Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
If you want another atmospheric historical mystery, Burial Rites is the book for you. I read this book last year, and, though it didn't make my official favorite books list, it became one in retrospect. I gave it the same rating as Wolf Winter. This book is based off the story of the last execution in Iceland, in the early 1800s, following a woman who is accused of the murder of two men. It also includes the perspective of the family she is sent to live with her final days (which also includes two daughters) and the village priest who is meant to spiritually guide her. If you loved Wolf Winter, you will love this book, and vice-versa. The prose is a bit more ornate, but the atmosphere is just as good.
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Read this book fairly recently, in December. Sadly, though, this book was a bit overshadowed in my eyes because of his other book The Tsar of Love and Techno, which would have been my favorite book of last year if it wasn't for The Road. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena follows mostly three people- a man, a doctor, and an eight year old girl in Chechnya in 2003. The girl's father has been kidnapped by Russian soldiers, and her neighbor finds her and takes her to a hospital where a lone doctor, Sonja, who is also dealing with the disappearance of her younger sister, can take care of her. There are some other storylines in this wonderfully complex story, but they all come together at the end. The writing is unmatched. It takes a while to get through, but it's worth the read and I gave it an 8.5 out of 10.
Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit
This book is a literary YA historical fiction read, though I think anyone can read it. It's also another book I read last summer, though in my opinion it's perfect for the wintertime. It's about a Polish girl in 1939 Krakow, which, if you know your WWII, is when Hitler invaded Poland and kickstarted the European war, and the Germans have taken her father, a linguistics professor. She runs into the Swallow Man, and the two begin to travel across the Polish wilderness together. There's some magical realism elements, and don't try too hard to figure out the plot, but this book is one of the only books I've ever read that deserved its comparison to The Book Thief. I gave it an 8 out of 10, but I'm sure those who like magical realism more than I do would love this book.
The second of the Russian novels (believe it or not, I limited myself to only 5!). This is an end of the Soviet Union novel- something you don't see much in Western literature- following a 9 year old piano prodigy living in Moscow, his aunt who used to be a journalist but now makes car parts, her ex-husband, a doctor who is sent to Belarus to deal with the outcome of Chernobyl, and a Belarusian boy who loses his home because of the meltdown. I read this book in January, and it has stayed with me since. The subject matter may be dark, and a little scary, but the writing is completely engrossing. I gave it an 8.5 out of 10.
My third favorite book of last year, which I read in September, the same month it came out. I enjoyed his first, but this book just completely blew me away. It's a lot more light-hearted than prior entries, one of those books you can just curl up in some comfy chair during a snowy Sunday and just get lost in. This book follows Count Alexander Rostov, who is placed under house arrest by the Soviets in the 1920s, soon after he returned to Russia. It's very much a meandering story while we get to know the inhabitants of the hotel and the various pieces of his life. I was utterly charmed by this book, and gave it a 9 out of 10.
Despite the fact I didn't actually like this book all that much, it's on this list because I'm sure someone might like it more than I would. This is a literary fiction novel about a girl whose family used to be the leaders of a failed cult, who, when a new family moves in across the lake, becomes close with the mother and her young son. This book takes place in Minnesota, and does also have a dark, cold atmosphere to it, and is relatively short, making it a perfect snow day read. And it is well-written, even if I only gave it a 7 out of 10.
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
This is the most well-known of the books I chose, but it is still perfect for this list. This book, if you've never heard of it, follows a Lithuanian girl who is taken by the KGB in the middle of the night with her mother and younger brother and put on a train to Stalin's Siberian labor camps. It's a really engaging story about something I knew little about before reading this book, and is the book responsible for my interest in Russia and the Soviet Union. It's well written, impressively historically accurate, and a great read for a winter's day. I gave it an 8.5 out of 10.
City of Thieves by David Benioff
The perfect book for a budding russophile, City of Thieves takes place in Leningrad after the Nazi takeover during WWII. Our main character has been arrested for looting, and thrown in jail with an army deserter. Instead of being shot, they are sent on a mission across enemy lines to find a dozen eggs for a Soviet colonel's daughter's wedding cake. It's funny, gripping, and short, the kind of book you can read all in one sitting. I gave it a 9 out of 10.
Yes, this book is over 600 pages. But it's the perfect book to read during the cold winter season. I don't know about you, but this time of the year my thoughts often turn towards the sea, and as such I picked up this book. It takes place over the course of roughly 100 years in a small shipping town in Denmark called Marstal, and four generations of its inhabitants. While it does drag a bit in the middle, and despite its seemingly dry subject matter, it's one of those books where once you finish it, you'll feel so accomplished. Also has one of the most unique narrative styles and best endings I've ever had the pleasure of reading. It got an 8.5-9 out of 10.
So what kinds of books do you like to read in the winter? Do you agree with any of these choices? Let me know in the comment section below!
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