4.Feb.2010 at 4 | jspeyton
BTT: Winter, The Season of Quiet
On booking through Thursday and winter reading:
Today’s Booking Through Thursday:
The northern hemisphere, at least, is socked in by winter right now… So, on a cold, wintry day, when you want nothing more than to curl up with a good book on the couch … what kind of reading do you want to do?
There’s something about reading in the winter and, for that matter, autumn that I really love. Honestly, I like reading almost anything in the winter, but there are some books I particularly enjoy reading in the season of cold. For instance, I tend to enjoy reading Gothic or horror novels towards the end of the year. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters and Northwest Passages by Barbara Roden, which I plan to read as soon as I’ve finished Waters’ book, fit this bill perfectly. I also enjoy reading books about winter like Bill Streever’s excellent nonfiction book Cold: Adventures in the World’s Frozen Places, or set in extremely cold climates like Dan Simmons’ delicious horror novel The Terror, set in Anarctica. Gil Adamson’s lyrical novel The Outlander was also a wonderful winter read, set as it is in the nineteenth century cold lands of northern Canada.
British mysteries are also a favorite of mine. Nothing quite puts me in the mind of curling up by the fire with a good book than a nice British mystery. I love reading Sherlock Holmes in the winter, as well as Wilkie Collins when I can. I think a novel like Collins’ The Woman in White is a perfect winter read. Quiet, contemplative novels like Jane Austen’s Persuasion are also books I enjoy reading in the grip of winter. (Although, I think it’s safe to say I enjoy reading Austen any time of the year.) Generally speaking, I think of winter as the season of quiet, and my reading often reflects that sentiment.
Of course, none of these preferences are hard and fast rules. At the moment, I’m also reading The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann, which is about as far away from the season of cold as you can get. *shrug* What can I say? Good reading is good reading no matter the season.
And, you? What do you prefer to read in the winter?
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I usually save longer and “heavier” (literally and figuratively) books for the fall and winter when I have the time to sit and properly read them, but other than that I don’t think I have any real seasonal preferences.
I listened to the audiobook of The Lost City of Z and really enjoyed it. The River of Doubt is another book related to Amazon exploration that is an interesting read.
Persuasion is one of my favorite winter reads–or should I say re-reads–too! I loved your post, it’s given me some great ideas
I was going to mention The Woman in White, which I have recommended on so many occasions. I instead named a few other titles. After finishing Emma and loving it, I’m going to tackle Persuasion.
I think my greatest criteria for winter versus summer is book size! I read big books in the winter because I’m usually just staying inside. In the summer I read more small paperbacks because I am constantly taking them outside and to the park and traveling and such. The content of them doesn’t change all that much.
I think something about the cold winters goes hand in hand with the British. Gentle mysteries featuring traditional (and rather stereotypical, I gather) British quirks like tea, tea, tea and tea. And some scones perhaps. Nothing better than bunkering down with a good book and tea.
An interesting post. The best winter book I’ve read this year was Tove Jannson’s The True Deceiver – with oodles of snow and ice included. Alas I’ve had a bit of a lull in the last couple of weeks and have got behind with blogging and worst of all – reading!
The Terror is in my ginormous stack of books to be read! Was it awesome?!? Scary???? And you’re so right, reading next to the fireplace on a cold, cold winter’s night or Sunday afternoon is the greatest!
Love the new site!!!
Generally, I read a lot more lengthy, time-consuming novels in the winter just because I have more time to sit and devote to a book. I like to read lighter, quicker reads in the summer because I’m always doing something else besides sitting in my apartment under the covers and I read in shorter snippets. This winter, though, I can’t seem to find much time to read at all!
If you like Wilkie and you enjoyed “The Terror” you may consider Dan Simmon’s “Drood.”
It’s a story about the relationship of Wilkie and Charles Dickens.
Fascinating reading….
Fantastic review! I am going to add this one to my Library list. Thank you!