Winter reads to curl up with

This bitesize novella is the perfect book to read in December. Set in the days leading up to Christmas, the book is a gentle portrayal of a man living in a small town in Ireland. At once cosy and claustrophobic, the book reflects on the history of the Magdelene laundries.

This is a delightful warm hug of a book that's perfect for curling up with in winter. This charming and cosy story brims with magic, romance and the power of found family. You will root for the quirky cast of characters from the start, and you'll wish you could escape to the wonderful world of Nowhere House, with its beautiful grounds and well-stocked old library. Perfect for readers who love small-town vibes with a sprinkle of magic!

Crack open this spellbinding collection for poems that will transport you to sparkling winter scenes to keep you company for every day of winter. A lovely book to read and share aloud, whether in-person or over the phone.

This Christmas classic is guaranteed to get you feeling festive. Originally published on the 19 December 1843, the novella had sold out by Christmas Eve the same year! It's gone on to be published countless times and inspire all kids of adaptations. Grab a warm cuppa and settle in for a heart-warming read.

This collection of short stories is perfect bedtime reading for the colder months. While the title story is of course explicitly wintery, the subtlety and warmth of the relationships between the characters makes each of these stories perfect for curling up with. With small town settings, lovable characters and unexpected relationships, this book is incredibly charming.

The perfect escapist novel for the darkening days, this book follows seven school students as they discover a magical portal into another world. As they explore the magnificent castle on the other side, the book reveals their inner lives and relationships with warmth and generosity.

Alasdair Gray has won the first-ever Saltire Society Lifetime Achievement Award and Lanark is perhaps his master work. Travel through four beautifully weird tales told out of order in a meaty book that will keep you going through the dark months.

A grumpy old man named Oswald is sent away from the big city to the charming little town of Lost River by his doctor, much to his chagrin. Won over by the city’s residents – including a particularly boisterous redbird – Oswald starts to come around to life in Lost River. Complete with a cast of quirky characters, unexpected romance and even a Christmas miracle, this is a lovely festive read.

The landscape that Michael Faber’s protagonist inhabits when he travels as a missionary to another planet feels a lot like winter back home. The weird otherness and barren nature of the planet will remind readers of winter hushing the land outside their window.

The festive season can throw up all kinds of complicated emotions. This little collection of poetry feels like a hand reaching out to let you know that whatever you're feeling, you're not alone.

This novel, and the life of its main character, Ursula Todd, start in a snowstorm in 1910. The novel then follows Ursula through many different possible lives, following each path to its conclusion to explore what it looks like to have second chances, and how much of a part destiny has to play. With its rich characters and sweeping storylines, this novel is perfect for getting lost in this winter.

A Christmas classic from the late, great Terry Pratchett. It’s the night before Hogswatch. And it’s too quiet. Superstition makes things work in the Discworld, and undermining it can have consequences. It’s just not right to find Death creeping down chimneys and trying to say ‘Ho Ho Ho…’

Arctic traveller Nancy Campbell has spent her life around snow, learning words from many languages throughout her travels. In this delightful piece of non-fiction, Nancy explores the meanings of fifty different words for snow, investigating its cultural significance for communities around the world.

If you're not in the mood for fiction, why not flick through the pages of Ghillie Basan's beautiful new book. Featuring a hundred recipes gleaned from food producers, farmers, crofters, fishermen and distillers across the Scottish Highlands, this book is the perfect cosy read for food lovers.

A collection of some of Tove Jansson's best loved and most famous stories drawn from youth and older age, and spanning most of the twentieth century. This beautiful book is just the thing for dipping into as the nights draw in.

In 1934, the painter Christiane Ritter leaves her comfortable life in Austria and travels to the remote Arctic island of Spitsbergen. At first, Christiane is horrified by the freezing cold, the bleak landscape the lack of equipment and supplies... But as time passes, after encounters with bears and seals, long treks over the ice and months on end of perpetual night, she finds herself falling in love with the Arctic's harsh, otherworldly beauty, gaining a great sense of inner peace and a new appreciation for the sanctity of life. This rediscovered classic memoir will captivate readers - and make everyone thankful to be inside and cosy with a cuppa!

Scotland's take on 'Hygge' this coffee table book is a lovely winter read to dip in and out of. A charming read exploring lifestyle, homes and interiors, traditions, and how to enjoy life despite challenging elements.