Top Ten Tuesday: Books I recommend that have wintry themes
1. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent---Set in Iceland in the 1800, even in the summer, winter is threatening. The setting is very cold and foreboding.
2. Disappearing Earth by Julie Phillips---set in the Kamchatka Peninsula in Eastern Russia. A cold, formidable setting, especially in winter.
3. Virgil Wander by Lief Enger---Set in a small community on Lake Superior. In the opening scene an accident, which sets the stage for the whole rest of the story, occurs on the day of the first big snowstorm of the year.
4. Winter Wheat by Mildred Walker---The title alone lets the reader know that winter is a theme in this beautiful story set on a Montana farm that grows winter wheat. One scene, where the children and the teacher are snowed-in their one-room schoolhouse is especially wintry.
5. Martin Marten by Brian Doyle---set at the foot of Mt. Hood in Oregon. There are several harrowing scenes set in the snow. I am very fond of this book where a pine marten is a main character.
6. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah---Set in Alaska. The family spends almost all their time preparing for winter, when all the demons come out.
7. Beartown by Fredrik Backman---Set in a small community in Northern Sweden where ice hockey is king. Need I say more?
8. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden---set in medieval Russia with many of the scenes set in the snow and ice. Even the cover gives off a wintry vibe.
9. Egg and Spoon by Gregory Macguire---another book set in Russia that deals with Russian folktales. There is one scene I remember vividly where they are traveling to Moscow and the icy, snowy streets are melting.
10. Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick--- "A boy sits in a cold, bare shack somewhere north of the Arctic
Circle, alone but for his father's body lying on a table, frozen both by
rigor mortis and the manner of his death." Can't even imagine anything more wintry than this YA book.
I recommend all of these books. Read my reviews, which are hyperlinked.
-Anne
I've heard so many good things about Burial Rites.
ReplyDeleteMy post.
Even though it's super sad, I love THE GREAT ALONE. Such a great book.
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
The first three I liked, although I found Burial Rites SO slow and never got into it as much as I expected. Disappearing Earth was multi-faceted and a book I kept thinking about long after I'd finished it. Loved Virgil Wander, but hated The Great Alone. I don't think Kristin Hannah is a very good writer. Another that I would add to the list is Snow Child.
ReplyDeleteAbout The Great Alone, I think the author tried too hard to give it happy ending. I think it would have improved it she just gave it an ending where the characters found themselves at last.
DeleteBurial Rites was a very sad book but was quite well-written. It worked well to make us fell the life in Northern Iceland. Br.r.r
You know I loved Virgil Wander, too.
I wanted to include The Snow Child but I didn't write a review for it and it has faded in my memory.
Ooh i like the Iceland setting. And Lake Superior is close to my area. :)
ReplyDeleteYes! I know the exact scene you're talking about in Egg and Spoon and it fits perfectly here. I love that book.
ReplyDeleteBurial Rites is one I really want to read. It's been on my TBR list too long.
ReplyDeleteGreat recommendations! I loved Burial Rites, The Great Alone, Beartown, and Revolver.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I've only read The Great Alone and Beartown from your list, but both were so good. I think I enjoy winter theme books since I don't live in a town that gets a real winter. :-)
ReplyDelete