The best winter reads

The chilly winter days are finally here and while ice skating in the park or visiting a Christmas market might sound tempting most of us would rather stay home than brave the cold; and nothing beats curling up with a good book and a hot cup of tea. So we’ve picked our favourite reads that will take you on a tour of Siberia, the streets of Bombay and back to medieval England without ever having to get off your sofa (except of course to make another cuppa).

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything
by Elizabeth Gilbert

Gilbert’s brutally honest travelogue tells of her spiritual journey of self-discovery, after her divorce, through Italy, India, and Bali. With humorous declarations such as, "I can make friends with the dead. . . . If there isn't anyone else around to talk to, I could probably make friends with a four-foot-tall pile of Sheetrock", it’s easy to understand why Eat, Pray, Love is one of the most talked about novels of the year.

The Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follett

The Pillars of the Earth is a fresh departure from the author’s renowned thriller writing and is an adventurous tale of the struggle between good and evil. Set in the medieval town of Kingsbridge in 12th-century England during "The Anarchy", the time of civil war and chaos that followed the death of Henry I., Philip, a devout monk embarks on a mission to build a magnificent Gothic cathedral and faces many difficulties along the way; leading to church against state, and brother against brother.

Silverland: A Winter Journey Beyond the Urals
by Dervla Murphy

In this highly engaging travelogue, Dervla Murphy sets out on a journey of a lifetime: to the far east of Russia, in winter. During her expedition onboard a coal-fuelled slow-train to some of the remotest areas in Siberia she discovers a fascinating world of lynx and elks, indigenous tribes and shamanism. Murphy provides an insightful look into the corners of Russia that most tourists have never, and probably will never, venture to.

Such a Long Journey
by Rohinton Mistry

A winner of several awards including the Governor General's Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book Such a Long Journey is a fascinating and complex novel set in 1971 Bombay. The story is centered around Gustad Noble, an honest man who tries desperately to overcome obstacles in his family life at a time when the country is on the verge of war. Such a Long Journey is a memorable read that’s both moving and humorous.

Mister Pip
by Lloyd Jones

Take an adventurous journey to Bougainville in the South Pacific where the island is on the brink of civil war and survival is on the minds of everyone except for a recluse: a while man named Pop Eye, aka Mr Watts. After the village’s school is shut he’s adamant to re-open it and introduce the children to Dickens. One of the children, Matilda, is particularly intrigued by the hero, Pip, in Great Expectations and forms an imaginary friendship with him. Mister Pip is a delightful read that evokes the imagination.

© Cheapflights Ltd Seema Salaam