Winter Reads

As I am clearly a weather woman, I am going to announce that we are definitely in winter now. It's official. I'm sat in my house with a hat on and am seriously considering the practical implications of fingerless gloves (so far they're looking like a necessity). If there is one thing about winter that I love it is the reading mood it puts me in to. There is nothing better than snuggling up under a blanket (or three), with a hot water bottle, a cup of tea and a good book. The Moonstone readalong eased me into the season of reading and now the Dickens readalong hosted by the lovely Bex is just making me hella happy. 

I'm not a huge reading planner and I think reading is actually the only area in my life where I am able to be spontaneous but I really do have an idea of what I want to read over the next couple of months. The following are all what I would consider to be 'wintry' books - books that I just want to curl up with and read for hours. Don't let me down, guys, don't let me down.

1. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Dickens and winter are pretty much made for each other. It's working for me so far - an excellent pre-Christmas read.

2. The Lie by Helen Dunmore
A new release for 2014 (hello Centenary bandwagon, I love you). Dunmore is one of those consistently good writers so I'm really looking forward to seeing how she approaches the war. Please no cliches, Helen.

3. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Who doesn't love a sobfest in winter? Ness has had me in pieces with every book I've read so far and I have no doubt that this will go the same way. He is so good.

4. The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett

It's bookish and mysterious = win.

5. The Last Runaway by Tracey Chevalier

Like Helen Dunmore, Tracey Chevalier is one of those writers I can always rely on to produce a darn good story. I went to a reading of this in the summer and have meant to read it ever since.

6. Magda by Meike Ziervogel

I saw Meike talk about Magda and the women of the Third Reich in the summer which just encouraged my interest in the subject. It's only a short novel but I am pretty certain it will be a thought-provoking one.

7. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Again, bookish and mysterious = win.

8. Z by Therese Anne Fowler
This feels like it should be a summer read given the subject (Zelda Fitzgerald) but I think it will be one I don't want to put down once I get started. I think I may read this in January for Leah's Jazz Age in January event.

9. Stoner by John Williams
Waterstones book of the year 2013 and quite the publishing sensation  - can't go wrong. Plus, there are books on the cover (it's the little things).

10. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
Dystopian sci-fi goes so well with dark, bleak days. This is on my Classics Club list and I've been excited to get to it since finding it at the South Bank Book Market.


Have you read any of these? Have I picked some good winter reads? What is on your TBR for the next few months?

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