“Wisdom comes with winters.”
As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, there’s nothing quite like curling up with a good book to ward off the chill. Winter is the perfect time to slow down, savour quiet moments and immerse yourself in tales that feel as warm and comforting as your favourite blanket. Whether snowed in or enjoying the season’s magic, the right winter read can transform a cold night into a cosy escape. Which is why we here at What We Reading thought we would curate our favourite cosy winter reads to keep you company during the long, chilly evenings. From heartwarming tales of love and companionship to atmospheric novels that capture the beauty of the season, these are the books to read in winter that will wrap you in their warmth and whisk you away to wintry landscapes that are sure to take your breath away!
The Holiday Swap – Maggie Knox
First up on our list of the most cosy winter reads is Maggie Knox’s holiday romance tale, The Holiday Swap. When Chef Charlie Goodwin is hit on the head on the set of her reality baking show, she not only loses her consciousness but also her ability to taste and smell. Elsewhere, Charlie’s identical twin, Cass, is doing all she can to keep her hectic life together in her quaint mountain hometown. She’s running her family’s bakery and attempting to keep her ex at arm’s length.
With mere days to go before Christmas, Charlie asks Cass to switch places. However, temporarily trading lives soon proves to be more difficult than they first imagined, especially when rugged fireman Jake Greeman and handsome physician Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix. Will the twins’ plan prove to be a disaster, or will they be able to find the right ingredients to get their lives back on track?
Murder On The Orient Express (Hercule Poirot #10) – Agatha Christie
Arguably the most famous Agatha Christie book in history, Murder on the Orient Express transports readers to the snowy landscapes of Eastern Europe aboard the luxurious Orient Express. When an American tycoon is discovered murdered in his locked room, world-renowned detective Hercule Poirot is tasked with solving this baffling mystery. As the train is brought to a halt in a snowdrift, Poirot must unearth the truth whilst navigating secrets, lies and alibis among his charismatic fellow travellers – all of whom appear to be hiding something.
Murder on the Orient Express is the perfect winter read, combining atmospheric descriptions with a deviously plotted tale that keeps you guessing right up until the final, shocking reveal. One of the most iconic mysteries of all time, it strikes that perfect blend of cosiness and suspense that undoubtedly makes it an ideal companion for cold nights.
Spinning Silver – Naomi Novik
Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver is a spellbinding fantasy tale inspired by folklore, weaving a story as icy and captivating as a winter’s night. The story centres around Miryem, the daughter of a struggling moneylender, who reverses her family’s fortunes through her sharp wit and determination. She has the ability to transform silver into gold, a trait which soon draws the attention of the Staryk, the cold and monstrous ruler of winter, who drags her into his frosty realms to honour an impossible bargain.
Richly atmospheric brimming with vivid descriptions of snow-draped forests and a magical world tinged with frost, Spinning Silver is one of the best fantasy winter reads. Novik’s blend of fairy tale magic, strong-willed characters and themes of resilience make it an unforgettable story to savour during the long, cold months.
Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes #1) – Travis Baldree
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is looking forward to hanging up her sword for the final time. The battle-weary orc is looking to start afresh by opening up the first coffee shop the grand city of Thune has ever witnessed. Nevertheless, aside from the fact no one in the city has ever heard of coffee, there are plenty of old and new rivals that stand in the way of Viv making this business venture a success.
If Viv truly wants to put her marauding days behind her, she knows she won’t be able to do it all on her own. And sometimes the biggest rewards waiting along the unchartered path are the fellow travellers you encounter along the way. Whether it’s ancient magic, a flaky pastry or a warm cup of joe, Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes is another one of the best fantasy winter reads for celebrating the ways in which relationships can become deeper than any of us imagine.
One Day In December – Josie Silver
Laurie is convinced that love at first sight is strictly reserved for the movies. But then, through a misty bus window one snowy December day, she spies a man that she knows is the one. Their eyes lock, there’s a moment of pure magic, and then her bus pulls away. Convinced that they are meant to find each other again, Laurie spends the next year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for the magical man again, to no avail.
Instead, the pair are reunited at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah excitedly introduces her new boyfriend, Jack, the same man from the bus. What follows in Josie Silver’s One Day in December is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities and destinies reconsidered that follow Laurie, Sarah and Jack over the next decade. Joyous and moving, One Day in December is one of the most heartwarming winter reads for escaping into and being reminded how fate leads to happiness.
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A Fatal Grace (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #2) – Louise Penny
Three Pines is a picturesque village in Quebec that is home to CC de Poitiers. No one in the town liked CC. Not her quiet husband, not her spineless lover, not her pathetic daughter. Right up until the moment of her death, CC had succeeded in alienating everyone in the village. When Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is called in to investigate her murder, he quickly learns that he is grappling with a quite incredible individual. CC had been electrocuted in the middle of a frozen lake, in front of the entire village, yet no one witnessed a thing.
Leaning on his trademark compassion and courage, Gamache picks away at the idyllic surface of Three Pines to unearth the deadly secrets buried beneath. But there are also other dangers approaching this beautiful Canadian village for Gamache to be wary of. As bitter winds blow into Three Pines, something even more chilling is coming for him personally.
The Bear And The Nightingale (The Winterknight Trilogy #1) – Katherine Arden
At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts for most of the year and the snowdrift can grow taller than the houses. Not that Vasilisa minds, spending her wintry nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her siblings and listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Her favourite story is the one about Frost, a blue-eyed winter demon kept at bay by honouring the spirits of house, yard and forest.
When Vasilia’s father remarries, her new stepmother forbids the family from honouring the spirits. Soon, crops begin to fail, evil creatures creep closer from the forest and misfortune follows them around the village. As the danger encircles them, Vasilia is forced to defy the people she loves and call upon her long-hidden gift to protect her family from a threat that has risen from local folklore’s most nefarious tales.
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The Winter People – Jennifer McMahon
West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town full of old legends and strange disappearances. The most mysterious occurrence of all is that of Sara Harrison Shea who, in 1908, was discovered dead in the field behind her home, mere months after the death of her own daughter.
In the present, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara’s farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid. It’s a decision that proves to have costly consequences when Ruthie awakens one morning to find that Alice has vanished. As she investigates her mother’s disappearance, Ruthie soon finds herself ensnared in the historical mystery of Sara Harrison Shea, realising that she isn’t the only person looking for someone they’ve lost.
The Charm Bracelet (Heirloom #1) – Viola Shipman
On her birthday each year, Lolly’s mother gave her a charm, along with the advice that nothing is ever more important than keeping family memories alive. Now seventy years old, Lolly is starting to forget things and realises that time is running out to reconnect with her daughter and granddaughter, both of whom are too busy for her or her family stories.
But when Arden, Lolly’s daughter, receives an unexpected phone call about her mother, she and granddaughter Lauren rush home. Throughout their visit, Lolly reveals the story behind each charm on her bracelet. One by one, these stories help Lolly, Arden and Lauren reconnect, bringing them closer to finding the love, joy and faith they’ve all been craving. A poignant tale of three women, Viola Shipman’s The Charm Bracelet is one of the best winter reads that serves as a beautiful reminder of the preciousness of family.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
