Between the dark nights, grey weather and enforced hibernation (a much more comforting way of looking at things) it’s the perfect opportunity to snuggle up and escape into a new book. We all need a distraction at the moment, a chance to dive head-first into someone else’s reality and go on some kind of adventure. And if you too feel like you’ve completed TV (not just Netflix, the whole of TV) then some screen-free escapism could be just what you’re after. There’s no better escape than good fiction. It’s all consuming and somewhat relieving to be immersed in someone else's life for a while, particularly if it’s entirely different to yours.

The Best books to read this Winter

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng: One of my favourite books of the past year and a story that has really stayed with me. It examines the life of a Chinese-American family in 1970’s Ohio, starting with the mysterious death of their teenage daughter and jumping between years to piece together what really happened. 

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams: A frank portrayal of what life is like for twenty-something Queenie as she navigates her way through relationships, her career and family dynamics as a Black British woman. She feels like your friend from the first page.

Olive by Emma Gannon: This story looks at the big question so many of us think about but so few of us discuss, “Do I want to have a child?”. It follows Olive as she tries to work out the answer to this, while also showing how friendships can change and evolve as our lives all start to go in different directions.

The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett: Another favourite, this is the story of twin sisters in 1960’s Alabama who run away from home, are separated and go on to to live entirely different lives. The story is told from their perspectives and through their daughters over the course of about 40 years. It examines race and identity, and how our experiences can shape us and the lives we lead. 

Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid: Things start to unravel between a wealthy white mother and her young Black babysitter after a racist experience at a supermarket. Examining race, racism, privilege and perception, the story shows how these two very different women experience the world entirely differently. 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: What if you could change the decisions you’ve made and live an alternative life? This perfect dose of escapism explores the nature of regret and whether the grass ever really is greener.