Perfect winter reads

The ultimate winter reading list: 14 books that hit harder in the cold

Image: anotherxlife

Silence, a crackling fire, crisp cold air outside… Winter has a way of slowing everything down. And isn’t it the best time of the year to curl up with a blanket and a highly-recommended book? Whether you’ve already enjoyed some of the classics in this list or whether they are all new to you, surely you’ll find some valuable recommendations for the next few weeks!

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Let’s start the list with the obvious! In this Christmas classic, Dickens shaped the way the modern world imagines the season. It’s a slim novella that once revived fading Victorian holiday traditions.

It feels like a warm drink after coming in from the cold. 'Tis the season to read it, if you never have!

Image: Andreea Radu

Some books feel like returning home, and Little Women is one of them. Alcott’s portrait of the March sisters, with their ambition, frustration, hope, and heart, has charmed readers for more than 150 years.

The Civil War looms in the background, but the story itself is full of small, tender scenes: homemade plays, winter illnesses, Christmas morning sacrifices. Snow is practically another character.

Image: Ravi Patel

Have you read the tale that inspired Disney’s movie Frozen? This is Andersen at his most mysterious in one of his longest stories.

This tale sends young Gerda across forests, rivers, and frozen kingdoms in search of her friend Kai, whose heart has been pierced by an icy shard. Its wintry imagery is unforgettable.

Image: Saad Ahmad

Conan Doyle’s most atmospheric mystery thrives on cold, empty spaces and the suspense that comes with them.

Sherlock Holmes navigates superstition and science while the landscape itself sharpens the tension. It all works beautifully when read on a winter evening. Especially if the wind is howling a little.

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Joyce’s collection of short stories moves through everyday Dublin life, capturing small disappointments, brief joys, and the stubborn weight of routine.

But it’s "The Dead," the final story, that cements its place on any cold-weather list. In it, snow falls over the city, softening everything… And by the end of the story, you’ll understand why!

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In this novel, Edith Wharton’s New England is pure sharp winds and quiet despair. It tells the story of a man whose life has narrowed to duty and silence, and whose one chance at happiness arrives in the snow… in the dead of winter.

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Some books feel like stepping into a snow-covered folktale, and this one does it with breathtaking ease.

Arden blends Russian mythology, medieval history, and a fierce young heroine who sees spirits others deny. Winter dominates every page.

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Tender. Haunting. And quietly mesmerizing. Set in 1920s Alaska, this novel takes inspiration from a Russian fairy tale about a child made of snow who may or may not be real.

Ivey’s prose beautifully captures the way winter can feel both punishing and strangely hopeful.

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Yes, it is a stormy autumn novel in spirit, but winter suits it even better. Brontë’s wild moors, icy winds, and stark isolation intensify the story’s fierce emotions. And the landscape becomes a character, unforgiving and unforgettable.

Image: Miriam Przybylo

At first glance, this might seem like a spring story, but winter is what shapes its magic. Burnett’s classic begins with cold corridors, silent rooms, and a desolate estate where everything feels dormant.

The transformation that follows (of the garden, the characters, and the house itself) is more powerful when you begin in frost.

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Open the wardrobe, and everything changes: A frozen kingdom and a witch who thrives on cold. Lewis’s beloved tale drops readers straight into a land ruled by winter, where snow crunches underfoot, and the air feels enchanted and dangerous.

It is a simple story at heart: four siblings, one prophecy, and their wholesome struggle between fear and hope.

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Few mysteries trap you as elegantly as this one. Christie sets her hero, Hercule Poirot, aboard the luxurious Orient Express just as it becomes stranded in a snowdrift.

The result is a locked-room puzzle with icy tension and razor-sharp precision. Every passenger hides something. Every detail matters. You won’t be able to put this one down until you know the ending!

Image: Zara Caskey

The Call of the Wild follows Buck, a kidnapped dog thrust into the brutal world of the Yukon Gold Rush, where snow, instinct, and survival rule the day.

The prose is direct, muscular, and unforgettable, and the wilderness feels alive in a way few books manage. Readers keep coming back because the story taps into something primal.

Image: Elena Kloppenburg

This is a novel of grand emotions and quiet winter moments. Tolstoy moves between high society and rural life with astonishing detail, and many of the book’s most striking scenes unfold against snowy Russian landscapes.

Lovers meet on frosted streets. Trains roar through drifting snow. Characters search for warmth in a world that often feels cold in more ways than one.

Patriotic oddities

11 craziest national anthems — including Spain’s wordless march

Image: Daniel Lloyd Blunk-Fernández

National anthems are meant to inspire pride and unity, but some stand out for their oddities—whether in lyrics, melody, or length. From surprisingly short tunes to unconventional themes and even wordless anthems, these 11 national songs break the mold. Join us on a melodic journey around the world!

Image: Colton Jones

Japan’s anthem, Kimigayo, is one of the shortest in the world, lasting only about 45 seconds. Despite its brevity, Kimigayo dates back more than a thousand years, as its lyrics are based on a poem from the Heian period (794-1185).

Though in modern times the emperor of Japan has taken on a symbolic role, the lyrics express wishes for the emperor’s reign to endure eternally. The melody, for its part, is a minimalist composition that contrasts with the grandiose style found in many other national anthems.

Image: Daniel Prado

Spain’s anthem, La Marcha Real, is one of the few national anthems without official lyrics. Used since the 18th century, this purely instrumental anthem leaves words to personal or regional interpretation.

Attempts to add lyrics over time have failed due to political and cultural divisions, reflecting Spain’s complex history of strong regional identities.

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Mozambique’s anthem, Pátria Amada, is the only national anthem in the world to explicitly mention a weapon of war—the Soviet-designed AK-47 rifle—as a symbol of defense and liberation. The silhouette of this rifle is even depicted on the national flag.

But despite appearances, the anthem is not merely a militaristic boast; it reflects the country’s struggle for independence, honoring the weapon that played a key role in overthrowing colonial rule.

Image: Alex Houque

Curiously, Liechtenstein’s anthem shares its melody with the British anthem, "God Save the Queen." The tiny principality adopted the tune in the 19th century, though with different lyrics.

However, this musical borrowing isn’t as unusual as it seems, since many countries at the time used the same tune, which in turn is believed to have originated from a traditional folk melody.

Image: Thiago de Andrade

Switzerland has four official national anthems; one for each of its four official languages. Each linguistic region uses the anthem in its own language: German, French, Italian, and Romansh.

This multilingual approach embodies the country’s cultural diversity, ensuring every citizen hears the anthem in their native tongue.

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Unlike many national anthems that focus on heroes or battles, Dominica’s anthem highlights the island’s lush nature and the value of freedom.

It’s easy to see why natural beauty forms the foundation of national identity, given the island’s extensive jungles and thermal waters.

Image: Caleb Miller

The Vatican’s anthem is technically the Papal Anthem, which represents the Pope, not the state itself.

As a religious sovereign entity, the Vatican lacks a traditional national anthem, emphasizing the spiritual rather than territorial nature of the city-state.

Image: Magdalena Smolnicka

Malta’s anthem, L-Innu Malti, is one of the shortest national anthems, with lyrics in Maltese, a Semitic language with Romance influences.

Its melody is simple and direct, highlighting the island nation’s resilience and the cultural blend between European and Arabic influences.

Image: Григорий Захарьян

Turkmenistan’s anthem is known for its length and poetic language, extensively praising both the president and the country’s beauty.

Adopted in 1996 under the country’s authoritarian regime, the anthem blends national pride with glorification of leadership and has been subtly adjusted over time to mirror shifts in the country’s power structure.

Image: Matt Artz

Greece’s Hymn to Liberty is the longest national anthem in the world, consisting of 158 stanzas.

Written by Dionysios Solomos in 1823 during the Greek War of Independence, it originally was a lengthy poem celebrating freedom from Ottoman rule. Only the first two stanzas are officially used as the anthem, but the full text reflects deep historical and patriotic significance.

Image: Pedro Slinger

Uruguay’s anthem, Himno Nacional, is famously long and musically intricate, often lasting over four minutes.

Composed in 1833 by Francisco José Debali, it features multiple sections and a dramatic, operatic style. While its full text is shorter than Greece’s anthem, more stanzas are typically performed at public events, making it longer in practice.