The clear, bright stars of a winter night have inspired centuries of people toward stillness, self-reflection, rest, and renewal as the new year approaches. Many modern pagans and Wiccans celebrate the ancient holiday Yule by participating in the tradition on the long night of the winter solstice, which is traditionally perceived as the day of the sun’s rebirth. It’s a day of change and for making changes. To inspire your own Yuletide renewal, we recommend these incredible titles, which extol the benefits of going inward, but without cutting yourself off from the world.
Taking inspiration from myths, literature, and the world around her, May shares her personal story about the power of transformation through rest in difficult times. This book invites its readers to change their understanding of the colder, lonelier parts of their lives. Through her incredible, enduring writing, May “Proves that there is grace in letting go, stepping back and giving yourself time to repair in the dark...May is a clear-eyed observer and her language is steady, honest and accurate—capturing the sense, the beauty and the latent power of our resting landscapes” (WSJ).
“A complex, smart and ambitious book that at first reads like a self-help manual, then blossoms into a wide-ranging political manifesto” (NYT). Pulling back from a doomscroll or stepping away from the newsfeed can feel like an impossible task when the day outside is short and dark, but Odell offers actionable advice for change. Not just personal change, but spiritual and political change as well, with a wide range of history and philosophy to back her arguments and encourage realizations in her reader.
From one of Norway’s literary legends, Winter Stories is a short fiction collections that explores the consequences of everyday actions. “The past meets the present as promises, regrets, and betrayals intertwine; relationships that are over but not forgotten surface for characters tracing the choices that led to their current crucible moments—all while Rishøi finds light amid the darkness of a Norwegian winter” (BookList). Rishøi invites her readers to reflect alongside her characters, at their role in the world and their impact on the people around them.
Winter’s bite can bring aches and pains out in full force, often forcing people to slow down even as their lives continue at the same pace. Strand’s account of the illness that brought her life to a complete standstill asks readers to interrogate what healing and wellbeing mean for their bodies and forces them to face the reality that perfect ‘health’ is not always attainable. “Strand resists the standard illness narrative—the arc that bends toward healing, the resolution that ties suffering into a neat bow. Instead, she asks: What is health when you can’t get better?” (Overlook News).
“Like most immigrant kids of the modern internet, the narrator of Dantas Lobato’s Blue Light Hours tries to live in two places at once” (CRB). This book contrasts the warmth of Brazil with the impending white winter of Vermont all while the narrator slowly begins to break from the culture she was raised in, changing her relationship with her mother, who she now only sees through a screen. Dantas Lobato’s novel is a reflection on language, culture, and the inevitable changes that come after crossing the invisible thresholds of both.
Hannah’s highly praised novel explores the journey of 13-year-old Leni as she travels in and out of the darkest period of her life in the Alaskan wilderness. "She re-creates in magical detail the lives of Alaska's homesteaders in both of the state's seasons (they really only have two) and is just as specific and authentic in her depiction of the spiritual wounds of post-Vietnam America" (KR). Hannah’s exceptional prose reflects on the darkness present inside everyone, its relationship with trauma, family, and survival.
Here's hoping that the above reads may help you find light in the darkest part of the year.
Claire van Doren holds degrees in English literature and journalism as well as a certificate in LGBTQ+ studies from Arizona State University. She is a volunteer reader for Uncharted magazine, a publisher of genre fiction. Her writing has been published by Inner Worlds, Zocalo Public Square, and ASU News.
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