{"id":4423,"date":"2025-12-19T09:22:52","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T14:22:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.owu.edu\/engblog\/?p=4423"},"modified":"2026-01-19T10:17:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T15:17:52","slug":"wintry-books-to-get-cozy-with-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.owu.edu\/engblog\/2025\/12\/19\/wintry-books-to-get-cozy-with-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Wintry Books to Get Cozy With, Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fantasy\/Sci-Fi<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For our farewell post of the semester we conclude our Winter Break cozy reading recommendations from Anna Condo, this time from the genres of fantasy and sci-fi. Fantasy and science fiction offer a comforting escape from reality and into a world where winters are as magical as they are harsh and long.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A Winter\u2019s Promise<\/span><\/i><\/a> by Christelle Dabos<\/span><\/p>\n

Ophelia lives on Anima, one of many floating islands\u2013\u201cArks\u201d\u2013created when the world shattered during the long-ago Rupture. On Anima, objects have souls. Though unassuming in appearance, Ophelia possesses two unique abilities: the ability to read the pasts of objects, and to travel through mirrors. Her simple, quiet life is compromised when she\u2019s unexpectedly promised in marriage to a strange, distant man from a powerful family on an icy Ark, the Pole\u2013known for its harsh, inhospitable winter climate.. There, she\u2019s thrown into a deadly world of secrets and court intrigue, all while grappling with her engagement to the mysterious Thorn. With a fascinatingly whimsical magic system, <\/span>A Winter\u2019s Promise<\/span><\/i> is perfectly suited to winter reading.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Quote: \u201cTo read an object requires forgetting oneself a little, to leave room for the past of someone else.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves<\/span><\/i><\/a> by Meg Long<\/span><\/p>\n

On the frozen planet of Tundar, Sena is an orphaned 17-year-old taking any opportunity to make money to survive in a harsh world. When she crosses a local gangster, the only chance for survival is the same deadly sled race that claimed her mothers\u2019 lives five years prior. After escaping with the gangster\u2019s prized fighting wolf, Sena accepts a deal from scientists who offer to pay for her to leave Tundar if she can guide them through the grueling race. On the perilous journey, Sena forms a fierce bond with the wolf, as well as the scientists she\u2019s guiding. Across the tundra, they face the dangers of nature and humanity alike.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Quote: \u201cWe race the cold and night, my wolf and I.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Spinning Silver<\/span><\/i><\/a> by Naomi Novik<\/span><\/p>\n

Miryem is the daughter of an overly lenient moneylender. Determined not to fall into poverty, she takes over for her father and becomes so successful that she gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. Her boasts of her ability draws the attention of the king of the Staryk, a race of fey who come to the human world every winter to raid human settlements. As another harsh winter draws near, she struggles to meet the Staryk king\u2019s demand\u2013and keep herself and her family alive. Miryem crosses paths with two other young women who become her unlikely allies. Wanda is a peasant girl determined to build a new life with her younger brother; she begins working for Miryem\u2019s family to pay off her abusive father\u2019s debts. Irina is a lord\u2019s daughter engaged to a man who happens to be possessed by a fiery soul-drinking demon. The three women must make deadly choices with consequences for themselves and their world in this stunning winter read.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Quote: \u201cBut I had not known that I was strong enough to do any of those things until they were over and I had done them. I had to do the work first, not knowing.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Once Upon a Broken Heart<\/span><\/i><\/a> by Stephanie Garber<\/span><\/p>\n

Evangeline Fox lives a charmed life, faithful in her beliefs in true love and happy endings\u2013that is, until her beloved gets engaged to her stepsister. Desperate to stop the wedding, she makes a deal with the Prince of Hearts\u2013a Fate rumored to grant a person their wish in exchange for three kisses\u2013who is not nearly as sympathetic as she\u2019d imagined he would be. The Prince of Hearts, Jacks, is far more dangerous than Evangeline had bargained for, and her deal ends in heartbreak. It may not have gone to plan, but Evangeline\u2019s struggle brings her fame that brings her to the magic and glamor of the Magnificent North, as icy as it is enchanted. There, she must juggle a second chance at love, dangerous magic, ancient secrets, curses, and Jacks\u2026who she still owes her kisses to. This whimsical tale is the first in a series (and is a companion of the <\/span>Caraval<\/span><\/i> series) and perfect for a magical winter\u2019s night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quote: \u201cI believe there are far more possibilities than happily ever after or tragedy. Every story has the potential for infinite endings.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope you find these wintry books as enjoyable as I did!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fantasy\/Sci-Fi For our farewell post of the semester we conclude our Winter Break cozy reading recommendations from Anna Condo, this Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2348,"featured_media":4438,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,29,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wwr","category-reviews-recommendations","category-what-were-reading"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.owu.edu\/engblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.owu.edu\/engblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.owu.edu\/engblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.owu.edu\/engblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2348"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.owu.edu\/engblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4423"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sites.owu.edu\/engblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4439,"href":"https:\/\/sites.owu.edu\/engblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4423\/revisions\/4439"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.owu.edu\/engblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.owu.edu\/engblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.owu.edu\/engblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.owu.edu\/engblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}