Cozy Wintry Books To Read in 2026
Grab a blanket and a hot drink and curl up with one of these cozy wintry books. There’s not an exact definition for books that fall into this category, so I made up my own rules!
I selected a wide variety of books from different genres that are all set during the winter or located in frigid settings.
I sorted my list by genre so you can easily find a new book you’ll love. There are options in romance, mysteries/thrillers, and fantasy!
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Cozy Wintry Book Recommendations
Wintry Fantasy Books
The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin
This new book release in 2026 is a perfect addition to this list! It’s a completely original, enchanting standalone fantasy and a total must read!! I savored it the whole way through, completely enchanted by the fairy tale like story she crafted. It’s set in a small village high in the mountains where the sun does not reach, so a Starmaker must pull the sunlight into the village each morning.
A few days before her wedding, Aurora discovers magic in her veins that reveals she’s to be the next Starmaker and she’s whisked off to his castle against her will for training. He is thoughtless and brusque and she’s devastated about leaving her family and former life behind. This feels like a fairy tale and both the setting and the story will sweep you away! Plus, the first edition is GORGEOUS. | Buy From Amazon
The Bear And The Nightingale by Katherine Arden
This novel reads like a classic Russian fairy tale and I felt swept away into this harsh, unfamiliar land. Vasilisa (Vasya), a young girl who lives in Northern Russian has the ability to communicate with the spirits that inhabit her home and land. Her unique connection with the wilderness baffles her family and they try in turn to punish her, leave her be, and protect her.
When a priest (and a new stepmother) eventually come to stay, they turn the community away from their traditional offerings to the spirits, causing them to weaken. A threat only spoken of in the family’s fairy tales begins to take form and the local spirits and Vasya must attempt to protect their village.…
It’s reminiscent of a classic fairy tale, but written with modern pacing and language. The characters in this novel are well developed and the descriptive writing sets the scenes beautifully. There’s also underlying judgement on religious zeal, superstition, and societal pressures to fit in that could easily apply to modern times. This is part of a trilogy and it’s a rare case where each book lived up to my high expectations. | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
However, her plans are foiled when an external threat attacks first and she has no one to turn to but the Collector to now save not only her sister but their entire empire. This has all the enemies to lovers tension that we know and love! Plus, a large portion of this book takes place in a snowy, harsh landscape while Raina and Alexus journey together to try to reach the King.
I also loved that Raina is a non-speaking person and communicates through sign language. She is beautifully represented and still strong and brave and fearless. It was a delight to watch her thaw toward Alexus as well as he proved he’s more than the monster she expected. Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
Romance / General Fiction Wintry Books
The Lodge by Kayla Olson
If you still want a cozy wintry read, but are ready to be done with holiday romances, this romance is for you!
A ghost writer who’s next assignment is a memoir from a member of True North, a former boy band takes his client up on his offer to stay in penthouse at a ski resort. This is the chance of the lifetime, especially since she was the last person to interview another member of the band, who went missing years ago. The past ends up making a reappearance when Alix realizes she may be the only one able to finally figure out what happened to True North.
Along the way she also spends time learning to ski and enjoying the perks of the resort, including a charming ski instructor! I love that this romance has a bit of love and a bit of mystery! It sounds like the perfect cozy read to help get through the winter! | Buy From Amazon
Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis
I love this option because it kicks off with a chance encounter during the winter but then takes place over an entire year. Noelle gets stranded on a highway during a blizzard and ends up spending hours and hours with a stranger. Sam and Noelle sense a connection, but they chalk it up to a once in a lifetime experience, assuming they’ll never cross paths again.
However, over the course of the next year, they happen to pop in and out of each other’s lives over and over again. As this keeps happening, they start to wonder if these coincidences are actually leading the way toward a lifelong romance.
This was a fun, fateful love story – I loved seeing how Noelle and Sam kept meeting and rooting for them to get together! A great option for anyone who wants a cozy start but prefers their stories to play out over a period of time. | Buy From Amazon
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
This has stayed with me even years after I first read it. It’s still my favorite by Kristin Hannah due to it’s atmospheric setting, unpredictable plot, and intense connection with the characters.
In the 1970’s a war vet and unpredictable man, moves his wife and daughter to Alaska to begin a new life away from civilization. Cora will follow her husband anywhere, so she and her daughter, Leni learn to live off the land and kindness of locals. However, Ernt becomes more and more volatile, Cora and Leni have to make tough decisions to survive.
The plot is completely captivating – two women struggling against the brutal Alaskan wilderness as well as battling their love for a dangerous man. | Buy From Amazon
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
The story takes place in Beartown, a small community of tough folk living deep in the forest. These people live hard lives and hockey is their only escape. When the amateur hockey team makes it to the national semifinal, everyone believes this is the town’s chance for survival. A win could mean better sponsors, better players, and a renewed interest from the rest of the country. When a scandal involving one of the players and a younger girl rocks the town, accusations begin to fly and each individual must choose who to believe.
This novel focuses on a hockey team but the true story isn’t really about hockey at all. It’s about strains on a marriage, the relationship between a father and daughter, the impact of everyone’s opinions in a small community, and whether people choose to believe a girl or a boy, when one is the star athlete. There are so many complex characters in this novel and each one gets equal attention.
Backman shows what happens when flawed humans get caught up in their devotion to a sport or community. He has the ability to write incredibly real characters and perfectly captures how humans might react in a similar situation. Backman also understands courage and those who stand up for what’s right. He writes realistically, knowing that sometimes we make the wrong decision initially but ultimately redeem ourselves. | Buy From Amazon
Wintry Thriller Books
The Crash by Freida McFadden
A psychological thriller that is perfect for the winter months! Tegan is 8 months pregnant and ready for a fresh start when she sets off on a road trip to her brother’s house. However, an unexpected blizzard and a broken down car leave her stranded and scared.
Until a couple appear out of nowhere and offer her shelter in their cabin. It feels like a miracle, until she starts to suspect they don’t ever intend to let her leave.
I am riveted by these type of scenarios where everything is not as it seems, but the character is physically stuck somewhere with few other options! This sounds like a thriller that you will fly through. | Buy From Amazon
No Exit by Taylor Adams
If you want a book filled with tension and life or death situations, No Exit will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time! College student Darby gets caught in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. With the roads impassable, she’s forced to wait out the storm at a remote highway rest stop. Inside are some vending machines, a coffee maker, and four complete strangers.
Desperate to find a signal to call home, Darby goes back out into the storm and makes a horrifying discovery. In the back of the van parked next to her car, a little girl is locked in a crate. With no cell signal, she has no way of calling for help and now knows that one of other four people in the rest stop is a kidnapper. But which one?
Trapped in an increasingly dangerous situation, with a child’s life and her own on the line, Darby must find a way to break the girl out of the van and escape. This was both a thrilling novel about survival and a twisty mystery as both the reader and Darby try to figure out who’s responsible for the kidnapping. I also just heard it’s being turned into a movie on Hulu, which I can’t wait to watch! | Buy From Amazon
The Last Room On The Left by Leah Konen
I’m getting major The Shining vibes from this one, which has me all sorts of excited. A caretaker of a remote resort finds herself in an increasingly more creepy situation as she realizes she may not be alone.
Kerry is facing down a looming deadline for her next book, dealing with an escalating drinking problem and leaving behind a husband who just left her. She’s hoping the caretaker job at a remote resort will be the perfect chance to start over. The situation changes when she finds a dead body and starts to wonder what’s real and what’s just a trick of her mind. Is the killer still out there and is she now at risk?
The novel is told in a series of alternating timelines between Kerry in the present and the previous caretaker who was there a month before her. As these women both interact with the locals and encounter unusual situations, they both may be fighting for their lives. | Buy From Amazon
Let me know in the comments which one you’re most looking forward to reading!