It’s the perfect time of year to find some good books to cosy up with and enjoy some ‘me-time’. After all the festivities of December, the new year is ideal for making a big mug of tea, hunkering down and losing yourself in a good book (or three…).
Our top 5 books to cosy up with
Grab your favourite blanket, snuggle into your sofa, and enjoy these thrilling, dramatic and heart-lifting books.
The Essex Serpent, Sarah Perry
Flipping between colourful Victorian London, and the dark superstitions of the rural countryside, The Essex Serpent is perfect if you love reading about unusual history with a good, strong story behind the tale. The theme of mystery – woven around a mythical serpent haunting the Essex marshes – runs throughout this wonderful novel, set against the backdrop of a widowed woman trying to make her way in a man’s world. The Essex Serpent also draws out the more fun, curious side of the Victorian era – stepping away from the usual puritanical descriptions of daily Victorian life.
The Wonder, Emma Donoghue
Set in 1850s rural Ireland, The Wonder is a brilliant twist on the classic whodunit plot. Nurse Libby is sent from England to care for – and investigate – and young Roman Catholic girl, Anna, who has apparently survived without food for months. With a bleak backdrop of Irish poverty after the potato famine, this story twists and weaves around the various characters surrounding Anna. Right until the end, The Wonder will keep you guessing about whether someone is colluding to feed Anna her in secret – or if she really is a living miracle.
Eligible, Curtis Sittenfeld
A fun, modern retelling of Jane Austen’s classic Pride & Prejudice. If your skin gave a shiver at ‘modern retelling’, then we urge you to set aside your prejudices (sorry, not sorry…) as Sittenfeld’s lively modernisation of the characters really works. There’s enough elements of Austen’s original to be true to the plot without hacking in references to it. Her 21st-century take on each character’s situation is brilliant – and frequently hilarious. In true Austen style, the female characters remain the focus and the wit levels are high. This is a great book to get lost in for some weekend escapism.
The Stranger in My Home, Adele Parks
When Alison discovers that the gorgeous, clever daughter she has brought up was actually switched at birth, it breaks her perfectly-constructed world apart. The Stranger in My Home is gripping reading – with spikes and turns, the story explores how the daughters from the two ‘switched’ families are impacted by the revelation of the accidental swap. This a really moving story which stays on the right side of sentimentality – believably tugging on your heartstrings as you imagine the anguish of Alison’s struggle to help herself and her family cope with this shocking secret.
The Exclusives, Rebecca Thornton
This pacy, haunting tale explores how our past actions can haunt our present lives – and whether our perception of ourselves matches up to other’s reality. Following the friendship of Freya and Josephine since their childhood at an English boarding school, this novel perfectly captures all the frenzy and heightened emotions of close female teenage friendships. Twisting through dark themes and constantly hinting at something terrible that happened in the girls’ past, this is a genuine page-turner. Ideal winter reading if you fancy a gripping book for a cosy night in.
So there you have it, 5 books to cosy up with this winter. What will you be reading? Share with us – @tweetjanes.