Great (Fiction) Books to Read in Winter

In South Africa (and the rest of the Southern Hemisphere), we are bracing ourselves for winter. In my family, I’m the odd one in that I really love winter–It’s my favourite season. And one of the main reasons I enjoy it is because I find it to be the best time of year for reading. 

When I am wrapped up in blankets and sitting next to the heater (or even better, the fire). I feel more in the mood to read than I do when it’s hot and uncomfortable. I also find this to be the best time of year to read long and comforting books. 

Here are some of the best books to pick up during my favourite season:

Little Women – Louisa May Alcott

This book is long. In fact, it is often split into two books–Little Women and Good Wives–but I think it is best as one long volume. The edition I have is 667 pages, and I love every single moment of it. 

Little Women is a story about four sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. I think the family dynamics I find in this book are one of the reasons I love it so much. Although I’m not from a family of all girls, I’m from a tight-knit family who sticks together through thick and thin. I also love that while this book is not a Christian book, it contains many Biblical principles in its pages. 

It is also the perfect time to read (or reread) this book because a new movie adaptation is coming out at Christmas time. 

Fangirl – Rainbow Rowell

This book contains some of my favourite characters in any book I have ever read. It is about Cather, who is an identical twin, going off to college and feeling all alone. Being the introvert that she is, she turns to her childhood comfort, the Simon Snow series (based loosely on the Harry Potter series), which she writes fan fiction on. The love interest in this book, Levi, is the sweetest ever, and if nothing else, read the book for him. 

From what I remember there is some swearing in this book and there is also mentions of sexual content (some making out, but anything sexual is closed door). 

If you have ever struggled to fit in with the world, or you just want some new book character friends, this is the book for you.

Redeeming Love – Francine Rivers

Redeeming Love is a love story based on the story of Hosea in the Bible. It is a great picture of how God loves us no matter how much we turn away from Him, and how He will continue to pursue us and accept us with open arms.

This book made me feel many things. But what it made me feel most of all is loved by my Saviour. If you need a reminder of how loved you are, pick up this book.

Cinder – Marissa Meyer

Because we all need some sci-fi fairy tales in our lives. 

This is a futuristic retelling of the fairy tale Cinderella. It is clean and contains a lot of action. The villain is super scary in that she can make people do whatever she wants using mind control (and she’s from the moon).

Honestly, it sounds super strange, but you want to pick this book up today. And when you do, you’ll wonder why you hadn’t picked it up sooner.

Caraval – Stephanie Garber

It took me about 5 tries to get into this book. The first several chapters are overly descriptive in a way that is completely unessential. So if you decide to read this book, be warned that it might take a while to feel invested in the story. But once I got to the carnival aspect, I couldn’t put this book down (and I mean that literally–I read this book in one sitting. Three and a half hours of reading, and I was finished. My sister texted me and asked me if I was still alive).

This book is magical and fun, and the whole time you want to know what’s going to happen next . It is perfect for a winter evening in front of the fire with your hot chocolate.