There’s a chill in the air, the woolly jumpers are coming out, and you promised to keep the heating off to save the pennies but that resolve is beginning to crumble. You know what it’s time for? Time to snuggle up by the fire with a cosy book. Luckily, you’ve come to the perfect place; here are five brilliant books that are just right for a dark evening.
1. The Secret Countess– Eva Ibbotson
We all need a bit of romance in our lives and The Secret Countess will provide just that! Anna, a Russian countess, is forced to flee to England when her perfect life in St Petersburg is torn apart by revolution. Completely penniless, Anna is forced to exchange ball gowns for aprons, and diamond rings for blisters as she secretly becomes a housemaid at the Earl of Westerholme’s derelict but magnificent mansion. Attempting to hide her true identity, Anna throws herself into this new life and makes quite an impact on the community. However, the return of young Earl Rupert from war shakes up her already unstable world. Rupert is young, attractive, but also engaged to the awful Muriel, so there’s no way he and Anna can be together, after all she’s just a servant, right?
2. The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared– Jonas Jonasson
The name of this book sums it up relatively succinctly; it’s Allan Karlsson’s hundredth birthday and rather than attending his birthday party, Allan climbs out the window of his old people’s home and runs away. He embarks upon an incredible journey, being joined by some interesting characters along the way, getting involved in a few murders, and aptly outsmarting the police. As we follow Allan on his adventures we also learn about his incredible past, from helping to make the atomic bomb, to chatting with American President Truman. Allan is a wonderful protagonist, and this book is more than a light read, it teaches you not to dismiss people.
3. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves– Kay Joy Fowler
I pride myself on guessing plot twists, but this book genuinely had me with my mouth hanging open! Rosemary is an only child…except that once she had a sister her age and an older brother, who have both vanished. There was something very special about Fern, Rosemary’s sister, that kick-started all the problems and Rosemary is finally telling her story. I don’t want to say too much about the plot of the book because I want you to be surprised, so all I’ll say is read it! And DO NOT cheat and read ahead!
4. Pride and Prejudice– Jane Austen
I feel like lots of people stay away from Pride and Prejudice because it’s too ‘popular’ and because they feel like they know the plot already- after all who hasn’t heard of Mr Darcy? However, I would thoroughly recommend you to throw your pride and prejudice aside and actually read this book. The novel follows the trials and tribulations of the Bennet family, consisting of Mr and Mrs Bennet, and their five daughters. The arrival of eligible gentlemen Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy, throws Mrs Bennet into overdrive as she tries to marry off her daughters. Throw in a few scandals, a couple of rogues, a whole lot of pride and prejudice, and suddenly it’s not all going to plan! Austen’s writing is humorous, intelligent and timeless- it’s not just a well known romance, it’s a work of art.
5. Wait for You– J. Lynn
This is the perfect read for a winter evening- except don’t make any plans because you won’t be going anywhere until you’ve finished it! Avery Morgansten has chosen a college far away from home in order to escape the demons of her past. She’s going to focus on her work, keep herself private and maybe make a few friends. She didn’t plan on (literally) running into the top dog on campus. Cameron Hamilton is the popular guy, the hot guy, the guy every girl wants…so why does he care about Avery? As Avery and Cam are trying to work everything out, Avery is suddenly forced to confront what happened to her five years ago. Can she let herself find happiness or will she run? Read and see! Just be aware that you are going to fall in love with Cam, it’s non-optional.
Enjoy these great books, there should be something for everyone!