As the temperatures dip, there’s nothing nicer than some winter reading with a cup of hot chocolate and a warm blanket.
Here are our books editor, Savanna Douglas’ top reads to curl up with this winter.
ALSO SEE: Our favourite plush blankets for winter
The emotional read
The Man Who Didn’t Call (Mantle) by Rosie Walsh
A week-long affair is enough to tell Sarah she’s in love. But then Eddie disappears.
This captivating high-concept love story is chock-full of secrets, loss and grief, with plenty of twists and tissue-sodden emotional moments.
The feel-good read
A Family Recipe (Orion) by Veronica Henry
Empty-nester Laura is blindsided by a revelation that rocks her marriage. But it’s her grandmother’s recipes that give her a new purpose. As sweet a read as the jam she makes.
ALSO SEE: Try out our spiced hot chocolate recipe
The real-life drama
The Life of Stuff (Doubleday) by Susannah Walker
An intimate and moving memoir by a woman mourning and discovering her mother through the hoarded possessions she left behind after her death.
A revealing story of a mother/daughter relationship that raises universal questions.
The comfort read
The Hideaway (Headline) by Sheila O’Flanagan
Fleeing grief, Juno goes to mend her broken heart in Spain. A beautiful backdrop to the story of a woman finding acceptance and new beginnings.
The power novel
The Illumination of Ursula Flight (A&U) by Anna-Marie Crowhurst
A spirited and entertaining picaresque tale of a woman’s coming of age in Restoration England. Her journey towards independence makes for exhilarating reading.
The historic adventure
Mr Peacock’s Possessions (Zaffre) by Lydia Syson
In this electrifying story of a man’s obsession, the setting is a remote Pacific island in 1879, where the Peacock family are joined by a pair of Polynesian brothers.
Appalled by the decrepitude of the Peacocks, missionary trained Kalala strikes up a friendship with the daughter Lizzie, to discover that the situation is far worse than he imagined. Lushly written, with immaculate historical detail.
The chilling thriller
A Different Kind of Evil (S&S) by Andrew Wilson
Agatha Christie finds herself up to her neck in a murder investigation on a Canary Island cruise. Cosy crime.
