I’m taking part in A Month of Favorites (hosted by Traveling with T, Estella’s Revenge, and GirlXOXO) this December

This winter in Northern California is turning out to be a rather rainy one. I’m typing this on a Monday, that is, the day before this post is supposed to go up (yay me, actually writing something in advance for a change – thanks to the Husband taking the two kids out to the Tech Museum in San Jose and leaving me alone at home to read and erm, wait for packages). It is dripping and just dripping outside today. And I am so pleased to see the grey and wet and all that, mostly because it has been a not so stellar year in terms of rain here and maybe there is some hope that this will ease the drought a bit.

Anyway, winter here = wet and cold. And maybe that is why I feel myself drawn to rereading some old favourites this season. It’s also an attempt to read #readmyowndamnbooks!

I recently bought some books from Book Depository for the kids’ Christmas presents, because they love Peppa Pig and I’m happy to buy Peppa Pig books for them to read. And I somehow came across Rumor Godden’s Miss Happiness and Miss Flower, a book I adored as a girl. I was so delighted to see this new edition of the book.

 

I also am attempting to read A Little Life before the Tournament of Books begins, as I’m quite sure it’s going to make it into the brackets, and I would at least like to read one book that does.

But me being me, I have my e-reader filled with borrowed e-books. And like A Little Life, it is an attempt to read books that were published in 2015, that were talked about in 2015, and that have made it to ‘Best of’ lists, as well as the Tournament of Books longlist. 

So here is what else is on my reading list this winter:

In the Country: Stories – Mia Alvar

Our Souls at Night – Kent Haruf

Satin Island – Tom McCarthy

A Manual for cleaning women: stories – Lucia Berlin

A Christmas memory – Truman Capote

Slade House – David Mitchell

 

However, just in case I am reading this topic wrongly, and it is a list of books about winter that is to be talked about, here are some of my recommendations.

 

Names for the Sea: Strangers in Iceland – Sarah Moss

A non-fiction book about Moss and her family’s move to Iceland for a year. Fascinating. And also, please note, very cold.

Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica – Sarah Wheeler

This may be one of my favourite non-fiction books ever. I read this in 2010 (my thoughts) but still recall it fondly. I have to add that I have a minor fascination with Antarctica.

The Snow Kimono – Mark Henshaw

Beautifully written but also a little bit confusing. And yes, there is a body found in the snow.

Uprooted – Naomi Novik 

Novik is a brilliant writer, and this is a great read. It’s fantasy, a fairy tale, just beautiful and magical and snowy.

A Companion to Wolves – Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear

In my post about this book, I described it as a ‘chilly read’. It’s intense and full of complicated names. But it has wolves and that makes it a good read in my book.

What books are you hunkering down with this winter?