15+ Books to Curl Up With This Winter
Suggested by favorite Substackers and Downtime readers.
I recently asked in our subscriber chat for the books that “feel like a warm hug,” and the responses were so good I immediately started assembling my own list—the titles I’d hand to a friend who wants something comforting for the chilly, gray stretch from December to February (ish, depending where you live)….
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Every Christmas, I not only crack open this classic but also follow it up with the gorgeous 2019 adaptation.
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. This is a children’s book, but it’s so gorgeously illustrated and captures the awe and wonder of a first snowfall. I’m giddy now that it’s winter and I get to read it with Lily — and feel even happier that it’s one of her favorites to pull from the shelf.
Possession by A.S. Byatt. I can’t believe it’s taken me ‘til this year to read this award-winning literary classic. This book won’t be for everyone, as it can be pretty dense. Still, if academia, a sprinkle of romance, and Victorian poets sound intriguing to you, it’s a novel worth picking up and getting completely immersed in.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. A heartwarming story with an endearing cast of characters, tucked away in a fantastical home by the sea. I love the book’s central theme of found family. It can read as YA-ish at times, but overall, it’s such a sweet read.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. By now you’re tired of me chatting up this book, but I’m already looking forward to rereading it one day. It’s an epistolary novel, primarily from the perspective of a seventy-five-year-old woman looking back on her life’s choices, relationships, and losses. A beautiful book that’s perfect for a reflective winter mood.
I haven’t read this one yet, but I just picked up Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand to bring with me on an upcoming trip, and it looks like the perfect holiday read. Keep scrolling for a few excellent picks from friends, too!
xo Alisha
When I was in LA last month, my friend and I popped into the Sézane shop at The Grove to see what they had…and ended up staying much longer than anticipated, drawn in by the warmth of the store’s design. I loved touching all the impossibly soft and cozy sweaters, admiring the gorgeously structured and glossy bags, and the stacks upon stacks of cardigans in every hue imaginable.
When I wandered to the back of the store, I saw some lovely displays of scented candles I’d never noticed before. Did you know Sézane creates home goods as beautiful as their clothes?
This glossy pitcher has the prettiest braided handle detail, and I’d be so happy to be gifted these pretty marbled mugs. I’d stock up on these tapered candles in gorgeous muted shades as a go-to hostess gift.
I picked up this beanie and impossibly soft matching scarf for myself, plus this sweater for Corey. It turns out their men’s section is excellent and just as chic as the women’s.
I had to practically tear myself away from their darling kids’ collection, called “Petit Sézane.” I can’t get over this shearling vest I got for Lily. And yes, they’ve got mini-me sizes of some of their crowd-favorite sweaters, like a mini Gaspard cardigan. !
A few more comfort reads for winter
Courtesy of friends with good taste in books.
I asked some of my most reliably excellent recommenders for the books that soothe, uplift, or keep them company on dark December evenings. Here’s what they had to say…
Emma Straub (NYT bestselling author of the forthcoming novel, American Fantasy)
Lunch Poems by Frank O’Hara. “Frank was the first poet who I really felt belonged to me. He plugged my brain into an eclectic socket, in a good way.”
Caroline Chambers (Substack: What To Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking)
Meet Me Under The Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss. “This one’s for the romance readers out there, and is best listened to on audio thanks to the incredibly warm and cozy vibes given off by the narrator’s soothing British accent. A holiday romance centered around the reuniting of a group of boarding school friends. I recommend this as a cozy, love-filled December book to everyone.”
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer. “This is a Willy Wonka-esque tale of a recluse children’s author inviting several of his former readers, now adults, to his private New England island to compete for the rights to his final, unpublished book. Anything New England-based feels like a cozy fair isle sweater in book form, but add a heartwarming and whimsical journey about found family and second chances?! Perfect. This was my favorite book I read last year.”
Aja Gabel (Author of the new novel and Belletrist December book club pick, Lightbreakers)
A Midsummer’s Equation by Keigo Higashino. “In a quiet Japanese seaside town, a former policeman is found dead at the bottom of a bluff, and it’s a case for a physicist known as ‘Detective Galileo.’ Higashino’s Detective Galileo series is the perfect tough-to-figure-out but satisfying-to-read murder mystery that goes perfectly with a deep couch and a heavy blanket.”
Who Do You Love by Jean Thompson. “I think short story collections are excellent cozy reads because the story is complete by the time you perhaps fall into a hot chocolate-induced coma. This collection, with stories about unrequited, forbidden, or thwarted love, is a great read if you need more of an emo hug.”
Natalie Girshman (Substack: Moonstruck Reads)
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. “Five very different people come together under unexpected circumstances in the Scottish countryside in this cozy classic full of stubborn hope, gentle humor, and a dash of holiday spirit.”
Headliners by Lucy Parker. “A witty and sparkling enemies-to-lovers romance about rival TV presenters forced to team up to save a failing morning show that’s the perfect vicarious visit to London during the holiday season.”
Ochuko Akpovbovbo (Substack: as seen on)
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. “This is like a less depressing Stoner. Midwestern, romance, friendships, academia!”
Workhorse by Caroline Palmer. “This book is for lovers of The Devil Wears Prada. I ran through it (it’s huge!) in about three days. Depressing at hell, but deliciously vile.”
Clémence Polès (Substack: passerby)
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. “I discovered this book through Phoebe Lovatt’s Public Library, and even though I read it in the summer, I was already craving the wintering moment she writes about. I’m usually skeptical of anything in the self-help orbit, but May’s work is grounded, reflective, and deeply human. As someone who’s neurodivergent, it’s rare to feel so seen on the page — and I’ve found myself returning to her words whenever I need comfort.”
Recs from our subscriber chat
Placing a bunch of these on my December-to-January TBR immediately…
…and there’s lots more in our chat thread!
A small treat for you…
I’m giving away a $500 Sézane gift card to one lucky subscriber—ideal for tackling a bit of holiday shopping (or, frankly, keeping something lovely for yourself).1
To enter: Please leave a comment with a book you’d recommend that would be perfect to bundle up with during a deep, dark winter.2 I’ll choose and contact the winner by Monday!
Today’s letter was sponsored in part by Sézane. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Downtime.
This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Sézane. It’s funded and hosted solely by Downtime.
Winner must be at least 18 years of age, based in the U.S., and a paid subscriber to Downtime.
Wintering is my favorite, but I just started How to Winter, and it's a similar vibe. Just gentle little reminders of ways to embrace the season that historically has been dark and tough.
I would die for Chauncey from The House in the Cerulean Sea. I need a whole spinoff series about his life as a bellhop.
My favorite cozy read is The Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. An aristocrat is spared from death but forcibly imprisoned in a fancy hotel in St. Petersburg under Bolshevik rule. The entire novel - spanning years - takes place in the same exact place but his ability to make the whole thing an adventure, with fantastic characters, is so charming.