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Snow/winter weather


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Well, it's been cloudy, cold and wet here, and I have had three mini-floods so far while my roof is being replaced. I have the heater on trying to dry out the soaking walls in my bedroom.

 

All in all, it's making me think of winter, when I like to have the coal fire on and snuggle up under a throw drinking hot chocolate (or warm Baileys!) while I'm reading my book.

 

Planning very far ahead, I wonder whether anyone has any recommendations for novels involving snow or winter weather? They could be any genre at all, from apocalyptic to romance, I like to read all kinds of stuff!

 

Thanks in advance :D

 

Well, thank you very much to you all for your lovely suggestions! I have put them into a categorised list in case anyone else would like to make use of it (I wasn't quite sure what category to put a couple of them in, so if anyone feels strongly that I have got one wrong, just let me know :) ).

 

Fiction

 

Wintering by Kate Moses

A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid

Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

Letters from Father Christmas by J R R Tolkien

 

Women's Fiction/Chick Lit

 

Light on Snow by Anita Shreve

Northern Lights by Nora Roberts

The Winter House by Nicci Gerrard

Silent Snow, Secret Snow by Adele Geras

 

Crime/Mystery/Thriller

 

The Big Snow by David Park

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

The Killing Place by Tess Gerritsen

Winter Prey by John Sandford

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg

Elizabeth George mysteries

 

Horror/Supernatural/Fantasy/Sci-Fi

 

The Snow by Adam Roberts

Misery by Stephen King

The Treasure by Selma Lagerlof

The Shining by Stephen King

 

Historical Fiction

 

The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell

The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney

The Virgin in the Ice by Ellis Peters

Pillars of the Earth & World Without End by Ken Follett

 

The Classics

 

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

 

Children's/Youth

 

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis

The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo

 

Non-Fiction

 

Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson

Edited by Ooshie
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Thanks Coffin Nail and Echo :D

 

I read Anna Karenina about 30 years ago, so it is definitely due to be read again! I had actually been thinking of reading it again, although I hadn't equated it with my winter theme, so I think I will keep it for then!

 

I had read Wuthering Heights earlier this year, so might save it for another winter, although it definitely fits with the theme so who knows...

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What about chicklit? I don't read it as a general rule but there are three exceptions to that, and one is Anita Shreve. She has one awesome novel called Light On Snow, which is set in a remotely-located house in a proper snowy Winter in America. It's a sort of emotional drama thing, the people living in said house find a baby in the woods. And drama ensues. I read it around last Christmas and it's a real Wintery book.

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Might be a good time to start Pillars of the Earth or World Without End. Or a few Elizabeth George mysteries? I know what you mean. We arent dealing with cool and cloudy weather but HEAT! My mind is already thinking about Fall/Winter. I'm actually starting my book hoarding now.

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What a lot of lovely suggestions, thank you - my list is building up nicely! :D

 

Nollaig, I love Anita Shreve too (although like you I don't read much chick lit) and Light on Snow will definitely be on my list.

 

Katrina1968 - poor you in all that heat :D I am complaining about it being miserable here, but I couldn't take that sort of heat at all. Pillars of the Earth does look good, and I haven't read anything by Elizabeth George.

 

Maureen, thanks for the link, I will have a read through The Winter King thread.

 

Kate, I have previously read The Tenderness of Wolves, and you are right it is just the sort of thing I am looking for!

 

Kidsmum, I have seen the film Snow Falling On Cedars but not read the book, so that is definitely another one for the list.

 

pickle, I have enjoyed everything I have read by Tess Gerritsen and haven't read that one yet, so will look forward to that.

 

Finty, I haven't heard of John Sandford before, and Winter Prey does look good. Although on Amazon it looks like there are 17 Prey novels, so I think I will have to cheat and read it as a stand-alone if you think it would work reasonably well on its own?

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Winter Prey by John Sandford is set in deep winter. Sandford's Prey series is best read in order though.

 

Actually, I think that Winter Prey can be read out of order, since it's in a totally different setting.

 

Ooshie, if you're a fan of Sylvia Plath, I would also recommend Wintering by Kate Moses. It tells the story of Plath's last winter in London.

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Echo, thanks for letting me know about Winter Prey. :D The first time I read any Sylvia Plath was The Bell Jar, for the Rory Gilmore challenge; I thoroughly enjoyed that. I have had a look at Wintering on Amazon and it does look a really good read.

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.

 

Finty, I haven't heard of John Sandford before, and Winter Prey does look good. Although on Amazon it looks like there are 17 Prey novels, so I think I will have to cheat and read it as a stand-alone if you think it would work reasonably well on its own?

 

You probably could read it as a stand-alone Ooshie. It's not too far into the Prey series either and they always give you a little bit of background to the central character, Lucas Davenport. I've read all of the Prey novels and am thinking of starting at the beginning again!

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You probably could read it as a stand-alone Ooshie. It's not too far into the Prey series either and they always give you a little bit of background to the central character, Lucas Davenport. I've read all of the Prey novels and am thinking of starting at the beginning again!

 

It's worth it...I did it a few years ago, and it was great! I lost a lot of my Prey books a long time ago in an apartment flood, though, so I'll have to replace a bunch first.

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If you like books aimed at the youth market, you'll probably love The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo - it's absolutely gorgeous and one of my all-time favourite books. I reread it not that long ago and it's still as magical now as I found it when I read it some 20+ years ago! :)

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Echo and Finty, those Prey novels do look good! And I do enjoy a series. I will need to make up my mind whether to start properly at the beginning or just dip in with Winter Prey.

 

lopeanha, I haven't read a Norah Roberts novel in years and had kind of forgotten about her, but I read several a long time ago and really enjoyed them. Northern Lights looks just right.

 

Kell, until joining BCF I had really written off children's books, and had actually been on the verge of taking all my favourite books from my childhood to the second-hand bookshop to see what I could get for them. :blush: But I have definitely seen the error of my ways and am planning to read quite a few children's/youth books, so The Snow Spider looks a nice addition to my list. (And thinking of children's books has reminded me of one of my all time favourite books, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which fits very nicely in with my snowy theme :) )

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There's no way I'm going to get away with suggesting Smilla's Sense of Snow, is there? :lurker:

 

Have you read any Brother Cadfael detective stories? Virgin in the Ice is set during winter, in the 16th century (?). It's by Ellis Peters.

 

I might be wrong but I think Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is partly set during winter, and it's a Rory book as well ;)

 

A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid is a lovely little feel-good novel about a special kind of boy and a dog.

 

Andrei Kurkov's Death and a Penguin also happens during winter, if I'm not entirely in the wrong. There's also a real penguin, something which we associate with a cold climate :)

 

John Grisham's Skipping Christmas is also winterish but I personally hated that book and besides, I don't think you particularly wish to read Christmassy novels.

 

Alice Sebold: The Lovely Bones

 

Donna Tartt: The Secret History (?)

 

Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express

 

Stephen King: Misery

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frankie, it was Smilla that started the vague hankering for snowy/wintery books that grew into this real need, you know how I loved that book! :lol: But I am going to hang on to them to read all cosied up in front of the fire :) (which might not be long the way the weather here is going). Some great suggestions, frankie, thanks very much!

 

I haven't read anything by Ellis Peters, although I have thought about buying a Brother Cadfael mystery often, and Virgin in the Ice looks just right.

 

Edit: I read Little Women years ago in my early teens, loved the book and the film with Elizabeth Taylor, might be time for a reread of that!

 

A Dog Named Christmas looks a lovely little book, it's always nice to have something feelgood in reserve for when I need something gentle...

 

Death and a Penguin looks really different to anything else on my list so gets onto it just for that!

 

I wouldn't have left Skipping Christmas off just for being about Christmas, but I had a real phobia about Christmas for years after OH had his brain haemorrhage (after being very controlled and brave for weeks and not crying at all, I finally broke down and sobbed uncontrollably when carol singers came into the ward, poor OH at death's door only able to move his left hand was having to pat my hand and try to comfort me :blush: ) so I am scared to try it in case it sends me back into phobia mode!

 

I have read The Lovely Bones and The Secret History a couple of times (particularly love The Secret History) but will remember them for other years - yes, I am intending doing the winter reading other years too...

 

I have never actually read any Agatha Christie, although I have seen and enjoyed lots of the films, so maybe it's time I got started!

 

I love Stephen King, but I have only been able to read Misery once as some of it was just too gruesome for me :(

Edited by Ooshie
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I think I'm going to be stealing some suggestions from this list myself! :lol:

 

There are lots of fantastic suggestions, aren't there, Nollaig? After the suggestions slow down, I think I will put together a proper list of them all at the end of my first post (maybe in genres) to make it easier for anyone else wanting to dip into them. They are definitely too good just to be kept to myself! :)

 

Thanks again, everybody :hug2:

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frankie, it was Smilla that started the vague hankering for snowy/wintery books that grew into this real need, you know how I loved that book! :lol:

 

I should've known it all comes down to Smilla :P I hope the weather's really not that bad that it sometimes seems like autumn/winter is on its way.

 

A Dog Named Christmas looks a lovely little book, it's always nice to have something feelgood in reserve for when I need something gentle...

 

Because of your Christmas phobia of some years ago, I must say that this book is set during Christmas time.

 

Death and a Penguin looks really different to anything else on my list so gets onto it just for that!

 

It's a really quirky detective novel, something totally different from the normal American or British thrillers. I've been wanting to reread it for a while now, and there's also a sequel to it.

 

I wouldn't have left Skipping Christmas off just for being about Christmas, but I had a real phobia about Christmas for years after OH had his brain haemorrhage (after being very controlled and brave for weeks and not crying at all, I finally broke down and sobbed uncontrollably when carol singers came into the ward, poor OH at death's door only able to move his left hand was having to pat my hand and try to comfort me :blush: ) so I am scared to try it in case it sends me back into phobia mode!

 

That's a really tough story, it must've been so scary for you hun! :friends0: He did survive it though, didn't he? And he's alright nowadays? Sorry if it seems like a daft question but I don't think we've ever discussed our OHs/BFs :blush:

 

 

Didn't you find the ending really creative in The Lovely Bones? The way the girl ... uhm.... dealt with the ... dude who did some things? (I have no idea where the spoiler tag is in this new forum!!)

Edited by frankie
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frankie, the weather has been really miserable here for the last couple of weeks - an hour or two of sunshine here and there, but mostly grey, cloudy and wet. And yes, sometimes cold:( So I am trying to hang on to my wintery books, but if the fire has to go on, then maybe the wintery books will have to come out too!

 

I did like the ending to The Lovely Bones - but, like you, I haven't found the spoiler tags yet so can't really comment...

 

I think I will be ok with A Dog Named Christmas, it was just that Skipping Christmas looked like it was about not wanting Christmas because of all the hype etc, and that was part of my phobia! I couldn't bear all the stuff about decorating, sending cards, shop windows etc, it all just seemed trivial and superficial and totally worthless. And I usually love Christmas so it was a few really horrible years. OH did survive, although he is brain damaged and hasn't been able to work since (15 years this November) as he has left side weakness, problems with his vision and various memory/cognitive problems. But his personality remained intact, and that's the main thing! :)

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