This book thrilled me in a way few have done since childhood.
It reminded me of why I love reading, because a great book opens a portal into another world. In this one, snow is blowing across the plains of medieval Russia, where there are deep forests, ancient magic, and characters who may be either heroes or monsters depending on how you squint.
Built on a scaffolding of history and legend and fleshed out with a searingly emotional and romantic story, I found myself turning the pages so fast I had to read it again immediately after I finished so I could slow down and savor the lyrical prose. Like the best bedtime tale you were never told.
_____________________________ Beware the evil in the woods...
In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, an elderly servant tells stories of sorcery, folklore and the Winter King to the children of the family, tales of old magic frowned upon by the church.
But for the young, wild Vasya these are far more than just stories. She alone can see the house spirits that guard her home, and sense the growing forces of dark magic in the woods. . .
Reading Wintering was like receiving a permission slip to slow down, exhale, and take stock of the natural world around me.
It reminded me that there are seasons to the year, and seasons to life, and the two are inexorably linked, despite what popular culture tells us. There’s a beauty—and a strength—to be found in resting during fallow periods, and we ignore that wisdom at our peril.
So take a breath, light a candle, and sit in the darkness for a spell. You’ll come away with a greater appreciation for the light.
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK
'A beautiful, gentle exploration of the dark season of life and the light of spring that eventually follows' RAYNOR WINN
'My favourite book of the last five years' CAITLIN MORAN
Wintering is a poignant and comforting meditation on the fallow periods of life, times when we must retreat to care for and repair ourselves. Katherine May thoughtfully shows us how to come through these times with the wisdom of knowing that, like the seasons, our winters and summers are the ebb and flow of life.
Ever been at a sleepover? The lights are low, the wind is rustling outside, and someone starts telling a spine-chilling story they swear is true?
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride gives those vibes. Rich and dark and a throwback to my old teen favorites like Down a Dark Hall and Flowers in the Attic, but adult and twisted and terrifying and beautiful. A fairytale in the true sense, with its midnight heart exposed, and at the same time lovely and lyrical. Like nothing else I read all year.
A sumptuous, gothic story about an obsessive female friendship cursed to end in tragedy, a marriage unraveled by dark secrets, and the danger of believing in fairy tales - the breathtaking adult debut from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi.
Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Castenada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed…
Life is looking up for Holly Darling, granddaughter of Wendy—yes, that Wendy. That is, until she gets a call that her daughter, Eden, who has been in a coma for nearly a decade, is missing. Worst of all, Holly knows who must be responsible: Peter Pan, who is not only very real, but very dangerous. Holly’s desperate to find Eden and protect her son, Jack, from a terrible web of family secrets before she loses them both.
A certain reimagined pirate and fairy lend a hand, and while the magic of the classic Peter Pan is there, Darling Girl also explores the dark underpinnings of fairy tales, grief, aging, motherhood, and just how far we will go to protect those we love.
