5 Books for Random Winter Reading
Need some reading that isn’t completely mindless to focus on through these long winter months? Here are some old favorites I picked off my shelf:
When the Power Goes Out:
Clan of the Cave Bear | Jean M. Auel
Nothing like tales from prehistory to make an apartment feel like a palace, even if the power has gone out in an ice storm. For anyone who struggles with math, the fact that arithmetic is considered “magic” in this story will boost anyone’s self-esteem. First in the series, so if you’re feeling ambitious, keep reading.
When You’re Saving Money on Heat And Your Home Feels Like a Cathedral:
Pillars of the Earth | Ken Follett
A surprising page-turner of relational and political intrigue centered around one community as it works to build a cathedral. Tops the charts with one of our favorite opening lines (read it to find out!) Bought our copy in a book store in York. The sequel, World Without End, is a good addition for a long winter. Additionally, Follett has more recently written a series chronicling the 20th century if you’re tastes are more modern.
When You Think You’re Showing Signs of Cabin Fever:
An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness | Kay Redfield Jamison
For psych nerds out there, this is a quick yet complex autobiography by a psychologist diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Recently, I’ve noticed it has become commonplace to use “Bipolar Disorder” as an umbrella term for anything and everything (“Oh, I forgot my keys, I am so Bipolar today!”) Um, NO, that’s not okay. So, when you start to feel a bit moody about the winter, please, please educate yourself (and others) on mental health terms before you use them on yourself (or others).
When You’ve Run Out of Heat:
Skye O’Malley | Bertrice Small
Cold nights? Feeling saucily Irish? Escape to a world of bodice-ripping pirate fun. Scandalous affairs, violence, intrigue, adventure on the high sea, harems galore, and the Queen of England?! Always a solid stand-by paperback when you’re too impatient to get to the more thrilling parts of Outlander. Good for reading aloud while your partner plays video/computer games; they will pay attention, promise.
When You’re Looking For Something Shorter, Just as Literary, and Slightly Less Depressing Than a Russian Novel:
Nothing puts me in the mood for a Russian novel like a bitter, hoarfrost of a January; however, in my experience, reading Dostoyevsky or Tolstoy in the winter months makes you question all of humanity. Instead, I recommend a book written about Bohemian immigrants on the American prairie; it will somehow fulfill that dark Siberian craving (there are some Russian neighbors!) without rendering you completely soul-crushed.
