Hi, historical fiction fans!
The cold has given me a cold. So, what could be a more appropriate topic this week than historical fiction set in icy cold climates? Of course, my almost two-year-old nephew is almost certainly the actual cause of my sore throat, but that’s a less exciting intro.
In addition to cold weather historical fiction, we’ve also got some WWII-era new releases and a cute greenhouse book nook to remind you of spring, even in the coldest months.
The holidays have arrived, and so has our new paperback level at TBR! If you (or a reader you know) are just over-carrying around bulky hardcovers or are looking for a more budget-friendly option, we’ve got you. Check out all the offerings at mybtro.com/gift, and give personalized reading recommendations customized for any and every reader.
Bookish Goods
Greenhouse Book Nook from Hands Craft US
Add some interest to your bookshelf with this lovely greenhouse garden book nook full of plants. It’ll brighten up the darkest days! $50
New Releases
The Jazz Club Spy by Roberta Rich (December 5, 2023)
A Jewish cigarette girl working in a night club is enlisted as a spy for the Chief Commissioner of Immigration at Ellis Island when she crosses paths with one of the Cossack men who burned her Russian village to the ground as a child—a man the Chief Commissioner believes is involved in a plot that could destroy Russian American relations. Will her quest for answers help her come to terms with the violence that forced her family to flee to New York? Or will it change everything she thought she knew about the world?
Bonfire Night by Anna Bliss (December 26, 2023)
An Irish Catholic photographer and a Jewish medical student meet at an anti-fascism protest in 1936 London. The love they begin to feel for each other is hampered by the stark differences between them. Years later, as the Blitz rages on, fate may bring them together once again, but will the differences that kept them apart be any easier to bridge this time?
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Whether it’s icy cold where you’re at or warm, sunny weather, these snowy historical fiction novels will have you wanting to curl up under a blanket for the duration.
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Based on the diaries of acclaimed 18th-century midwife Martha Ballard, The Frozen River tells the story of terrible crimes hidden within a small community. When Martha identifies the body of a man frozen in the river as that of a well-respected gentleman recently involved in an alleged rape, the physician rules it an accident. Martha’s years of experience tell her something different. But with the doctor’s verdict settled, she’ll have to take matters into her own hands as she uncovers even more shocking truths about her community, implicating even the people she holds most dear.
Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata, translated by Edward G. Seidensticker
In the snowy mountains near an isolated hot spring, a wealthy man and a geisha fall in love. There is no way their relationship can last, but the doomed romance set against the snowy mountains of Western Japan is entrancing nonetheless.
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo (February 13, 2024)
When a young woman is found frozen in the snow of Manchuria in 1908, rumors of a fox spirit luring her to an icy death swirl. A detective long interested in foxes searches for the truth about her identity and the events that led to her death, all while a family cursed to lose their sons before the age of 24 welcome a young woman into their house—but is she really who she claims to be?
That’s it for now, folks! Stay subscribed for more stories of yesteryear.
If you want to talk books, historical or otherwise, you can find me @rachelsbrittain on Goodreads, Instagram, and Litsy, my favorite bookish social media.
Right now, I’m reading Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park. What about you?