de force, The Snow Gypsy. In the aftermath of World War II, wounded ex-spy Natalia falls under the care of landowner Mary Grace after attempting suicide. To restore Natalia’s will to live, Mary recounts her own tragic past, including the fate of her long-lost daughter.
On the eve of the Russian Revolution in 1913, Mary journeyed to the Siberian wilderness as a newlywed. But soon murder and betrayal in tsarist Russia force her on the run with a Romani exile, back to his gypsy ancestral lands across Lake Baikal’s frozen expanse during winter.
The two displaced souls from disparate worlds form an unbreakable bond against the swirling, snowy chaos that stripped them of everything else. Their unlikely love blossoms wildly despite thin ice and political riots nipping at their heels.
In the present, bedridden Natalia finds inspiration to start her life anew from the epic story of her nurse’s resilience decades prior. Poetic parallels emerge between the two women thrust into exile.
Spanning over thirty years of displacement amidst the ice and tundra of Siberia in revolt, Ashford’s gripping emotional odyssey confronts trauma and social divides while ultimately highlighting shared humanity in times of crisis.
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
For a quirky and heartfelt story guaranteed to thaw the midwinter doldrums, pick up this 2013 Swedish coming-of-age tale from Katarina Bivald. 28-year-old bookworm Sara Lindqvist travels to the fictional small town of Broken Wheel, Iowa, to finally meet elderly pen pal Amy, only to discover she’s passed away.
The other residents, wrestling with the death of their beloved neighbor, urge Sara to stay. Charmed by their eccentricities, she decides to honor Amy’s memory by transforming a vacant shop into a bookstore stocked with her own beloved collection shipped from Sweden.
Soon the literary haven sparks the dusty Midwest community back to life as villagers reconnect while browsing the atmospheric shop ‘til midnight—finding solace in stories and each other’s company as ice encases their world. They help the introverted foreigner Sara, in return, blossom in confidence through sharing her passion.
Brimming with bookish nostalgia, Bivald celebrates the power of literature and human connection—especially in offbeat families—for weathering loss. As cold nights close in, what could be cozier than this earnest page-turner embracing cozy small town and bookstore tropes?
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
For fantasy fans craving immersive historical worldbuilding anchored in the chill of deep winter, Katherine Arden’s atmospheric Winternight book series delivers magic and menace inspired by Slavic folklore. In The Bear and the Nightingale, the first installment released in 2017, spirited herbalist’s daughter Vasya comes of age as dark forces threaten medieval Russia.
As the frost takes hold of the remote village and vast forests, folk rituals and offerings to pagan ‘chytiri’ spirits who guard home and hearth are called into question by a newly arrived priest. But freethinking Vasya alone still senses the supernatural guardians—and the malicious entities conversely gathering that only she can defeat.
Arden’s spellbinding storytelling transports readers to a fantasy feudal patriarchy on the cusp of Christianity’s encroachment during the cold and unforgiving depths of winter. Vasya’s courage in facing the literal demons plaguing her people compels, while spine-tingling mythical adversaries reflect real medieval superstitions. Pick up this smoldering series for fantasy flavored with Slavic history.
The Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts
Sometimes only the reliable formula of a feel-good Hallmark holiday film will satisfy that craving for happily ever afters. Published in 2011, bestselling Pacific Northwest romance author Sheila Roberts packs in double the festive fare with The Nine Lives of Christmas.
Wildlife firefighter and cat lover Zach never imagined settling down—until a near-death experience makes him rethink wasting any more lives without deeper connection. When he adopts a stray cat and stumbles onto the doorstep of a local veterinarian, sparks immediately sizzle with ambulance driver Marilee following her own recent close brush with mortality.
But a temporary custody clause means the newly dubbed “Ambrose” will bounce between their homes over the upcoming weeks. Through wintery walks with the matchmaking tabby who keeps returning Marilee into his orbit—despite her wariness about dating a perceived adrenaline junkie—Zach attempts to convince Marilee he’s ready for commitment over snuggling on his sleigh sofa watching The Grinch.
Roberts checks all the boxes for a quintessential holiday confection as snow falls, hot chocolate flows, and two lost souls find their way home. It’s impossible not to smile over this light-hearted myth of kitty soulmates orchestrating a happy ending.
One Day in December by Josie Silver
Boy meets girl under the twinkling London holiday lights outside a train station in a magical twist of fate…only to lose her again in the crowds. Such is the tantalizing premise in Josie Silver’s 2018 One Day in December—dubbed by readers as “the next Love Actually.”
Over the years that follow their fleeting yet intense connection, Laurie remains unable to forget that mystery man she’s convinced fate will eventually reintroduce. Little does she know her best friend and roommate Sarah starts falling for a humble busker she’s just met named Jack…who unbeknownst to both women was Laurie’s serendipitous missed match.
In trademark British romantic comedy style, chaos unfolds through a hilarious series of near misses and mixed signals. But eventually the truth outs amidst the flurry of floating snowflakes, holiday carolers, and twinkling lights blanketing London.
Silver keeps readers laughing and cheering through each cringe-worthy moment leading up to the long-awaited reveal sure to satisfy fans of Richard Curtis’ brand of happily ever afters. Her story brims with festive cheer as Jack and Laurie’s one winter’s evening sets off an eclectic ensemble romantic comedy rife with seasonal magic and just deserts.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Set in 1946, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is an epistolary novel written by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The story unfolds entirely through a series of letters exchanged between writer Juliet Ashton and the quirky residents of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands occupied by the Germans during World War II.
As Juliet searches for inspiration for her next book, she corresponds with Dawsey Adams, a Guernsey farmer who came across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb. Dawsey tells Juliet how he and his friends started a covert book club called the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society during the German occupation. One member, Elizabeth, invented the club as an alibi when she was caught breaking curfew, spinning a tale about rushing home after their book meeting ran late. From that little white lie sprouted a community lifeline that brought solace and companionship to its members throughout the war.
Intrigued by their story, Juliet begins corresponding with many of the book club members to learn more about their wartime experiences and about life on the small island. Through their vivid, heartfelt letters, Juliet gets to know them and their beloved Guernsey. There’s Dawsey, a gentleman farmer and the first point of contact; free-spirited artist Isola; Eben, the fisherman, and his grandson Eli; eccentric beekeeper Amelia; and the indomitable Elizabeth herself, the backbone of the island she loves.
When Juliet finally travels to Guernsey herself, the beauty and isolation of the island, the people’s resilience in the wake of tragedy, and blossoming relationships change her life irrevocably. This warm, funny tale of friendship, love, and the power of books charms from the very first letter.
As a top winter book, this cozy epistolary novel provides the perfect escape to Guernsey’s windswept shores and eccentric characters. It’s the ideal book to get lost in on a blustery winter weekend.
Under the Mistletoe at Everdew Farm by Emma Burstall
For a sweeping family saga jam-packed with Christmas spirit, escape to the English countryside with newly widowed Brie at her inherited Everdew Farm estate in Emma Burstall’s 2022 holiday tale Under the Mistletoe at Everdew Farm. Attempting to renovate the crumbling period property into an event venue, she instead gets drawn into preparations for ambitiously hosting a holiday market.
The sudden undertaking to transfigure the grounds into a magical Santa’s grotto brings together locals, many facing their own crossroads, while pulling on Brie’s heartstrings through revelations about the mansion’s history. Support arrives from handsome carpenter Con, hired to rebuild stables but distracted by his disapproval over displacing beloved ghostly residents.
As Yuletide fast approaches amidst snow flurries blanketing rolling hills and farmlands, obstacles mount against the deadline. But quintessential holiday warmth, revelry, and cheer bolster the characters’ resolve, led by irrepressible ‘Mother Christmas’ Liz cajoling the village into action.
Burstall captures all the British countryside Christmas charm you can dream of as tensions boil and then melt away under mistletoe and fairy lights. With lovable locals and more than one surprise matchmaking twist, Everdew Farm delivers on all the holiday happily ever afters.
The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber
No list featuring beloved winter books would be complete without prolific author Debbie Macomber’s holiday romance staples. Her stand-alone novel The Christmas Spirit from 1994 remains a seminal seasonal tearjerker as 2nd grade teacher Alicia mourns her unborn child, she awaits husband Jordan’s return from reporting overseas, and cherished journalistic dreams fade.
But when Jordan goes missing amidst political unrest, leaving only a manuscript saved on their corrupted computer, Alicia finds renewed purpose. She enlists the help of dashing stranger Micah to try recovering Jordan’s files, hoping to someday publish his article. Her unlikely ally reminds her that hope shouldn’t be abandoned, even in the darkest of times.
As Seattle prepares for Christmas while Alicia unravels the cryptic spiritual message within Jordan’s technological glitches, this thought-provoking narrative turns tropes upside-down. True love prevails in unexpected new beginnings emerging from suffering. And most profoundly, Micah’s eccentric yet sage insights about perceiving “angels unaware” prove prophetic regarding human connections and resilience.
Macomber gifts readers with inspirational wisdom between the lines of her quintessential holiday-themed romance. Rather than just feel-good seasonal fluff, The Christmas Spirit celebrates the selfless strength of the human spirit embodied in community.
So there you have the top books to cozy up with this winter! Transport yourself through time and across snow-covered landscapes with heartwarming storytelling steeped in nostalgia. Lyrical novels like Pilcher’s Winter Solstice, Morris’ Songs in Ordinary Time, McGarry Morris’ Songs in Ordinary Time, Ivey’s The Snow Child, Choo’s The Night Tiger, and Ashford’s The Snow Gypsy deliver emotion and vivid settings exploring relationships tested by life’s storms—and the hope emerging from those crucibles.
On the lighter romance side, The Nine Lives of Christmas, One Day in December, and The Christmas Spirit guarantee happily ever afters with enough holiday spirit to melt even a Grinch’s heart. For something different, try Bivald’s offbeat bibliophile tale The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. And fantasy fans will find magic and adventure in the likes of Arden’s medieval Russian adventure, The Bear and the Nightingale, or Burstall’s Under the Mistletoe at Everdew Farm.
With this winter book list, there’s something irresistibly tempting for every book lover, ready to hibernate among pages as Old Man Winter settles in. So get cozy and let a captivating story spark your imagination—and Christmas cheer—during the most wonderful time of the year for reading!