The air is chilly and our noses are red. This means only one thing for us: Winter is here! It could mean something different for those residing in the world of Game of Thrones. However, for us mere humans it means it is now too cold outside and it is time for Daastan’s Winter Book Recommendations! Open up your favourite online book stores, prepare your goodreads for a quick review and lets get into it, shall we?
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Russian literature, Indian diaspora, identity crisis and familial dynamics- what else makes for a better winter read? Starting our winter book recommendations off right, we have “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri. From the sunny backdrop of Calcutta, to the unforgiving cold of Cambridge, the novel follows Ashoka and Ashimi Ganguli as they grapple with their own identities and respective places in this world. If their own trajectories were not interesting enough, the star of the novel is their son.
Additionally, the theme of identity is carried on with his dual naming: Gogol and Nikhil. Moreover, from birth to becoming a Yale student, the reader follows Gogol as he explores his Indian-American identity. Accordingly, the novel deals with geographic and emotional distance that each character experiences with one another- each in their own way.
Provided that this still doesn’t sell it to you, books and stories are a big motif in “The Namesake”. Accordingly, what can be greater than a wonderfully written book that acts as a gateway to its own world of literature- inviting you in.
“Pet names are a persistent remnant of childhood, a reminder that life is not always so serious, so formal, so complicated. They are a reminder, too, that one is not all things to all people.”
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
No winter book recommendations list is complete without a thrilling fantasy to dive into. For this we bring to you “House of Earth and Blood” by Sarah J. Maas. It is the first installation in her Crescent City series- so you know there is more to come!
To begin with, the readers are introduced to the volatile character of Bryce- a seemingly normal human. Until her friends are murdered by demons. Her role in the murder investigation is vital in introducing the second protagonist: Hunter Athalar. If the name isn’t intriguing enough, he is also a fallen angel looking for redemption. And if that isn’t enough either, he is also a trained and enslaved assassin. Yes, Sarah J. Maas really does know how to create perfect male characters for us.
Follow along as Bryce and Hunter delve into Crescent City: full of secrets, demons and maybe a little romance along the way.
“Memento Mori. Remember that you will die.”
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Finally, we end with something light and warm. “Anne of Green Gables” by Montgomery is the cure for all winter blues that might be waiting for us in the future. Moreover, it is also a part of a series so if you do end up loving it as much as we did, you know there is more from where that came from.
This Canadian novel is ageless- from children to teens to adults, there is something for everyone to enjoy in this simple tale of childlike wonder and growing up. Anne Shirley, an eleven year old orphan, is adopted by the elderly Cuthbert siblings. While her unrestrained imagination does pose problems in the beginning, her relentless capacity for love wins over all those around her.
It is the kind of story you turn towards for comfort, the kind that feels like home when everything else feels a little disorienting.
“Dear old world’, she murmured, ‘you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.”
From an intricately woven tale of identity and diaspora, to high fantasy and ending with the feel-good story we all need, we hope that at least one of these novels become a permanent part of your bookshelf. And if it is still not winter where you live yet, we have you covered with our fall recommendations.