If you’re anything like me, as the nights get longer and the days grow colder, the urge to stay inside and avoid the outside world gets overwhelming. I want nothing more than to stay in my bed and watch the elements from the warmth of my room. Though these winter stay-ins can lead to restlessness and boredom, choosing the right book as a companion can make it an enjoyable experience. Whether you’re looking for quietly introspective novels that will have you underlining every-other sentence, fantasies with a gothic touch, or a cozy feel-good story, this list will have something for you. I tend to reach for fantasies during the winter months, which is certainly reflected in this list alongside several classics.
- One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Genre: Fantasy
“There once was a girl,” he murmured, “clever and good, who tarried in shadow in the depths of the wood. There also was a King—a shepherd by his crook, who reigned over magic and wrote the old book. The two were together, so the two were the same: “The girl, the King… and the monster they became.”
If you want a slow-burn gothic romance with dark eerie vibes and a fantastic magic system, then One Dark Window is for you! The kingdom of Blunder has been isolated from the world for centuries, surrounded by a mist-covered forest rumored to drive any who enter to insanity. Also plaguing the people of Blunder is the Infection, an illness which almost none survive, and if they do, they are put to death. Elsbeth caught the fever but her family hid the truth of it from the kingdom so that she might live. She survived, but the infection left her with a demonic presence in her head, The Nightmare, always vying to get out. Things take a turn when Elsbeth meets a highwayman who offers her an opportunity to cure both herself, and the rest of the Kingdom by uniting the Providence Cards, sources of magic left behind by the forest’s creator. She joins forces with the mysterious highwaymen and it becomes a race to see whether she can unite the cards before The Nightmare takes control of her mind.
- The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Genre: Fantasy
“I would walk into the jaws of hell itself, if it were a path of my own choosing. I would rather die tomorrow in the forest than live a hundred years of the life appointed me.”
Set in a remote village in the vast Russian countryside, this novel follows Vasya Petrovna, a young girl who can see spirits and objects of Russian folk religion that others cannot perceive. As a child, she comes across the evil bear Medved who seeks to harm her and her village, but she is saved by his brother, The Frost King. As she grows up, her connection to the creatures and spirits in her village grows stronger, putting her in conflict with the rise of Christianity and its quest to quash their traditions and folklore. As the people of her village stop leaving offerings for the spirits in exchange for their protection, they begin to fade, leaving the village vulnerable to far darker forces under the influence of Medved. Vasya must protect her village even as they grow increasingly wary of her, or risk losing everything she holds dear. The dark and wintry atmosphere of this book is enchanting, and it’s a fascinating look at Russian folklore and history with an added touch of magic.
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Genre: Gothic
“He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
This is a book that needs to be experienced more than described, and it will make you feel very sane and normal after your first read! Wuthering Heights is a tragic and obsessive love story between two childhood friends who maintain an intense and complicated relationship throughout their lives. It is, in my opinion, the best of the Brontë sister’s works. It explores themes of loss, revenge, and class structure against the backdrop of the isolated moors of Yorkshire, England.
- Little Women by Luisa May Alcott
Genre: Historical fiction
“Don’t laugh at the spinsters, dear girls, for often very tender, tragic romances are hidden away in the hearts that beat so quietly under sober gowns”
I may be biased in this recommendation because this book is where my name comes from, but I think it’s a tale that everyone should read at least once. In stark contrast to our last classic, this is a warm and cozy tale that takes place in the New England of the mid-19th century. It follows the March family, specifically their daughters Meg, Joe, Amy, and Beth. Through the seasons the girls must face all the conflicts of growing up and growing apart, finding their individual paths even as they try to stay together. This book is considered a classic for a reason, and it will make you laugh and cry within the same page. Anyone with sisters will find this book particularly wonderful, and it’s a steady companion for a cold winter’s night.
- The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Genre: Fantasy
“Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don’t understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning–either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. “
Another classic which nearly everyone has heard of but almost no one has actually read, this is the most well-known novel in C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series. The four Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, are forced to move into the English countryside during World War II. In their new home, they discover a wardrobe which leads to the magical wintry land of Narnia. After entering through the wardrobe, they discover that Narnia has been stuck in an eternal winter, under the reign of the White Witch. They are told of a prophecy which tells of four humans who can restore peace to Narnia, and are whisked into an epic adventure in this strange and beautiful land. If you’ve seen the film you may think that there is little point in reading the book, but it’s worth the time to delve deeper into the extensive lore of Narnia. Lewis’s heavy political and religious allegory underscore the world of Narnia and will keep you enthralled until the end.
- Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Genre: Fantasy
“A power claimed and challenged and thrice carried out is true; the proving makes it so.”
This is primarily a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, and bounces between the perspectives of three different women: Miryem, Wanda, and Irina. They live in the fictional kingdom of Lithvas which has been experiencing long and deadly winters that are slowly destroying them. As a moneylender’s daughter, Miryem keeps her family afloat by collecting on debts. One night she jokingly brags that she can “turn silver into gold”, a statement which is soon put to the test by the King of the nearby fae realm. Miryem is forced to obey the king or face certain death, but when she succeeds she finds that the alternative is not much better. She is whisked away to the Staryk kingdom to rule as its queen, and soon learns how truly intertwined the fate of this realm and her own are. Her story is tied up with that of the two other women who are facing conflicts of their own and are inextricably brought together to save their kingdom.
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Genre: Fantasy
“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.”
I truly can’t describe this book adequately enough because it is one of the most magical and enthralling tales that I have ever read. Le Cirque des Reves is an elaborate circus which mysteriously appears in locations around the world, providing dazzling and mystical entertainment. What the patrons of this circus don’t know however, is that the show is just a facade covering up an ancient and deadly rivalry playing out behind the scenes. Celia and Marcos are young wizards who have been trained since childhood to compete in the game. The game has no rules and the players don’t even know when it will begin, but the stakes are high. Celia and Marcos create stunning displays of their power through new tents and exhibits for the circus, but things get complicated as they begin to grow closer.