Cozy Reads! Winter Reading List for High Schoolers

“Now is the winter of our discontent.” So said the namesake protagonist from Shakespeare’s Richard III.

While it’s highly unlikely the Bard committed a typo and meant to say “contentment” instead, Richie almost certainly would have gone with another metaphor if he’d have remembered that winter is far from a time of gloom and doom (granted, modern conveniences like electric blankets and central heating may take the edge off when compared to the late 1500s). Shorter days and colder climes? Fantastic! You’d be hard-pressed to come up with better excuses to squirrel away in a snug easy chair with a choicy read while rain and/or snow pelts our rooftops and chilly windowpanes.

Education is nothing if not a unifying, informative enrichment of our inner and outer selves, and hours spent glued to enthralling banks of prose can stoke and recharge those inner batteries like little else. Thus, here is a list of some enticing tales that are sure to ward off the bitterest winter doldrums:  

1) Illusions by Richard Bach

In this short, but deeply thought-provoking story, we meet one Donald Shimoda, a guru of sorts known to perform miracles with ease, but perhaps the greatest one he has to share is that anyone, anywhere can be just as miraculous themselves with the right self-belief and care. His palatably positive philosophy will stick with you long after you put this one down.  

2) Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut

Truly a cultural mainstay of twentieth century sci-fi, Vonnegut’s first published work doesn’t pull any punches. Winston Niles Rumfoord crashes his spaceship into a time warping space phenomenon and achieves the ability to teleport at regular intervals across the universe and to see far into the future. From this, he hatches a grand scheme involving the wealthiest, most entitled man on Earth, Malachi Constant, to bring peace to all mankind. However, the full scope of Rumfoord’s machinations are far, far more complex and strange than anyone could have predicted. Darkly funny, at times disturbing, and always entrancing, Vonnegut does what he does best: show us who we are at our best, worst, and oddest.

3) The Umbrella Man by Roald Dahl

Many of you may remember reading Dahl’s children’s books, but this twisted, and delightful short story collection is firmly for adults with biting senses of humor. Topics include but are not limited to: What if all novels could be written by a machine? How about if a father bet his daughter’s hand in marriage on a wine-tasting? What if two guys formed a business based solely on getting revenge on people? All these and more are explored in this baker’s dozen of short stories.

4) The 100 Year-Old-Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

Besides a curiously eye-catching title, this unusual tale leaps through the life and times of Allan Karlsson, a centenarian with a penchant for getting himself into and out of trouble for decades, often amidst some of the most historical figures of the last 100 years. In his old age, he decides to go on one last adventure, which proves anything but normal.

5) Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory by Deena Kastor

Yes, sports fans, you have not been forsaken on this list. In thrilling detail, Deena recounts her shimmering running career from her youth running club and high school team in Agoura, CA to her bronze medal in the 2004 Athens Olympic Marathon and beyond. Yet, her story weaves together so much more than miles run and personal bests. She talks candidly about her mental struggles and offers myriad solutions that coaxed her away from fear and negativity towards a wellspring of joy that inspires her to this day. Truly, an empowering read for anyone who’s ever aspired to dream.