Lydia Schoch

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Not my dog or my spouse…but look at that adorable little expression on the pup’s face!

If you’re a new reader of this blog, let me explain something quickly before diving into my list.

Over the past few years, I’ve made a serious effort to put indie and small press authors at the top of my priority list for reviewing. I love well-known authors, too, but they have so many more opportunities to be introduced to new readers than someone who self publishes their work or who has secured a book deal with a tiny publishing company.

I believe in supporting other writers and giving them some free exposure on my friendly little corner of the Internet when I can.

So don’t be surprised if you’ve never heard of any of these folks.

Honestly, I’ll be shocked if you do know about them, but please tell me what you think of their work if that’s the case. I haven’t read these titles and therefore can’t endorse them…yet?

All I know is that I was intrigued enough by them to download them when they were free. If you follow me on Mastodon, you’ll see a list of free books every Thursday and occasional retweets of other free books on other days.

When the Last Story Gets Told by C.S. Anderson

Why I’m Intrigued: I love campfire stories, and this sounds like it could be a good one.

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Last year I spun this topic to include all sorts of bookish things I’d like for the winter.. This year I’m going to attempt to answer the question directly, albeit with a little bit of a speculative fiction twist in some answers. Santa doesn’t visit my house, but maybe a fairy godmother or an attentive publishing company will pay attention?

1. New Books From Authors Who Didn’t Publish Anything New in 2022

I was thrilled to read a new Becky Chambers book in 2022. Now it’s time for Sarah Waters, Rivers Solomon, Nnedi Okorafor, Alex Cross, and Andy Weir to do the same thing in 2023.

2. A Magical Book That Recovers Lost Memories

3. A Magical Book That Dampens Difficult Memories

Wouldn’t it be nice to have more say in what we do and don’t remember?

4. A Book About the Psychology of Pain and Chronic Illness

I was originally going to request that it be nonfiction, but a fictional story might work, too.

In early 2022, I was officially diagnosed with migraines. While trying a few different treatments for it I’ve become quite interested in the coping mechanisms people create to deal with pain and chronic illness. For example, I try to find the humorous side of my diagnosis when possible and feel odd going into too much detail about how it affects me with most people. (My current treatment regiment does reduce symptoms if I follow the protocol,  but it can’t completely eliminate everything).

5.  Well-Written Sequels to All of the Books that Make Readers Yearn to Know What Happened Next 

Not everything needs a sequel, of course, but if they do, I’d want to see copies of those books magically arrive at the homes of everyone who can’t wait to keep reading.

6. Books That Make Me Laugh

There’s no such thing as too many humorous books if you ask me.

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This stock photo is making me giggle, so I must share it with you all. I don’t want to make assumptions about the climates you all live in, but nobody in Ontario walks around outside in the dead of winter without being bundled up warmly unless you want to risk developing frostbite or hypothermia. It can happen quickly, too, if the windchill and temperatures are both very low and you’re not dressed properly for the weather.

Yes, her outfit is scholarly and all of that, but it’s also totally impractical for this season. It’s funny to me to compare the aesthetic that some photographers use to capture their idealized versions of winter versus the reality of actually living in a cold climate …and there are much chillier places to spend the winter than Toronto!

Anyway, I have once again returned to my regular habit of not having many books to share for my seasonal to-read lists. It was quite unusual for me to have nine of them last autumn.

Winter is a time when I often read or reread classic novels. Last winter I reread Jane Eyre and the Chronicles of Narnia, so the likelihood of me rereading other classics this winter is high. As far as contemporary books that are set to be published over the next few months go, here is a short list of what’s caught my eye so far.

How to Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

Publication Date: January 17

Why I Want to Read It: I’ve read many books about haunted houses, but very few about the trials of attempting to sell one. What a fun spin on the topic.

After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz

Publication Date: January 24

Why I Want to Read It: I enjoy stories about women breaking through societal expectations of them to forge their own paths in life.

This Is Not My Home by Vivienne Chang

Publication Date: January 24

Why I Want to Read It: My first reason for wanting to read it is that picture books are a nice refresher after reading a long, serious adult novel. My second reading for wanting to read it is because my family moved multiple times when I was a kid and I remember how hard it can be to say goodbye to old friends and adjust to a new life somewhere far away.

Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen

Release Date: January 31

Why I Want to Read It: It’s not every day you hear of a vampire novel about a middle-aged person living in the Covid era who is trying to hold on to some semblance of their pre-vampire life. It’s such a unique twist to the genre that I will be quite curious to see how it all pans out.

How many of you also reread old favourites in the winter? And what is winter like where you live?