Winter is one of the best seasons to get lots of reading done. You probably aren’t going out as much, so you have more time. And reading is the best excuse to spend hours on end curled up in a blanket with a mug of hot cocoa in your free hand. 

There are endless beachy books that you might want to reach for during the coldest months of the year. Even if you only read Elin Hilderbrand, stories set at the beach are basically their own genre. 

But what if reading about people running through the sand and strolling around in sandals just makes the winter chill feel that much colder? For some people, reading about sunny settings feels like a slap in the face when their radiators are clanking in the background.

Sandy beaches aren’t the only place where incredible stories can be set. And reading about extreme subzero temperatures can put your own relatively mild winter experience into perspective.

Try these chilly novels if you’d like to try a seasonally appropriate book this winter. 

The Terror by Dan Simmons

The Terror is historical fiction with a fantasy twist—set in the nineteenth century, a group of well-funded scientists and experienced arctic explorers set out from Great Britain on a mission to find the Northwest Passage. The hope is that if they could find a way to sail across the icy waters of the North Pole, economic expansion through trading with nations across the world will be faster and cheaper. 

Two of the most technologically advanced ships of the day, Erebus and Terror, really did set out on this mission, and they really were lost for over 150 years before the wrecks were finally found. 

Simmons re-creates the ships with an incredible amount of detail, writing about how the ships were built and how they were meant to be able to withstand the icy waters, and what day-to-day survival on a ship trapped in ice at the top of the world would have felt like. Of course, while he uses a sturdy historical foundation, we still know very little for sure about what life was like for the expedition and how exactly their deaths came about when it became clear that they wouldn’t be able to sail home let alone find the Northwest Passage. This is where Simmons adds a little twist of horror-fantasy, creating a manifestation of the men’s fears and anxieties. 

The Terror is perfect for fans of horror, history buffs, and anyone who loves a good suspense story. As a bonus, after you finish the book, you can snuggle up on your couch and watch the critically acclaimed TV series based on the novel. 

Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube: Chasing Fear and Finding Home in the Great White North by Blair Braverman 

Dogsledder and writer Blair Braverman’s memoir is the incredible story of a remarkable young woman’s journey into the extreme world of surviving in Arctic climates. From learning the ropes (literally) of dogsledding in Norway, to working as a tour guide on a glacier in Alaska, much of Braverman’s writing grapples with being a young woman coming of age in a male-dominated space. 

And while much of her writing describes tough situations, including moments of real peril as she learns how to survive in the icy wilderness of the Great White North, her love of the outdoors and sense of adventure are intoxicating to read. While she doesn’t pretend she never had bad experiences, Braverman is a staunch advocate of people, especially women, believing in themselves and opening themselves up to the possibility of going outside—even in the cold.

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace 

If beachy romance novels are the easy choice to distract yourself from plunging temperatures, then wintry ones are proof that a good story can heat up even the coldest day. 

Hannah Grace originally self-published her novel Icebreaker, proving that independent publishing is absolutely a solid option for many authors. 

The first book in her Maple Hills series, Icebreaker is the love story of a figure skater named Anastasia and a hockey player named Nate. Anastasia is laser-focused on her career as an Olympic hopeful, and Nate is dismayed that sharing the rink with figure skaters will complicate his mission to lead his team to success. It’s not a spoiler to suggest that perhaps these two opposites discover they work better together than they might have initially thought . . .

Icebreaker’s huge success isn’t hard to understand with its home-run hook: a figure skater and hockey player go from enemies to lovers. If her legions of fans are anything to go by, then thick layers and slippery ice rinks are the perfect setup for a steamy romance. 

Beat the “Winter Blahs” 

Lots of people love snowfall and winter temperatures, but with the shorter, darker days and lack of access to fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, winter can easily bring down your mood. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way! Just like a delicious soup recipe is best enjoyed in a thick sweater, cold weather books can help you find the brighter side of the darker months.  

Chelsea Ennen is a writer living in Brooklyn with her husband and her dog. When not writing or reading, she is a fiber and textile artist who sews, knits, crochets, weaves, and spins.