Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings.   For today’s blog post, I am sharing a list of some of my favorite books to re-read in Winter!   Some of these are poems, some are fairytales, some are full-length novels, as I wanted to represent all of my favorite types of literature to consume in Winter.   This list contains nine favorite re-reads, some that I read annually, some that I read every couple of years.  The list is not ranked.   Without further ado, let’s look at nine of my favorite re-reads in the Winter season! 

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by J.R.R. Tolkien

~I had to begin this list with one of my favorite poems to read annually around the Yuletide season.   I specifically noted the Tolkien translation here because it is my absolute favorite translation of the text, but I have also read different translations across the years.    The story is of Sir Gawain going on his Quest to meet the Green Knight, and it is set during the Yuletide and New Year’s seasons, making it an ideal Winter read!   I actually even did a whole Green Knight theme week here on White Rose of Avalon last December, deep diving into this tale.

The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen

~This Hans Christian Andersen fairytale differs greatly from the way it was interpreted by Disney as Frozen.   It is rather long and tells the story of a young girl named Gerda seeking to save her friend Kai from the titular Snow Queen.   I enjoy the deep and multi-layered narrative of the fairytale, making it a joy to revisit and analyze!

The History of a Nutcracker by Alexandre Dumas

~This is my preferred version of the Nutcracker story, but any version is an ideal re-read during the Yuletide season.   The original version, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffman, is also very good.   The Dumas version is the one that was adapted into the Ballet, so that is likely why I hold more love for that telling!   Bonus points if you listen to Tchaikovsky’s music from the Ballet as you read.   

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 

~I have loved this novel since I was a little girl, and it is one of the classics that began my love of reading.   My mother introduced me to this one when I was very little, maybe six or so, and between the novel and the film adaptations, it is a very beloved story, even if it did not end the way Alcott originally wished to tell it.   It is so deeply tied to the bonds of family that it makes an ideal read in the cozy Winter months!   As a sidenote, my favorite film version is the one I grew up watching with my mother the most, the 1949 version with June Allyson as Jo (it also gets major bonus points for Elizabeth Taylor playing Amy, even if I need to overlook the awful wig they made her wear).   While I also love the 1994 Winona Ryder version, the 1949 has always been my mom’s favorite, and that has been passed down to me, which is quite appropriate with the importance of family and the bond between mothers, daughters, and sisters in the narrative! 

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

~This is my favorite book of the 19th century!   I have read this one so many times, and I try to read it every year, either around my birthday or in the Winter months.   After all, the story does begin in the Winter with a storm that traps Mr. Lockwood (the narrator) at Wuthering Heights with Heathcliff for a night!   The story of Heathcliff and Cathy is one of my favorites, and I truly do find new things each time I revisit it.     

Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti

~This poem is one that always feels joyful to revisit in the Winter, even if it is not set at that time.   It tells the story of two sisters who need to pass by a Goblin Market on their way home and deal with the temptation to taste the Goblin Fruits, and the consequences of giving in to that temptation!   

Possession by A.S. Byatt

~This novel is a complex story interweaving two narratives, the first of two academics studying the poetry of two fictional Victorian poets, with the academics discovering a connection between the poets that no one had ever realized before.  Then the second narrative is the flashbacks telling the story of said poets.   It is romantic, it is passionate, it is a bit sad, and it is a truly gorgeously wrought plot!   There are definitely parts of the book set in Winter, which add to the beauty of re-reading it during Winter.  Of course, the book also gets major bonus points from me for having the most famous work of one of the poets be a poem about Melusine!   

The Romance of the Faery Melusine by Andre Lebey, translated by Gareth Knight

~Speaking of Melusine, I just had to put a book about Melusine on this list!   This one is a short novel by Andre Lebey, which was translated by Gareth Knight, and it is a delightful retelling of Melusine’s legend.   I definitely plan to re-read this one this Winter!  

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

~Finally, I just had to include the book I have been currently re-reading.   The Mists of Avalon has been one of my favorite fantasy novels and one of my favorite Arthurian retellings since I was a teenager.   I will admit that I did not read this novel for a time after learning the truth of how vile a person Marion Zimmer Bradley was, but I have learned to separate the art from the artist once again (as I am a huge proponent of it in general), and I can enjoy this book once more.   In fact, I think of this book as largely being a channeled work, as it does not read like other Marion Zimmer Bradley novels I have read; there is something so special about it.   Now, I will not go into detail about the atrocities committed by the author, but I do caution those who wish to read this to look it up and decide whether they can separate the art from the artist.   That being said, the novel tells the whole of the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the women of the legends, which is delightful.   I love the interweaving of the Pagan ideals of Avalon and the Christian ideals of other parts of Britain, and how they impact the politics of the story.   I will say that the interpretation of Guinevere is not one I like at all, but I think making Guinevere a Christian zealot, while unfair to her nature as a Sovereignty Goddess and Faery Queen, it does fit the narrative as an opposition point between Avalon’s Priestesses and the Christianity that spread through Britain.   Overall, it is a delightful read full of references to Occult Knowledge and ancient beliefs, with characters who are multi-layered and complex. 

~I hope you have enjoyed reading my list of favorite books to re-read in Winter.   What are your favorite Wintery re-reads?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is an artwork titled Library Girl With A Stack of Books Art Print by Laura Row.   I found the art on https://fineartamerica.com/featured/library-girl-with-a-stack-of-books-laura-row.html?product=art-print.

LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries