Winter/Snow/Christmas themed books

[poppyshake]

I know it's a bit early ... but has anyone got any recommendations for books with a wintery theme?.

 

I love reading books about Winter .. in Winter!

 

Obviously there is Dickens 'Christmas Carol' .. and I do read it every year, others I like are (some are only partly wintery)

 

'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe' .. C.S. Lewis

'Little Women' .. Louisa May Alcott

'Hogfather' ... Terry Pratchett

'Wintersmith' ... Terry Pratchett

'Letters from Father Christmas' ... J.R.R. Tolkien

'The Wind in the Willows' ... Kenneth Grahame

 

I've got 'December' by Elizabeth H Winthrop on my TBR pile .. and I've also got my eye on 'A Redbird Christmas' by Fannie Flagg (great name that!)

 

Any recommendations?

[NovaLee]

Skipping Christmas ~ John Grisham

[Nollaig]

Oooh I like the idea of this thread. Unfortunately I can't contribute as I've been trying to think of anything Christmassy at all myself. However I may steal other people's suggestions!

[Janet]

If you don't mind books aimed at young people, The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder is a sweet book. I think I gave it about 7/10.

[frankie]

Peter Hoeg's Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow is an especially wintery and snowy book It might be a bit hard to get into but I've heard it's really great. I started to read it once for a Scandinavian lit course but as much as I loved reading it, it took me too much time and I didn't have time to finish it and then somehow got distracted and started reading something else Stupid me!

 

Edit: for some reason this book might also be found as "Smilla's Sense of Snow"

Edited September 22, 2009 by frankie

[Stephanie2008]

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

[Freewheeling Andy]

Snow, by Orhan Pamuk, is about Snow.

 

Unfortunately, it's by Orhan Pamuk, so it's dreadful, self-absorbed toss. Which is a shame, because a book about a political coup in a snow-bound city in Eastern Turkey should be interesting. Pamuk, though, has a magic ability to make interesting stories into utterly awful books.

 

Go for the Hoeg. Miss Smilla is a really good book.

[frankie]

I've actually got a copy of the Smilla book in English, I'm not really sure why because I think I'll want to read it in Finnish because it was hard to get into and I've already got the Finnish copy as well. The book's pretty big and heavy, but if more people would be interested in this book since 'Tis (almost) the season, I'd be happy to put it up as a bookring book?

[Kell]

Kate has just posted a review of a winter-themed title: Love Begins in Winter by Simon van Booy.

[Weave]

Hi poppyshake

 

How about The Autobiography of Santa Claus Jeff Guinn

 

This enchanting Christmas Chronicles classic combines solid historical fact with glorious legend to deliver the definitive story of Santa Claus. For anyone who has ever wondered .... you're right to believe in him! In The Autobiography of Santa Claus, Santa reveals his story for the first time. Nicholas (his real name) was born in the Middle Eastern country of Lycia to wealthy parents who died when he was young. The kind people of Lycia taught him the lessons of goodness and generosity, which he began to practice as a child by sharing his wealth with those in need. As a young man, Nicholas realised that this generosity had bestowed upon him special abilities to distribute his presents to deserving children everywhere. And so it was that Santa broadened his gift-giving and spread his message to many others who also valued his belief in the goodness of giving. Families will delight in each chapter of this Christmas classic - one per each cold December night leading up to Christmas! And who better to lead us through seventeen centuries of Christmas magic than good ol' Saint Nick himself?

 

How Mrs Claus Saved Christmas by Jeff Guinn

 

In this delightful Christmas Chronicles tale, the first lady of Christmas herself tells the story of how she and a very brave group of people once saved a treasured holiday from being lost forever. It's 1620, and Mrs Claus's dear husband is off in the New World, planting the seeds for what will become a glorious Christmas tradition. Meanwhile, Mrs Claus has chosen to stay in England, where the first signs of a dangerous threat to Yuletide cheer are in evidence. The Puritans have gained control of Parliament and appear determined to take all the joy out of Christmas. But Mrs Claus knows that it's time for serious action when, in 1647, a law is passed by Parliament that actually punishes anyone who celebrates Christmas. Based on the actual events of a day in 1647, when ten thousand peasants marched through the streets of Canterbury demanding their right to celebrate a beloved holiday, How Mrs Claus Saved Christmas is rich in historical detail, adventure and plain ol' Christmas fun.

[chesilbeach]

A Winter Book is a collection of short stories by Tove Jansson, and a completely lovely book to read snuggled up in front of the fire.

 

Synopsis from Waterstones.com:

Following the widely acclaimed and bestselling "The Summer Book", here is a "Winter Book" collection of some of Tove Jansson's best loved and most famous stories. Drawn from youth and older age, and spanning most of the twentieth century, this newly translated selection provides a thrilling showcase of the great Finnish writer's prose, scattered with insights and home truths. It has been selected and is introduced by Ali Smith. The "Winter Book" features 13 stories from Tove Jansson's first book for adults, "The Sculptor's Daughter" (1968) plus 7 of her most cherished later stories (from 1971 to 1996), translated into English and published here for the first time.

[amethyst]

I've got a Christmas trilogy by Mary and Carol Higgins Clark. I read them a few years ago now, they're basically mystery stories based around Christmas. I quite enjoyed them. The book is called The Christmas Collection and the individual stories are called Decks the Halls, The Christmas Thief and He Sees You When You're Sleeping.

[poppyshake]

Thanks everyone, I'm loving all these suggestions ... they all sound just the thing. The short stories sound great cos you could just dip in.

 

Hi Gyre

[Inver]

Winter Solstice ~ Rosamund Pilcher is a cosy read for reading up to Xmas.

 

A Winter Book ~ Tove Jansson (also has a Summer version)

 

And for the kids....

 

One Snowy Night ~ Nick Butterworth (Percy the Park keeper our favourite)

[wiccibat]

Another one aimed at young teens/children is The dark is rising ~ Susan Cooper.

It's my personal ritual to read it every December:readingtwo:

 

Taken from Amazon.

Before Harry Potter, there was Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising....... It's midwinter and Will Stanton, the seventh son of a seventh son, discovers his destiny on the eve of his birthday. Will must learn to harness the powers of the Old Ones and embark on an incredible battle against the terrifying Dark, an evil entity that threatens the world's very existence.Other books in the Dark Is Rising series are: Over Sea Under Stone,Greenwitch,The Grey King, Silver on the Tree.

 

About the Author

Susan Cooper was born in Buckinghamshire and began her career as a reporter for the Sunday Times. Her fantasy sequence, The Dark Is Rising, has won many awards, including the Newbery Medal. She has written a number of other books for children and adults, a Broadway play and several screenplays. She is married to a Canadian actor, has two children and lives in Connecticut in the United States.

 

There was a film made of the book, don't bother with it, they changed it so much it was unrecognisable & I was really upset!

Edited September 23, 2009 by wiccibat

[Weave]

A Winter Book is a collection of short stories by Tove Jansson, and a completely lovely book to read snuggled up in front of the fire.

 

Synopsis from Waterstones.com:

 

I added 'A Winter Book' to my wishlist, thanks Chesil

[poppyshake]

Winter Solstice ~ Rosamund Pilcher is a cosy read for reading up to Xmas.

 

A Winter Book ~ Tove Jansson (also has a Summer version)

 

And for the kids....

 

One Snowy Night ~ Nick Butterworth (Percy the Park keeper our favourite)

 

 

I've got this on DVD .. I love it!! Also what's that other one with the lost penguin ..... *just gone to look it up* .. oh yes .. 'Lost and Found' by Oliver Jeffers .. beautifully animated .. like the book.

 

'Winter Solstice' is one that I've read and enjoyed.

[Janet]

How could I have forgotten the wonderful Box of Delights by John Masefield?

 

Illustrated by Quentin Blake - I adore his illustrations.

 

[SaraPepparkaka]

I second the recommendation for "Smilla's Sense of Snow" by Peter Hoeg.

 

Ellis Peters has a Brother Cadfael mystery called "The virgin in the ice" which takes place in winter. Like the other in the series, I like to read them.

 

Karen Harper "The Queene's Christmas" is another historical mystery, not extraordinarily good, not bad either.

 

I also recommend "The treasure" by Selma Lagerl

[BigWords]

The novelization of 30 Days Of Night may be wintery, but isn't very festive. It will suit vampire fans though. It's based on a brilliant comic which will leave you feeling as cold as the characters caught in the snow. Whiteout, a graphic novel, is very wintery.

 

I can't think of many novels, but there are a few short story collections with "Christmas" or "Winter" in the title at my local Waterstones.

[Guest radjack]

The novelization of 30 Days Of Night may be wintery, but isn't very festive. It will suit vampire fans though. It's based on a brilliant comic which will leave you feeling as cold as the characters caught in the snow. Whiteout, a graphic novel, is very wintery.

 

I can't think of many novels, but there are a few short story collections with "Christmas" or "Winter" in the title at my local Waterstones.

 

I also recommend the original Graphic Novel of 30 days of night.

WARNING: There's nothing related to Christmas in this book, it's actually pretty violent.

 

Anyway the story is passed in Alaska so it doesn't get much more snowy than that:lol:

[Inver]

I have just started reading 'The Christmas Train' by David Baldacci...good so far.

[poppyshake]

Has anyone read Kate Mosse's 'Winter Ghosts' yet?

[BigWords]

Blake M. Petit's A Long November (which is free here) comes highly recommended. It's free as well, so all you have to do now is download it. Go on, what are you waiting for?

 

ps If you download it, head over to Evertime Realms and tell him how much you enjoyed the book. Tell him I sent ya.

[frankie]

I mentioned this thread in another thread, but now I thought why don't I just bump this thread up as it is autumn for some of us and we're nearing winter and Christmas. Any new ideas for books?