Winter BiBib Day #1: Snowy Day Reading List

I’m doing my first read-a-thon/reading challenge/blog challenge of the year starting today and it is none other than the Winter Biannual Bibliothon. It is hosted by The Booktube Girl, Brittni’s Book Find, dylanthereader5, emmmabooks, Kellys BookSpill, LittleBookOwl and Little Red Reader over on YouTube. It has reading challenges, video challenges, blog challenges and Instagram challenges so that everyone can join in. It’s great fun and I’m so happy that I’m doing it for the second consecutive time! A few old-timers here probably remember the first time I took part in this. All of the posts I did for the Summer Biannual Bibliothon of 2017 can be found here. The first blog challenge is hosted by Latte Night Reviews and Victoria has asked us to create a snowy day reading list.

For those of you familiar with my life, I live in a tropical city where there isn’t even the barest hint of snow. So, compiling a snowy day reading list proved a bit of a challenge for me. However, I decided to put my own spin on things and create a list of books with white covers. I’ve already read every single one of them and enjoyed them, so this also doubles up as a book recommendations list. I’ve also included the genre and what mood the book is perfect for so you can find your perfect match.

1. A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Genre: Fantasy

If you’re in the mood for: Something magical

The cover reminds me of snow, ink and blood, which are all the hallmarks of a good fantasy book. The story follows Kell, a magician who has the rare gift of travelling between different versions of London, and what happens when one of his smuggling deals goes south. This was the first read of the year for me and I fell in love with the world, the characters, and, predictably, the magic. It has a fast-paced plot that is bound to keep you on the edge of your seat. It is one of the best first books I’ve read in a fantasy series. In fact, A Gathering of Shadows, which is the second book, is my current read for the Bibliothon and I hope I love the rest of the series as well!

2. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Genre: Contemporary

If you’re in the mood for: Something eye-opening

I think it’s safe to call this THE BOOK of 2017. It was on top of the NYT bestseller’s list for weeks together and rightly so. It is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and discusses police brutality as seen through the eyes of the teenage protagonist, Starr Carter. If you haven’t heard of this book, I’d be really surprised. It tackles a very important and relevant issue of recent times particular to the American community. It taught me so much and brought tears to my eyes, so of course I want everyone to read this.

3. Tintin in Tibet by Hergé

Genre: Comic book fiction

If you’re in the mood for: Something adventurous

I would be remiss if I did not mention Tintin on this list, obviously because he has a dog named Snowy. If you aren’t reading about this intelligent yet goofy fox terrier on a snowy day, it’s a real shame. The Tintin series is one of my favourite comic books of all time as it combines adventure, humour, exotic locations and action into one roller-coaster ride of a story. This is the 20th installment and is the perfect Himalayan adventure to have without leaving the comfort of your home.

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Genre: Historical fiction

If you’re in the mood for: Something heavy

Another famous book on this list with a minimalistic cover hiding a great story. We follow Death as he tells the story of Leisel Meminger, who is adopted by the Hubermans, and experiences the joys and sorrows of life as a child in World War II Germany. The narrative takes you through a range of emotions from giddy excitement to the depths of sorrow. It’s definitely on my ‘books you must read in your lifetime’ list.

5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Genre: Magical realism

If you’re in the mood for: Something whimsical

I decided to cheat a bit with this one as it originally has a white on black scheme but it looks like a perfect snowy night read (there is a black on white version available as well, so I’m not actually cheating). It follows two young magicians locked in a competition that one of them must lose their lives in, complicated by the fact that they may be falling for each other. The plot zigzags through time and has some really unique perspectives. This was my first tryst with magical realism and I’m happy to report that it was amazing.

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That completes my list of snowy day reads. Does it snow where you live? Does the weather/season affect your reading? Let me know in the comments section below. I’d love to connect with you if you are participating in the Bibliothon as well, so don’t forget to leave me your links! If you are interested but not yet on board, all the relevant information is in the introduction of this post (check out the links).