Student-Recommended Books to Cozy Up With This Season
With the coldest weeks of the year upon us, we’ve found ourselves wanting to do nothing but cozy up with a good book and a warm cup of hot cocoa. Luckily, our resident experts— our English and Creative Writing majors— are here to help warm up the season with their favorite reads. Learn what they find heartwarming, uplifting, or thought-provoking below!
Abby Yeager
Creative Writing and Marketing ‘23
(she/her)
“The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon is a great one. It’s over 800 pages of rich world-building and wonderful characters. While it’s not a traditional cozy winter read, I can’t think of anything better than traveling to a far-off world of dragons and magic to escape the winter chill.”
Morgan Williams
Creative Writing and Women’s and Gender Studies ‘22
(she/her)
“I have a few favorite winter reads. Red Clocks by Leni Zumas is a speculative fiction novel following the lives of a handful of women in the Pacific Northwest. The chilling themes of the novel as well as the climate of the physical setting position this book as a wintery read for me. A book that will surely warm your heart is Love, Kurt, a compilation of Kurt Vonnegut's letters to his wife leading up to their marriage in the 1940s--heartwarming, hilarious, at times morbid, and all so very Vonnegut. I also recommend Jenny Slate's collection of essays, Little Weirds, due to the comfort her whimsical voice offers.”
Lirit Gimlore
Creative Writing ‘24
(she/her)
“My favorite winter reads lately have been poetry. I've been enjoying works by Pat Parker, and Gwendolyn Brooks. I also always enjoy a holiday trashy romance novel found in the used section. I think I find it cozy and compelling because poetry often forces me to contemplate and make time for silence within my mind. It's usually busy throughout the day for me, and when I get home from in the cold it's nice to indulge in solitude.”
Erin Wright
English ‘25
(she/her)
“My favorite winter read is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. The vivacious March family always brings me joy and comfort when the world outside may be cold and dreary.”
Hannah Klepsky
English ‘24
(she/her)
“I think Stephen King’s The Shining is a great winter read for anyone who likes the horror genre. The atmosphere is chilling and unsettling, perfect for a snowy day. Both the book and movie are winter classics.”
Finley Keeler
Creative Writing ‘23
(he/him)
“We Were Liars is always one of my favorites. It is by far my favorite book of all time, and I’ve reread it several times. It is incredibly metaphorical, which is a fascinating way to write a novel, and it has so many plot twists that you never know what’s going to happen next. It touches on trauma and mental illness within a family and how it can present when not addressed. It is heartwarming yet heartbreaking, and I just can’t get enough of it.”
Abbey Sullivan
(she/her)
“My favorite winter read is a recent addition for me - Fitzgerald's The Last Tycoon. It's the last work he published before his death, and the old-timey Hollywood themes and tragic romance really make me emotional during an already dreary season! It's a heavy and nostalgic book for a heavy and nostalgic season.”
Thanks to all of our students for their insightful recommendations! Looking for more? Check out the Jennie King Mellon Library’s must-reads of 2021.