Sometimes, amidst all the chaos happening around us (especially in these times), it’s easy to get overwhelmed. For bookworms and readers specifically, getting lost in the pages of an exceptional novel is the best medicine to take when wanting to escape reality. Some readers (like myself) tend to consume novels at an alarming rate, often leaving us without reading material. What with the current season being winter, what books better to read then ones with a chilling, frosty aesthetic?

Without further ado, here’s a quick look at some snow-inspiring novels to cozy up to with a velvety blanket.

Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances delves into the lives of three strangers in a small, blizzard-struck town over the span of three days. Co-written by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle, this funny, heart-warming collection of stories entices the same sort of feelings a Hallmark Christmas movie would. Despite its feel-good romance, Let it Snow contains a twinge of heartbreak and melancholiness to keep you on your toes. The young adult novel is a quick read; it only took me  two days to read it cover to cover. (Side note: a movie based on the book was released in 2019 and is just as good as the book!).

Deviating from the world of fiction, Into the Wild is an extension of Jon Krakauer’s 1993 article, consisting of 9,000 words on the strange and mystifying events behind Chris McCandless’s death in 1992 in the remote Alaskan wilderness. Like a true investigative journalist, Krakauer examines the life of McCandless, from the moment he disappeared from society, to the day his remains were found inside an abandoned bus on Mt. McKinley. Krakauer’s “obsession” with McCandless (in his own words) spun into a novel unlike no other; of all the books on this list, I’d definitely recommend reading it.

In 1994, The Giver, by Lois Lowry, won the Newbery Award; nowadays, it’s a common read among middle and high school students. Following the life of 12 year-old Jonas in a dystopian society, The Giver entices feelings of apprehension and suspense as it takes you on a wild ride of memories.

Published recently in 2018, Circe by Madeline Miller tells the story of the Greek sorceress Circe (the same one who bewitched Odysseus and his men before turning them into pigs!) and her banishment to the island of Aeaea. In common pop culture, Circe has been labeled as an evil enchantress; Miller, however, creates a new side to the Greek Titan that’s never been noticed before. Considering I’ve only just started the novel, I haven’t been able to put it down.

Jane Eyre is an interesting book, put simply. I had the opportunity last year to read it, and despite the very long weeks it took to read all 480 pages of Victorian English, it lit a new spark in me. The “autobiography” follows the life of Jane Eyre, an average-looking orphan with upright moral justness as she struggles to overcome the misogynistic and social class ideals of the Victorian Age, while falling in love with her much older and wealthier employer, the brooding and mysterious Rochester, who’s wicked secrets might just include hiding his mentally insane wife in his attic (it’s a long story).

As we dwindle down to the end of this bizarre list, we have to include the cult classic Sherlock Holmes series. The slightly-mad detective, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, has four novels and five short story anthologies (not to mention an entire show starring Benedict Cumberbatch and a movie series starring Robert Downey Jr. as the world-known detective respectfully) recounting his mystery tales. Sherlock’s stories are always fun to snuggle up to with a steaming mug of tea; the “high-functioning sociopath” is bound to make you laugh.

I hope you enjoy this list of winter-inspired novels, Knights! Don’t forget to be extraordinary and strive for the impossible.