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Writer's pictureKatie Carey

7 Magical Books for Long Winter Nights

Updated: Oct 29, 2020

Looking for some delightful stories to curl up with this winter?


Oh, have I got you covered. Like a blanket stitched together with love and starlight and dark chocolate.


I love books. But I don't buy just any book. I mostly utilize my public library because public libraries are the best things ever. Before purchasing a book, I ask myself: If the world were to end tomorrow, would I wish I had this book on my shelf?


If the answer is yes, it is added to my beloved personal library.

A night scene with a door opening into a lit room.
Speak, friend, and enter!

Here are 7 magical books that received an enthusiastic "yes!" from yours truly, a lover of stories who currently has a short attention span (due to 3 small children eating her brain) and no tolerance for crummy fiction.


Check them out from the library, purchase from your local bookseller, or find a used copy online at BetterWorldBooks, ThriftBooks, or AbeBooks.

 
The Girl Who Drank the Moon book cover
Gah, the cover makes me swoon! I need a poster of this.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

by Kelly Barnhill


This. Book. Is. Gorgeous. Just read it.


I mean, look at that cover. The inside feels the way that cover looks.


Suitable for middle-school aged kids and up. I read it when I was 41. Twice. And I will read it again before I turn 43.

 
How to Spin Gold book cover

How to Spin Gold

by Elizabeth Cunningham


This is a new addition to my library. I discovered Elizabeth Cunningham through her Maeve Chronicles (which I am still working on and am in love with) and found this shorter, earlier work to be an expertly crafted new take on an old tale.


It's an enjoyable read that gives a profound gift at the end.

 

Minstrel book cover
Another beautiful cover.

Minstrel

by Bernadette Durbin


In her debut novel, Bernadette Durbin weaves classic fairy tale themes throughout the journey of Lydia in ways both satisfying and empowering.


Suitable for young adults and up.

 

The Bear and the Nightingale book cover
I have a thing for awesome books with awesome covers.

The Bear and the Nightingale

by Katherine Arden


This is the first book in Katherine Arden's Winternight Trilogy and I recommend the entire series. It took me a little patience to find the space where I was *in* the story (with each book, as it turns out) and then, oh, I was in.


A beautiful exploration of medieval Russian folklore using the story of Vasilisa as the foundation. I have a special affinity for Vasilisa, so I was excited by her take on the tale.

 
The Curse of Chalion book cover

The Curse of Chalion

by Lois McMaster Bujold


This book snuck up on me. I thought it was pretty good...and then I was in love with it. I wasn't expecting it to speak so deeply to my mystical Self.


I've read it twice over the past decade and had the same surprising, enjoyable experience each time (it turns out that when children eat your brain you get to enjoy books over and over again for the first time!).

 
Wise Child book cover

Wise Child

by Monica Furlong


Set in medieval Scotland, there are passages in Monica Furlong's magical coming-of-age story that I want to frame and hang in my home.


Simple and profound, it is suitable for middle school aged kids and up. I discovered it as an adult and hunted down the two other books in this series (all are out of print but available if you search used book sites).

 

The Slow Regard of Silent Things

by Patrick Rothfuss


I have never read a book like this one. For being a fairly short piece of work, it took me a long time to consume. I re-read sentences multiple times, then re-read paragraphs. In a good way. It is exceptionally beautiful and moving--and a fascinating literary experiment.


This is a companion novel to Patrick Rothfuss' The Kingkiller Chronicle series--meant to be read by those who are already familiar with the main character. I had not read the series, so this was my introduction to world of Kvothe and Auri. Upon completing it I immediately started into the main trilogy and then re-read The Slow Regard of Silent Things.

 

May your long winter nights be cozy and wonder-ful.


Blessings,

Katie


PS: Know what else is magical? Subverting the patriarchy. Sign up for the Up Rising newsletter and receive clear, effective guidance on how to get in the best spiritual health possible so you can thrive while overthrowing that old story. (Language warning: I'm called Foul-Mouthed Mystic for a reason.)


Vasilisa + Baba Yaga cover
Vasilisa journeys to the fearsome Baba Yaga's chicken-legged house. Sh*t goes down. Language warning: contains (totally appropriate) F words.
 

Katie Carey is a spiritual midwife, community herbalist, and theater artist devoted to real-izing the Emerging Story.   Katie spent 10 years doing theater in the Northwest, followed by 8 years of theater in Chicago. She then decided what she really wanted to do was raise a family in a hand-built hobbit hole in the middle of a mud puddle on a Montana farm. So that’s what’s happening now.    Katie's works include How to Re-Ignite Your Internal Fire, Foul-Mouthed Mystic, Vasilisa + Baba Yaga (or: How to Destroy Your Enemies without Losing Your Soul), Excommunicated! The Musical, New Creation Stories for the Emerging Paradigm, The Real Life Adventures of Lizzy and Rilla, and Solitaire.


Katie has degrees in theater and spirituality, so she can act like she cares.

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