Five Books to Curl up With This Winter

There’s no denying that, this winter, we’re all going to get a bit extra fed up of being stuck indoors. But, although lockdown may prevent us from going out to the pub, to Christmas parties and to see friends, there’s nothing it can do to get in the way of some good old armchair adventuring. So find your snuggliest blanket, cosy socks and a cup of tea and settle down to be whisked off to distant lands through the pages of five of my favourite books for escapism.

The Winternight Trilogy, by Katherine Arden

Okay, so this is actually three books – but it’s one of the most beautiful and captivating tales of winter I’ve read: one of those stories that you can be absorbed in for days on end while doing little else. The trilogy follows Vasilisa “Vasya” Petrovna: a wild, unruly child, living in Medieval Russia, happier playing in the forest than doing needlework with her sisters, who realises that she has a special gift for seeing magical beings that others can no longer see. From the deep snow-clad forests of the far north to the gleaming rooftops of 14th century Muscovy, these three books will take you on an epic journey through medieval Russia, on a road through midnight and have you falling in love with winter.

Buy the first book here.

The Mercies, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Cold, brutal and unputdownable, The Mercies will have you eagerly flicking through pages, desperate to find out the fates of the strong women the novel portrays. Set on the remote Norwegian island of Vardø, The Mercies is an acute examination of the spread of fear, suspicion and oppression, which often feels just as relevant to modern-day life as to 1600s Norway. The perfect book to curl up with in front of the fireplace on a cold winter’s day, The Mercies should be added to your list asap.

Buy the book here

The Secret History, by Donna Tartt

If you haven’t yet read Donna Tartt’s masterpiece, this winter is the perfect time to find out what all the hype is about. This page-turner will have you on the edge of your seat as wait to find out why a group of young liberal arts students could commit such an awful act as murder. Throughout the novel, the skill of Tartt’s writing is that you, the reader, always feel like you’re being let in on a secret, on part of an exclusive group that no one else has access to. One of the few books that I will reread again and again, I can assure you that The Secret History is like nothing you have ever read before, and may continue to haunt you for years to come.

Buy the book here.

Circe, by Madeline Miller

Although not a very wintery novel as such (the story takes place in Ancient Greece), this book is definitely best enjoyed if you have the time to read it all in one sitting, so you can become completely engrossed in this magical world. Madeline Miller’s retelling of Homer’s Odyssey recasts this ancient greek epic from the point of view of Circe as a woman misunderstood, rather than the sinister character she is usually portrayed as. Powerful, magical, devastating – this book is a keen portrayal of an individual’s strength to overcome all odds in a world where everything seems against them. A feast for the imagination, and truly unputdownable. So, get ready to curl up on the sofa and forget all about the outside world, as this book will have your entire attention from the very first page to the very last word.

You can buy this book here

The Murderer’s Ape by Jakob Wegelius

Last but not least, here’s one for pure escapism. Join Sally the ship’s engineer (who also just happens to be a gorilla) in a nail biting race around the world to rescue her beloved captain. Do not be put off by the fact that The Murderer’s Ape is marketed as a children’s book, as its Swedish author Jakob Wegelius has skilfully accomplished the rare feat of spinning a story that will delight both children and adults alike. So grab a cup of hot choc, or a glass of wine, and prepare to hunker down on the sofa (pyjamas encouraged) and disappear into a mystical world of fado, ships, accordions, airplanes and most importantly, the unfaltering belief that in the end good will always prevail.