Winter is finally here and I'd like to offer you a few recommendations for books to read during this period. I think it's the perfect time to read and cozy up with a cup of tea or hot chocolate.
PS: some of the books I've included are coming out in the next few weeks, but I'm really tempted by them, so that's why I've included them in this article.
Un hiver pour te résister (A winter to resist you) - Morgane Moncomble
The first novel to tempt me is Un hiver pour te résister by Morgane Moncomble. I loved her first book in the Seasons saga, Un automne pour te pardonner (An autumn to forgive you). It's coming out on January 3 and I can't wait to read it, because I have a feeling it's going to be a huge favorite.
I'll leave you with the summary:
A rising figure skating star, Lily has only one goal: to win the gold medal at the World Championships. When she meets her new partner, she's over the moon.
Her lifelong role model is Orion Williams.
The man she finds herself despising from the moment they meet...
A cursed champion, Orion dreams of just one thing: quitting figure skating. When his coach imposes one last partner on him, he fears she'll end up like all the others, injured or worse.
His biggest fan is her: Lily Pham.
The woman he'll be living with for the next four months.
Despite their stormy beginnings, it's in tragedy that Lily and Orion come together, hoping to win first place.
But at what price...
Endless Fall - Louise Langlois
Secondly, I'd like to tell you about Endless Fall by Louise Langlois. This novel was just a huge crush for me.
Here's the summary:
Can they rise again together?
Passionate about figure skating all her life, Eden gave up her dreams after a fall. To escape the harassment she suffered in high school and the memory of that fall that haunts her, Eden moves with her parents to a new town and is determined never to put on skates again. At her new school, she meets a group of friends with whom she gradually regains her self-confidence, notably Cole, a field hockey player who, following a serious car accident, can't skate like he used to. Cole asks Eden to become his coach. Initially reluctant, the young woman finally accepts, and feelings gradually develop between them. But will Eden be able to face up to her painful past and overcome her trauma?
And here's my review of this incredible novel:
This book is so beautiful. The story is just magnificent and conveys sublime messages. It really is a balm to the heart and naturally, I loved every page of this book, even the difficult parts.
This story tackles different subjects such as harassment, anxiety, fear, but also forgiveness, rebuilding, trust and, above all, the people around you. Having family and friends who are there for you, who support you no matter what.
So be warned, this book is extremely touching. Not least because of Eden's character, as it's her story and her thoughts that we read. But I also adored Cole, Roseline and Ashton, who made me laugh out loud and is the best big brother in the world.
The relationship between Cole and Eden is very natural, and I really enjoyed that aspect of it.
And Roseline, how could I not love her? She has such nice words, and she's so loyal to her friends. I just adore her.
In short, read this book because it's a real masterpiece. It conveys such beautiful and hopeful messages.
Là où réside l'hiver (Where winter dwells) - Laetitia Arnould
For the third book, I'd like to suggest Là où réside l'hiver by Laetitia Arnould. It's a beautiful story that makes us wonder about climate change, while blending magic and the seasons.
Here's the summary:
Have you ever heard the crystalline sound of frosty mornings and the whistling of the north wind? It's the laughter of winter waking up in December.
The laughter of Jack Frost...
On the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Edda Nightingale is a lonely, hypersensitive girl. Orphaned, she lives with her stepmother and sister-in-law, Ally. Although she feels like a stranger in their company, she wouldn't leave the family manor for the world, even when everything is done to keep her away. She wants to watch over the woods of Moonland and the amazing animals that come and go, like the elegant stoat and the mysterious snowy owl.
The guardian of frosty nights and glaciers, Jack Frost is the quintessence of winter. Yet who still knows his name? Jack is but a vague image from the past, a name lost in an old book or whispered in a hymnal. Invisible to men and abandoned by ghosts, he feels he means nothing to anyone, except perhaps Janvier the polar fox. He wanders every day, invested with a lofty mission: to preserve winter, blow frost and make the snowflakes dance...
At the dawn of a new winter, fate (or perhaps it's the north wind, a frozen pond or the aurora borealis?) is about to merge Edda's world with that of Jack. While Edda discovers a world of fairy tales and legends, Jack learns more about humans, those Ephemera in whom he has little faith and who have left him to fend for himself...
When the dreams of snow disappear and the Earth overheats, two beings who are at odds with each other will have to tame each other and join forces with the Year's Watchers, so that the woods, guardians of the balance of the seasons, remain...
And my review:
This is a magnificent book and an ode to winter. This story fights against several current issues such as global warming, deforestation, fires, the disappearance of rare species, ...
In my opinion, that's what makes this book so special, and so beautiful. Because the author tackles all these subjects brilliantly and with a touch of magic, interpreted by Jack Frost and the personified seasons.
I loved the character of Jack immensely. He's so touching, because through him, we touch on so many themes: the search for self and belonging, humanity, myths and tales. He's a complex character who's neither quite human nor quite legend.
I also liked Edda, who brings us the hope of new generations. And of course, I loved the 3 seasons of winter.
In this story, we're treated to a refined, wintry style and a gentle, light romance. It's a change from what I've read before. I highly recommend it, as the author reminds us in this story that there is hope in the face of global warming and this waning winter, but that if we all pull together, we can make a difference.
From Lukov with love - Mariana Zapata
I haven't read this story yet but I plan to read it very soon because one, it's the perfect time to read this story and two, I've heard nothing but good things about it. The story sounds so beautiful, I can't wait.
Here's the summary:
If someone asked Jasmine Santos to describe the last few years of her life in one word, it would certainly be a four-letter word.
After seventeen years - and countless broken bones and broken promises - she knows her chance to compete in figure skating is coming to an end.
But when the offer of a lifetime is made to her by an arrogant idiot she's spent the last decade dreaming of pushing into the path of a moving bus, Jasmine may have to reconsider everything.
Including Ivan Lukov.
Twisted Love - Ana Huang
For this fifth and final book in this article, I bring you Twisted Love by Ana Huang. This is a rather deep and touching romance, with a bit of spicy. So it's for a more mature audience.
I'll leave you with the summary:
He has a heart of ice... but for her, he'd burn the world. Alex Volkov is a devil with the face of an angel. Driven by a tragedy that has haunted him for most of his life, his ruthless quest for success and revenge leaves little room for affairs of the heart.
But when he's forced to care for his best friend's sister, he begins to feel something in his chest:
A crack.
A crack. A fire.
A fire that could put an end to the world he's always lived in.
Ava Chen is a free spirit trapped by the nightmares of a childhood she has no memory of. But despite her broken past, she's never stopped seeing beauty in the world... including the heart beneath the cold face of a man she shouldn't desire:
Her brother's best friend.
Her neighbor.
Her savior and her undoing.
As their story begins to take shape, she reveals secrets that could destroy them both... and everything they hold dear.
And my review of this book:
This book surprised me enormously. I didn't expect to like it so much and to be so caught up in the story.
In the beginning, we're left wondering about the characters' pasts. There are a few clues that pique our interest and curiosity, and that's what kept me reading and allowed me to get to know the characters.
I had a bit of trouble with Alex at first. Mainly because he sometimes talks badly, but by the end it was much better. As for Ava, I recognized myself in her, in her vision of things. And I was very touched by her past, more so than Alex's.
I also really liked Ava's band of friends, and I can't wait to read each of their stories. Especially with what we learn at the end about Bridget.
Photo Credit : Amelie Marmonier
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