Winter is coming…

The leaves have pretty much all fallen from the trees now and the first snowfall has dusted our lawn already. Just last week, the property manager in the office building in which I work, installed the winter carpeting in the lobby, preparing for the onslaught of snow, ice, and salt. The cold, dark, winter months are surely ahead of us now.

In past years, I hunker down this time of year with wine and cheese and gain five pounds and feel sorry for myself in the spring! The Scandinavians don’t feel sorry for themselves; they don’t dread winter. These countries have the highest happiness rates in the world. The Danish have a word for winter activity. It’s called hygge .(pronounced HOO-ga). There is no real translation to English, but it is said the word is derived from the old Norse words for “mind” and “embrace”. For me this evokes images of winter evenings of fire and friends, food and drink. But it also means a chilly winter afternoon under a blanket with a great book. Winter is made for warm blankets and books!

So, if you plan to practice a little Danish hygge this winter, here are a few of my recent favourite reads for you and your mind to embrace, along with a few tantalizing sips for your taste buds to embrace!

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

In this, her third book, Esi Edugyan  tells an incredible story of both slavery and freedom; a story of Washington Black , his escape from slavery in the 1800’s, and his growth and development as a young man. A story you’d think takes place in the Deep South, it barely grazes the American coast. Young Washington takes us from a life on a sugar cane plantation in Barbados, to wild adventures in the Canadian Arctic, to freedom and love in Nova Scotia, to research in the UK, and finally to Marrakesh to ease a plaguing desire for closure. This historical fiction won the Scotiabank Giller Prize  in 2018. Oh, and if my endorsement of this book isn’t enough, Barack Obama listed it as one of his favourite books of the year too.

This book pairs nicely with a Dark ‘N’ Stormy (ginger beer and dark rum)   because there are dark and stormy nights ahead this winter, and dark and stormy moments in this book.

Where are Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

This is the debut novel of Delia Owens  , a 70-year old zoologist from Africa. Let that sink in for a bit: a debut novel at the age of 70? She is my hero. And speaking of heros, can we talk about Kya Clark? How is it possible that a young child, abandoned by her family at the age of six, can survive the wild swamps of North Carolina? Not only does she survive, but Kya somehow thrives. Where the Crawdads Sing follows Kya’s life through a bizarre, solitary life but one with a profoundly deep connection with Nature. The story sticks to mostly her formative years between the ages of six and twenty-six. Shunning most of humanity except for a few general souls Kya educates herself through Nature. There is love, rejection, grief, manipulation, murder, and compassion … everything you need in a good winter read.

Pairs nicely with floral Sauvignon Blanc    that has you imagining the beaches and birds of North Carolina.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris   

I resisted reading this book just because of the title; I was worried it might be depressing. After reading The Tattooist of Auschwitz ; however, I will never judge a book by its title. Optimism and resilience have long been cited as traits that help humans overcome adversity. And Lale Sokolov has both in spades. How love is born, blossoms and endures during such a horrendous time in history is truly remarkable. What’s even more exciting about this unbelievable love story is that it’s mostly true. It is based on the life story and love story of Ludwig “Lale” Sokolov and Gita Furman. And of course it’s soon to be adapted to a movie – as well a feel-good book like this should!

Pairs nicely with champagne – just because Lale and Gita would want you to drink champagne!

Educated by Tara Westover

Educated is remarkable memoir and testament to human capacity for learning and the pursuit of knowledge. Tara Westover  manages to successfully earn a PhD at Cambridge University  not having stepped into a formal classroom until she was seventeen. It’s an even bigger miracle that she survived her childhood – the zealous Mormon home in which she grew up, the horrible dangers of her father’s backyard junkyard business, and her brother’s cruelty. Tara is another human with a bounty of resiliency Please be warned, though; there are parts of this book that may be deeply disturbing for some readers.

Pairs nicely with a lovely Malbec  sipped slowly and methodically, rather like how Tara got through life,

I hope you enjoy these four wonderful books as much as I did!

Please comment below if, like me, these books left an indelible mark on your soul as well. I’m looking forward to losing myself in a few more wonderful reads this winter and exploring a deeper connection with this mystery and lifestyle that is hygge.

Happy winter and happy hygge!

~A

Photo credits:

Amazon

Emilija Randjelovic

Pixabay

Pxhere

WineMag