Snow falling, warm hot cocoa steaming and Christmas conifers blooming are all signs of the winter season. Seeing as you’re probably reading this in South Florida, you have little chance of seeing any of those. It may be difficult to tangibly feel that cozy, wintery spirit under the Florida sun, but it’s not impossible. Check out these five books to be effortlessly transported into a winter wonderland this season.
“The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe: The Chronicles of Narnia” by C.S. Lewis
This classic children’s tale is enjoyable for all ages at any time of the year, but there’s nothing like reading it during the winter months with a cup of hot cocoa. Even though it may not be snowing outside, C.S. Lewis’s gorgeous, fantastical descriptions of the dreamy, frozen world of Narnia will make you feel like it is. The beautiful wintery atmosphere of the book is timeless and will never fail to get you smiling and daydreaming about a winter wonderland.
“Let It Snow” by John Green, Lauren Myracle and Maureen Johnson
There is no other book that captures the euphoric Christmas spirit as youthfully as this book. It’s written by three well-established young adult authors, and their collaboration truly resulted in a Christmas miracle. The book takes place during the holidays, telling three separate stories of young love amidst a raging blizzard. These three tales intertwine perfectly in the end, leaving the reader feeling as satisfied as drinking a cup of eggnog would.
“Murder on the Orient Express” by Agatha Christie
You might recall the blockbuster movie of the same title, which came out in 2017, but the book is much better. This suspenseful wintertime tale puts an entertaining twist on the classic murder mystery on a train story, but you’ll have to wait until the ending to know just what that means.
“A Game of Thrones” by George R.R. Martin
The first installment of the “Game of Thrones” series, this book’s tagline is reason enough to include it on this list: “Winter is coming.” That constantly repeated sentence as well as the dark descriptions of what exactly this entails puts the reader in a wintertime mood that is similar to that of “Murder on the Orient Express” and quite unlike the fuzzy feeling of “Let It Snow.” Still, there is indescribable merit in this suspenseful, goosebump-inducing writing style. You’ll feel cold in the best way possible when reading this book, and as you go on, you’ll find it increasingly difficult to put down.
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” by J.K. Rowling
Perhaps the most universally appealing book on this list, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” is the fifth installment of the Harry Potter series, but don’t let that deter you from picking it up if you’ve never read the first four novels. Many consider this as the turning point in the series in which the plot truly picks up, so don’t consider it completely necessary to read its predecessors. It was impossible not to include a Harry Potter book in this list because J.K. Rowling’s beautiful, cozy descriptions of the holidays at Hogwarts are just too iconic. Despite this being one of the darker installments in the series, it will fill you with a sense of wonder and make you feel like you’re sitting in a gorgeous castle being blanketed by snow.
