The other day, I saw someone on Instagram say that February is the gateway to spring. And I laughed. Because anyone who lives in New England knows that February is still the depths of winter. Maybe with a touch more daylight.
And I’m okay with that. There is so much beauty to be found in winter. The cove is frozen over, and when I go on walks on sunny days, I am blinded by the brilliance of a vast sheet of snow. The seagulls are perched on little icebergs. The world is coated in blue and white. It’s lovely.
As a seasonal reader, my reading shifts throughout the year. Sure, that can be quite literal in the sense of reading books set in the season we’re in. But it’s also a shift in the tone and mood of what I like to read. This time of year, I find myself reaching for more literary reads, speculative fiction, and books with emotional heft. I think it’s because I have more time to read and more mental bandwidth to go deep.
I know that eventually things will shift towards spring, and lighter reads will be on the way as we shed our layers and the earth wakes up. But for now, I’m still embracing the beauty of winter. If you are, too, I’ve gathered the books that feel most like this season to me.
As you peruse the list below, I encourage you to Google the titles that catch your eye to see which ones might be a good fit for you. If you’ve been around for a while and know we have similar tastes, then I can wholeheartedly recommend all of these. But if you have specific questions, feel free to leave a comment, and I’m happy to share more about a title I read!
The winter reading recommendations continue below for paid subscribers.
