6 Great Winter Reads
Written by Gylf Forsberg, Culture Staff Writer
With Wisconsin winter approaching, it is likely that we will not be leaving our warm homes nearly as much as before. Why not check out one of these good reads from the library and snuggle up under a blanket to forget about the icy wind outside your windows?
This novel by the award-winning author of “A Man Called Ove” chronicles the relationships and intertwinings of a small town, seemingly fading into the woods surrounding it. The one thing holding the nestled community together is the local hockey team, around which the people of Beartown rally. However, when a scandal threatens to erupt and implicates several team members, the town must decide whether to act truthfully or evade in support of the team. This gripping tale of subversion and public response is painted vividly within the wintry dusk of a small town, creating the perfect winter read.
“Murder on the Orient Express” Agatha Christie
In what is perhaps the most recognized crime story, Agatha Christie illustrates the inevitable interactions and relationships between very different individuals stranded on a train. Driven by the need to solve a crime and answer the question “whodunnit?” the “Murder on the Orient Express” is a story that will grab you at the first sentence and hold you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Filled with brilliant caricatures and compelling dialogue, this novel is sure to keep you occupied when you do not want to venture into the cold, much like the characters stranded surrounded by the frigid wilderness.
“The Heart’s Invisible Furies” John Boyne
Spanning a time period of 72 years, John Boyne’s “The Heart’s Invisible Furies” chronicles the life of Cyril Avery, presenting punctuated episodes set eight years apart from 1945 to 2017. In a novel more focused on character relationships than major plot drivers, several historic events—the Northern Irish conflict, the AIDS crisis, 9/11—are background to the exploration of the redemptive human spirit. This novel is the perfect escape to forget about the stress of finals season.
“All the Light We Cannot See” Anthony Doerr
“All the Light We Cannot See” took the literary world by storm when it was released. The novel follows the relationship formed between a French girl and a German boy in the post-WWII devastated France. Set in a place and time which seems incapable of supporting love or hope, Doerr is able to paint a picture showing how far the human spirit will go to support its fellow man. The novel shows how—no matter how hard it seems—we are able to pull the light out of even the darkest spaces, perfect for the days which seem increasingly too short in this coming season.
“Slouching Towards Bethlehem” Joan Didion
In this collection of essays, heralded by the New York Times as the 20th century’s best collection of prose, Joan Didion portrays American society at a pivotal moment of social change. Her essays describe the drug craze in San Francisco, the rapid rise of Las Vegas and generational divides in California, displaying themes of interconnectedness and family which are so central to colder months of the year.
“A Christmas Carol” Charles Dickens
Probably the most well-known Christmas story of modern times, Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol” likely goes unread by many. The story itself is quite short and could easily be read over Christmas Eve, as I do every year. The brevity of the novella, although, does not affect the amount of emotion packed within it, chronicling the journey through space and time in the search for redemption and love. ✦