Cozy Up with These Wintry Tales

It's early February and we finally got hit with our first snowstorm. It's the perfect time to wrap yourself up in a cozy blanket, sip a hot drink and crack open a book that will transport you to magical land, or scenic wintry destinations. Here are five picks to get you started!

Beartown: A Novel by Fredrik Backman
A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, the junior ice hockey team of Beartown is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. 

In the Midst of Winter: A Novel by Isabel Allende
During the biggest Brooklyn snowstorm in living memory, Richard Bowmaster, a lonely university professor in his sixties, hits the car of Evelyn Ortega, a young undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, and what at first seems an inconvenience takes a more serious turn when Evelyn comes to his house, seeking help. 

Once Upon a River: A Novel by Diane Setterfield
On a dark midwinter's night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath, and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation?

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, a stranger presents a new father with a gift—a precious jewel on a delicate chain, intended for his young daughter. When mysterious forces threaten the happiness of their village, the young girl discovers that, armed only with the necklace, she may be the only one who can keep the darkness at bay. The first in a series​

The Snow Child: A Novel by Eowyn Ivey
A childless couple working a farm in the brutal landscape of 1920 Alaksa discover a little girl living in the wilderness, with a red fox as a companion, and begin to love the strange, almost-supernatural child as their own.