Books for Those Last Moments of Winter
Photo by Adam Chang on Unsplash.
It’s the March Equinox and we have been anxiously awaiting these first days of spring. But even amidst all the sunshine and gorgeous weather, there’s still a small part of us that’s going to miss winter. Goodbye sweaters! Goodbye hot tea at the end of a long cold day! To make the transition a little easier, here are four wonderful books to help us hold onto the last moments of winter.
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
It’s Back to the Future meets The Dick van Dyke Show meets everything you love about Rainbow Rowell’s writing. Landline takes place at the end of December in Los Angeles and despite the constant California sunshine, this novel is simultaneously not all that Christmas-y and firmly rooted in winter. You won’t spend the novel thinking of evergreens and presents and Santa Claus, we promise. The temperature in the room seems to drop a few degrees as you read – influenced, we’re sure, by Rainbow Rowell’s own Nebraska winters. If you’re craving a little time travel with your winter reading, we heartily recommend picking up Landline.
Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia
A threatening blizzard is the primary villain in Kate Racculia’s Bellweather Rhapsody. Okay. So that’s not entirely true. But when a blizzard threatens to shut down the annual Statewide festival, hundreds of high school musicians are faced with a fifteen-year-old unsolved murder and a little too much time on their hands. It’s The Shining meets Mr. Holland’s Opus – with a dash of all your most embarrassing high school memories. Bellweather Rhapsody is a must read for anyone who loves mystery, music, and delightfully eccentric characters.
Blankets by Craig Thompson
Set during a bitterly cold Wisconsin winter, Blankets is Craig Thompson’s graphic memoir about his coming-of-age romance at a winter Christian camp. A graphic novel in the truest sense of the word, Blankets clocks in at 592 pages – making the winter last that much longer. Craig Thompson won two Eisner Awards for this epic and it’s incredibly clear why from the moment you begin reading. Blankets is a beautiful and heartbreaking story accompanied by gorgeous black and white illustrations. With panels upon panels of snowy landscapes, it’s easy to keep winter around just a little while longer.
2AM at The Cat’s Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino
This last novel is close to our hearts because it takes place in snowy Philadelphia – hi! – on Christmas Eve. But like Landline, this isn’t your typical Christmas novel. In 2AM at The Cat’s Pajamas, three lives intersect as they search for missed connections, jazz, and generosity. It’s a novel about hope and possibility. And it’s so hilarious it’s almost dangerous to read in public. It’s the perfect cap to the end of winter – and enjoyed best with an old jazz record playing in the background.
