Anna Wondering what to read this season? We’re now in the dead of winter. When the snow is piling up and you can’t ignore the deep freeze, you might as well lean into it. These wintery themed books are perfect for cold-weather reading. I complied this list of the best snowed-in books from around the world to set the mood for a frosty winter night. Treat yourself with these immersive snowy settings sprinkled across the globe, and embrace season. Bon Voyage!
This post contains affiliate links, from which I will earn a small commission at no cost to you. I’ve read all these books and the following is my honest reaction to them.
Snow by Orhan Pamuk
Political Thriller and Psychological Drama
By the Nobel Prize winning author Orhan Pamuk, Snow is a profound novel set in Turkey. In short, Ka is a poet who has been living in exile in Germany, has returned to his remote hometown Kars. Snow is falling throughout the novel; its pervasive imagery also serves as a metaphor for themes explored in the novel.
Ka is struck by the political climate and is looking into a string of recent deaths that may have been politically motivated. He’s also looking to get closer to the enigmatic old friend named Ipek whom he’s longed for since his university days. She’s newly separated and he’s absolutely infatuated with her. Ipek remains sort of distant as they’re caught up in a revolution. Upheaval erupts and is compounded by the fierce snow storm that strikes the city, cutting it off from the rest of the world.
Ka is continually mesmerized by the falling snow, tied to nostalgia for childhood innocence and related to his new fledgling faith and connectedness to God. This is a slow read (at least for me), interesting story told through a somber, lyrical poetic voice and explores themes of religion and women’s issues. The vibe is dark and moody but there’s plenty of action and suspense, yearning and yes, so much snow.
Kindle, audible and printed copies of Orhan Pamuk’s novel Snow are available here.
In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn
Contemporary Fiction
This was one of the best books of the year in 2021 and sparked tons of conversation, yet I picked it up on a whim. I tend to go into books blind, wasn’t aware of the buzz so I had no expectations. Yet, I was FLOORED by this eviscerating, deeply emotional story of love, loss, and resilience. Grab your tissues and get ready to ugly cry.
Set in the scenic rolling San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California, the novel begins with a devastating accident on the way to Big Bear Lake. The Miller family’s ski vacation takes a tragic turn when their van skids off a cliff in a storm. Finn, the narrator, doesn’t survive, and she — or her spirit— lingers around the crash site, watching her family fight for their lives. This isn’t a ghost story. Instead, her unique 1st person, omniscient perspective offers a heart-wrenching exploration of family dynamics, grief, and survival.
Finn watches over the people she loves: her parents, special-needs younger brother Oz, her sister Chloe and Chloe’s boyfriend Vance, Finn’s best friend Moe, and an aunt and uncle. Among them is Kyle, a near-stranger the Miller’s rescued from car trouble just before the crash, now trapped with them in the blizzard. As they battle the elements —and each other— tensions rise, impossible choices are made, and grief splinters the group in unexpected ways.
Yes, the plot is intense and action-packed, but the true weight of the story lies in how each character processes trauma of the crash and loss of their daughter, sister, friend and niece. This novel hurts, but in the best way—it’s raw, beautiful, and unforgettable.
Easily 5 stars on Goodreads. Absolutely stunning, perfect for cold winter weekend reading. You can purchase In an Instant in any format here.
Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World by Andrea Pitzer
Historical Non-fiction
A gripping true account of Arctic exploration gone terribly wrong. In the 1500s, Dutch sailors set out across the frigid Barents Sea. Discovering a northern passage to China would revolutionize trade with the East. What they found instead was a merciless ice field that would push them to the brink of survival.
Meticulously documented by the crew, this historical narrative follows two captains, Riip and Barents, who split into separate expeditions after a heated disagreement. One of these ships becomes trapped in the ice when the bay freezes tight. The whole crew is sealed into the punishing Arctic until the spring thaw releases them. They face an unrelenting battle against the elements for which they are wholly unprepared for physically and mentally.
Lacking proper clothing, food sources, and hunting equipment—not that hunting would help much in a barren landscape—malnutrition, extreme cold, and the psychological strain of fear and scarcity take their toll. Every moment is a struggle for survival, and their detailed, firsthand accounts bring the desperation and resilience of these men to life.
This is not a light-hearted tale—it’s raw, tense, and at times, graphic. But if you love historical adventure, survival stories, or the eerie desolation of the Arctic, this book delivers an unforgettable, chilling journey into the unknown.
In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende
Historical/contemporary fiction
Isabel Allende is an enchanting storyteller, who imbues her tales with a lyrical and magical realism. In the Midst of Winter is a book I devoured in one sitting. Set primarily in Brooklyn during a fierce winter storm, the novel forces together three wildly different characters while they wait out the storm.
Richard, a reclusive professor in his 60s, finds himself entangled with Evelyn, a young Guatemalan woman. She is visibly shaken—a demeanor that alludes to her traumatic past. Their paths cross after a minor fender bender, but the situation quickly spirals into something far more complex. When Evelyn shows up at Richard’s door, meek and seeking help, he enlists the aid of Lucia, to aid in the translation and offer maternal comfort. Lucia is Richard’s tenant, co-worker, and love interest.
As the three hunker down during the storm, they divulge their life stories, each distinctly tragic in their own ways. Evelyn’s story, in particular, is harrowing: her escape from gang violence and relentless poverty in Guatemala is eviscerating (watch out for TW’s here). Through their narratives, Allende transports us beyond the snow-covered streets of Brooklyn to Guatemala, Brazil, and Chile, weaving a powerful exploration of human rights, immigration, and resilience.
In the Midst of Winter is a novel about survival—not just in the physical sense, but the survival of hope, love, and the human spirit. A compelling and captivating read for a snowy evening.
Shiver by Allie Reynolds
A Psychological thriller with an athletic twist
Set atop a desolate glacier in the French Alps. At La Roche resort, 5 former professional reunite, returning to the village, where they trained intensely for an elite competition a decade ago. But something feels off—the resort is eerily empty, their invitations appear to be faked, and an unsettling presence lingers in the snow.
They play an innocent icebreaker game to catch up, only for it to reopen old wounds surrounding Saskia, a talented but ruthless snowboarder who vanished at the peak of her career. Each of them harbors remorse, secrets, and suspicion about that night.
Things start going wrong—their phones disappear, the power flickers, and when the cable cars stop working, they’re trapped on the glacier. Someone orchestrated this reunion—but who? And why now?
Told in dual timelines, the novel plunges readers into the enthralling and cutthroat world of half pipe competitors. The past timeline follows the athletes during their training season at La Roche—gritty apartments, brutal training sessions, and of course, delicious smoldering chemistry. The high stakes drive sabotage, lies, and betrayal. In the present, the claustrophobic reunion turns deadly as an approaching blizzard heightens the tension. The truth about Saskia inches closer to the surface.
Shiver is a refreshing spin on the last-man-standing trope. Reynolds combines Agatha Christie-style suspense with the adrenaline-fueled world of ripped, modelesque athletes. It’s fast-paced, atmospheric, and laced with just the right amount of spice—a thrilling mystery buried in icy, high-altitude danger. A perfect cold weather read for fans of locked-room thrillers with a unique, high-octane twist. Available in 3 formats here.
The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
Mystery/thriller
Le Sommet is a new luxury hotel in the Swiss Alps, yet its dark past looms over it. Once a sanatorium that (successfully…?) treated many patients, the building has long been shrouded in ominous stories. And as the novel opens, a disturbing figure in an eerie old sanatorium mask sets the stage for what’s to come…
Detective Elin Warner is on leave from the police force, still reeling from a traumatic case. She’s hoping for a much-needed escape. She meets her estranged brother Isaac and his fiancée, Laure, at the newly renovated minimalist hotel to celebrate their engagement. However, their strained relationship is still raw from a childhood tragedy and makes for an uneasy reunion.
Then a Laure vanishes.
Elin’s detective instincts are firing and she senses something sinister. As she investigates, a ferocious alpine blizzard traps the guests inside the eerie, isolated hotel. As more guests are picked off, suspense builds and tension escalates. The sanatorium’s grim history seeps into the present. Will Elin get to the bottom of the threat in time to save Laure? Or will her past trauma erode her detective skills into uselessness?
The Sanatorium is a chilling, atmospheric thriller really sets the tone for a snowed in weekend.
Never Lie by Freida McFadden
A psychological thriller
The GOAT Frieda McFadden, who delivers twist after dizzying twist—often right up until the very last line. What hooked me about this novel? The psychiatry angle—a perfect plot device to conceal the truth, manipulate reality, and blindside you with a plot twist.
Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan out house-hunting are viewing an indulgent, impractical mansion in upstate New York. While they’re waiting for the realtor who’s is delayed by the storm, the roads become impassable. They’re snowed in the massive, isolated house with no electricity, no cell service, and growing unease.
What makes it even creepier? The mansion belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a psychiatrist with a notorious reputation—who vanished months ago. No one has seen or heard from her since.
As they try to make the best of their situation, Tricia stumbles upon a hidden room filled with Dr. Hale’s patient recordings. She secretly listens, rationalizing that the tapes might hold clues about Dr. Hale’s disappearance. As the recordings unravel, disturbing secrets come to light, and suddenly, being trapped in this house takes on a far more sinister meaning.
The ending? You. Will. Not. See. It. Coming.
This is fast-paced, suspenseful, and downright addictive—a thriller that keeps you racing through pages, questioning everything, and gasping at every turn. Never Lie must-read for on the winter reading list of psychological thriller fans.
Never Lie is available for free on Kindle Unlimited and other formats.
Italian Shoes by Henning Mankell
Literary Fiction
Italian Shoes is a deeply emotive, somber tale set against the stark, windswept archipelago in Northern Sweden. Written by Henning Mankell who is best known for his Kurt Wallander series. However, this novel trades crime for introspection. Italian shoes is a lyrical and poignant meditation on regret, redemption, and atonement.
Frederick Welin, once a respected surgeon, now lives in self-imposed exile. He is isolated by both the remote frozen island and the weight of his past mistakes. Each day, he carves a hole in the ice and plunges into the frigid water—just to feel alive. But his solitude is shattered when Harriet, an old love he hasn’t seen in decades, appears shuffling across the frozen bay to his secluded home. It’s an iconic scene that has remained with me to this day. She’s ill, and she’s come to hold him to a romantic promise he made long ago, in the height of their profound and passionate affair.
What follows is a journey through memory and missed chances, as Frederick confronts the wreckage of his past. With its snow encrusted landscapes, quiet emotional weight, and imbued with Swedish culture, Italian Shoes is poetic, and deeply human.
A beautifully written, melancholic novel that lingers like a winter frost.
A Haunting in the Arctic by C.J. Cooke
A horror novel with a touch of psychological thriller
A Haunting in the Arctic is harrowing, chilling, and utterly captivating—a masterful blend of Nordic folklore, supernatural horror, and crime fiction. Set against Iceland’s remote, frosty coast, the story unfolds across three timelines, each revealing the disturbing history of the ghostly ship, Ormen.
The present day narrative is told from a “dark and sinister corner” of the northern Icelandic coast:
“Iceland is like the set of a science fiction movie: sawtooth mountains crowned with clouds, glaciers clotting the valleys, snarls of smoke rising here and there from hot springs like breath of a slumbering monster.”
I LOVE the setting- its so unfamiliar and supremely Lovecraftian (a plot relevant vocab word)
The present-day narrative follows Dominique, an urban explorer with a troubled past, as she treks to the wreckage of the Ormen—soon to be hauled out to sea and sunk. She’s intercepted by three other explorers with similar plans, but running into literally anyone else in such an isolated place feels unsettling. Something is off. Outnumbered, she reluctantly joins forces, unaware of the horrors waiting beneath the ship’s rusting hull.
The second timeline, set in 1901, follows Nicky, a resilient young woman forced aboard Ormen after her father’s whaling company collapses. Desperate to return home, she finds herself trapped and her situation becoming more dire with every passing day. Her story is both infuriating and heartbreaking—and will be hard for some readers; check TW’s.
The third, sparse but fascinating timeline, takes place in the 1970s when the Ormen was repurposed as a research vessel. After its ill-fated final voyage, the ship was left to rot near the abandoned village of Skumaskot—whose name fittingly translates to “godless.” The urban explorers race to uncover the ship’s grim past, piecing together its whaling-era horrors and the mystery of its lost research crew.
Nordic folklore plays a central role, particularly the legend of the selkie—half-seal, half-woman, and nothing like the mermaids you see in movies. “Icelandic mermaids want to punish both the dead and the living.” The folklore seamlessly weaves into the novel’s crime and supernatural elements, creating a setting that is both mesmerizing and deeply unsettling.
This novel is executed very well. A haunting in the arctic is effectively chilling. It’s haunting story line and arctic setting will have your teeth chattering until the last sentence. I enjoyed this snowy novel so much, and easily gave it 5 stars on Goodreads. It’s a perfect read for the dead of winter.
Kindle, audiobook and paperback versions of A Haunting in the Arctic available here.
Enjoy cozy snowed in evenings with these wintery themed books from around the world!
