Winter is almost here, and since the cold season is my absolute favourite, I'd like to share with you some books that make me get into that cozy winter-ish feeling. So keep reading to discover five books that will transport you into the season of joy. I hope you'll find a next read in this list and that you enjoy it —or them. And don't forget to let me know if you've read any of these books!
1. Let It Snow, Lauren Myracle, Maureen Johnson and John Green
Pages: 354
My rating: ★★★★☆
Genre: young-adult, romance, holidays.
Synopsis: The worst blizzard for fifty years.
Three wintry love stories.
One magical night.
It's Christmas Eve and Gracetown has been buried by snow. But the weather is more than just an inconvenience. When one girl unexpectedly steps off a stranded train, she sets off a series of life-changing events.
Soon fourteen pumped-up cheerleaders will descend on the local Waffle House, the Duke's DVD night will be rudely interrupted for a Twister mission, and a lovesick barista will determine the fate of a single teacup pig…
As the three stories collide, strangers cross paths and romance blossoms with heart-warming consequences.
My comment: If you haven't read this beautiful young-adult anthology yet, what are you waiting for? And if you've watched the movie adaptation but haven't read it, what are you waiting for? I adored the coziness and the lovely stories in this book, how all the characters have their own lives but they all converge at some point and end up sharing a wonderful magical time together. I appreciated that the adaptation included an LGBT main character that was not in the book, that was a huge improvement. So if you're looking for a cute romance to read this Christmas, you should read it.
2. A Court of Frost and Starlight, Sarah J. Maas
Pages: 229
My rating: ★★★★☆½
Genre: fantasy, new adult, holidays.
Synopsis: Hope warms the coldest night.
Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve.
Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.
My comment: This is the first novella in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, so it's better to read it if you've read the previous three books. Now, this story has received some opposite reviews, from pure love to pure hate towards it, and I want to say that though it's not the best in the series, it definitely contains some important information that will surely unfold in the next books. Also the warmth and magic this book gives off makes it perfect to read right before or during Christmas.
3. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis
Pages: 186
My rating: ★★★★★
Genre: fantasy, middle grade, classic.
Synopsis: They open a door and enter a world.
NARNIA...the land beyond the wardrobe, the secret country known only to Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy...the place where the adventure begins.
Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor's mysterious old house. At first, no one believes her when she tells of her adventures in the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund and then Peter and Susan discover the Magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves. In the blink of an eye, their lives are changed forever.
My comment: This children's classic warms my heart every time I read it. The cold, snowy world of Narnia under the reign of the White Witch reminds me of a winter paradise when Lucy finds this world, and Tumnus's home gives me the warmth and tranquillity feeling that my own home makes me feel during Christmas time.
4. La emperatriz de los etéreos (The Empress of the Ethereal Kingdom), Laura Gallego García
Pages/páginas: 305
My rating/mi puntuación: ★★★★★
Genre/género: fantasy/fantasía, YA/juvenil.
Synopsis: Bipa does not believe in fairy tales. She's not interested in anything beyond the caves where her people live. Her friend Aer, on the other hand, seems to get farther and farther from reality every day. One day, Aer sets off on a dangerous journey in search of the legendary Ethereal Kingdom, a place where suffering doesn't exist, and people never feel cold or hunger. Bipa follows him trying to stop his absurd quest, but soon she finds herself pursuing her own dreams too.
Sinopsis: Bipa no cree en los cuentos de hadas. No le interesa lo que pueda haber más allá de las Cuevas donde habita su gente. Pero cuando su amigo Aer, fascinado por la leyenda de la mítica Emperatriz, parte en un viaje hacia una muerte segura, Bipa irá a buscarlo, arriesgando su propia vida en un mundo de hielo bañado por la luz de la estrella azul, persiguiendo algo que puede no ser más que una quimera. ¿Existe de veras el Reino Etéreo? ¿Existe algo más allá de la confortable seguridad de las Cuevas? ¿O, por el contrario, no hay más que frío, muerte y oscuridad?
My comment: I read this wonderful story when I was a child and it still makes me feel something like appreciation towards it. This book makes me think of my childhood Christmas, of how gifted books made my holidays and how they still do. It's a pity that I don't remember much of the story, so I'll probably reread it soon.
Mi comentario: Leí esta maravillosa historia cuando era una niña y todavía me hace sentir algo parecido al aprecio hacia ella. Este libro me recuerda a mis Navidades de infancia, a como me alegraba la Navidad recibir libros regalados y como todavía me alegran. Es una pena que no recuerde mucho de la historia, así que probablemente lo relea pronto.
5. The Shortest Day, Colm Tóibín
Pages: 31
My rating: ★★★★☆
Genre: fantasy, contemporary, short story.
Synopsis: In Ireland, a man of reason is drawn to a true mystery older than the Pyramids and Stonehenge in this enthralling story about ethereal secrets by New York Times bestselling author Colm Tóibín.
During the winter solstice, on the shortest day and longest night of the year, the ancient burial chamber at Newgrange is empowered. Its mystifying source is a haunting tale told by locals.
Professor O’Kelly believes an archaeologist’s job is to make known only what can be proved. He is undeterred by ghost stories, idle speculation, and caution. Much to the chagrin of the living souls in County Meath. As well as those entombed in the sacred darkness of Newgrange itself. They’re determined to protect the secret of the light, guarded for more than five thousand years. And they know O’Kelly is coming for it.
My comment: This is a short story that could be told during Christmas time, when the stars shine bright in the dark night sky. Tóibín has written a beautiful story filled with magic and power from an idea that could have been ignored easily. He took the life of a regular archaeologist and turned it special, he took a regular archaeological site and turned it magical, he took a town and its people and made them loyal to their roots, to their values. This short story is one of the most significant writings I've ever read, and now I certainly want to read more stories by Tóibín.
Great article!