It’s cold outside (at least in the northern hemisphere), and with the shorter days and longer nights comes more time to read some books! Check out the 5 reads we recommend for some winter nights.
The best books to read in winter
On our book podcast “Teaching My Cat to Read”, we have read a wide range of books so far. We went through and chose some that we have read on our book podcast, as well as those outside our book podcast, to get our top 5 books for reading in winter time!
“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
“You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”
JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
The Hobbit is a cornerstone of modern fantasy books, setting up the world of the Lord of The Rings, as well as providing backstory to just how Bilbo got that ring. What is wonderful about this book, is that not only it is written as a story for children, it reads like a story for children. It reads almost conversationally, and therefore we think is an excellent choice for a winter time read.
Temeraire by Naomi Novik
We read this book as part of our first series of our book podcast, and really enjoyed it! We think that this book would make a great winter time read because it is a short, not difficult read, but a great story and characters. The book follows Captain Lawrence, as he is taking from his seafaring life during the Napoleonic wars to join the Air Corps, after being chosen as the rider for a newly hatched Temeraire. Its got 4.8 stars on goodreads, and we really enjoyed reading this book!
The Wheel of Time (book 1: The Eye of the World), By Robert Jordan
Want to read the story the new adaptation on Amazon Prime is based on? Where better to RAFO (read an find out) than by starting with THE EYE OF THE WORLD, the first book the series!
Dracula By Bram Stoker
“I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together freely and build our castles in the air.”
Bram Stoker, Dracula
If you haven’t read this gothic classic before, maybe this winter is a good time to read it! Setting the ground work for many gothic tropes in pop culture, Dracula is one of those books where you have to read it to see what of pop culture is true to the book, and what has been invented! It is also a great example of epistolary (letter format) books, which were popular at the time of its publication in the Victorian Era.
The Emperor’s Soul, By Brandon Sanderson
“Control yourself, she told herself forcibly. Become someone who can deal with this. She took a deep breath and let herself become someone else. An imitation of herself who was calm, even in a situation like this. It was a crude forgery, just a trick of the mind, but it worked.”
Brandon Sanderson, The Emperor’s Soul
Tasked with creating the greatest Forgery ever, to Forge the Emperor’s Soul, Shai has to use all of her skill and knowledge to correctly re-create the personality of the Emperor. If she doesn’t she will be killed.
Overall…
Pick some books from your TBR list which you want to read, and get reading! Staying inside doesn’t have to be boring, especially when there are so many great books to read and review!
About Teaching my Cat to Read
Teaching my Cat to Read is a book review podcast with a comedic twist. Each episode we pick a book, and discuss it with a selection of funny questions.
If you want to discover who “would win in a fight between Lady Catherine + Mrs Bennett?” or “who gave Victor Frankenstein his grant money for his experiments?”, we’re the podcast for you. Plus, we always ask: “what rating would our cat give this book?”.
Follow our journey through literature on our blog, on our podcast, and on our socials! For links to listen, see the buttons below. We hope you enjoy the podcast!
Teaching My Cat to Read 