Between the Covers – November

Ten Books to read over Wintertide

This selection contains some classics which deal directly with the festive period, some we associate with Christmas, while others hinge more on snow and ice. There is a great read here for each member of the family.

1. A Christmas Carol (1843), Charles Dickens. This tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his redemption evokes the spirit of Christmas like none other.
2. Ethan Frome (1911), Edith Wharton. Holed up in snowy Massachusetts, a visitor takes interest in Ethan Frome, a ruin of a man.
3. Murder on the Orient Express (1934), Agatha Christie. Celebrated sleuth Hercules Poirot must resolve a crime while aboard a luxurious snowbound train.
4. Madhouse at the End of the Earth: the Belgica’s journey into the dark Antarctic night (2021), Julian Sancton. An ill-fated expedition to the South Pole (non-fiction).
5. A Christmas Memory (1956), Truman Capote. Heartwarming memoir of the author’s childhood.
6. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950), C S Lewis. The Pevensie children spend time in Narnia, where it is always winter and never Christmas.
7. Oh, Whistle, and I’ll come to you, my lad (1904), M R James. Classic ghost story.
8. The Little Match Girl (1845), Hans Christian Andersen. Ignored by passers-by on a freezing night, a poor girl takes comfort in the light of her matches.
9. The Snow Child (2012), Eowyn Ivey. A childless couple build a child out of snow.
10. Little Women (1868), Louisa M Alcott. The March sisters come of age in Concord, Massachusetts.