Weekly Geeks : 2010-4 Winter Reading

For this week's Weekly Geeks, share with us the books which call out to you during the cold, wintry months. Are there genres which appeal to you most? Why do you think you are drawn to these types of books during winter? Do you have some book recommendations for other readers who are looking for some escape from the blustery weather? Give us some of your favorites and tell us why you recommend them.

As "extra credit" why not share some photos of what the weather looks like outside your home...or where you curl up to read when 'the weather outside is frightening.'

My winter reading is always when I decided to tackle harder reads, especially literature, very large books that I have been holding off on.  I also am drawn to books with cold weather featuring prominently in them. For instance I just finished a Charles Dicken's novel. I always read those in the winter - because the descriptions of cold, blustery London, characters bundled up in cloaks, warming themselves by the fire, or drinking hot rum punches. There is always alot of cold rain and sleet in those old Victorian novels. This winter I decided to do the Our Mutual Friend challenge because Victorian novels, always feature cold weather. In fact - British novels always seem to feature cold misty weather. 

I also like longer novels, because I find myself staying in - making less frequent visits to the bookstore or library. So I pick thick novels that will last as long as possible. And since the weather is so bad, I find myself staying in the house, with more time to devote to reading. So I save all those serious, thick, literary novels that require concentration for this time of year.

Some of my Winter picks so far :

The Crimson Petal and the White : (London setting)

Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow: (Set in Denmark, Greenland - the Arctic Circle)

Martin Chuzzlewit: (London setting, lots of warming up by the fire)

The Seance: (English Manor house on dark and stormy nights)

Winter's Tales: (Short stories with a fairy tale feel, often set in Denmark. Literary, challenging)

TBR: Possession (A chunkster) and The Terror (A novel of Arctic exploration)

Comments

[gautami tripathy]

I will check out those picks. And I love Dickens!

Here is my Weekly Geeks post

[Melanie Ivanoff]

I forgot about Victorian novels! They all do seem to be chilly; maybe it's the London fog? Great picks.

[Nicole]

I completely agree about thick, serious books, but I also tend to get away from them with the fantastical YA series for some reason. But winter reading looks very different from summer reading.

My weekly geek: nicolereadsandwrites.blogspot.com

[Book Club Guide]

Rum punches sound yummy! Great list. Winter reading makes me think of a book I read this summer, A Reliable Wife. Very, very winter-y.

[Sharla]

This all look like fantastic books! I haven't read any of them yet. Thanks for the recommendations! And yes, I agree; British books do have a lot of cold misty weather.

[Laura]

I tend toward more difficult reads in winter also. I'd forgotten about
Miss Smilla, but agree it's a great one for the winter theme. Here's my post.