the arctic reading list
a curated winter book list for your arctic arc
Dear Flan,
Prelude: Entering the Arctic Arc
Imagine stepping into winter not just as a season, but as a chapter in your life, your very own arctic era. In this arc, the cold is not just weather: it is a metaphor for transformation, for slowing down, for the kind of deep, inward work that only the hushed stillness of frost can encourage. This is a reading list for those who want to lean into that season, as if the rising snow were a soft invitation to heal, inspire, and feel comforted.
The philosophy behind the Arctic era is simple: winter is not a void, but a container: for rest, for repair, and for reimagining. In a world that seems always too bright, too chaotic, too large, the arctic offers a sanctuary. It is in that frozen quiet that we can pause, breathe, and let books become our companions, our guides, our hearth.
The holiday special offer is still available on both annual and monthly subscription plans. You will have access to more curated reading lists like this one, along with long-form essays, seasonal guides, and deeper explorations of the themes we share here.
A. Books Set in the Polar Region or Deep Winter
Moon of the Crusted Snow, Waubgeshig Rice
A tense, atmospheric story set in a northern anishinaabe community, suddenly cut off from the rest of the world. Winter presses in from all sides: a quiet, unsettling presence that asks who we become when the lights go out and the cold becomes a mirror.
The Ascent of Rum Doodle, W. E. Bowman
A satirical expedition into the absurd, where a group of hapless climbers set out to conquer a fictional mountain. A charming, frostbitten adventure laced with wit, misadventure, and the kind of humour that softens even the iciest days.
A Castle in the Clouds, Kerstin Gier
Set in a grand old hotel perched in the mountains, wrapped in snowfall and secrets. This story holds the feeling of winter holidays, cosy corridors, and unexpected magic.
The Shining, Stephen King
A haunting winter story where the snow-in overlook hotel becomes a psychological pressure cooker. Chilling, isolating, and unforgettable: the kind of cold that creeps into both the walls and the mind.
The Thing in the Snow, Sean Adams
A strange, surreal workplace novel set in an icy, abandoned research facility where three employees are tasked with observing a “thing” half-buried in the snow. Absurd, unsettling, and quietly brilliant: a study of monotony, coldness, and the human need for meaning.
B. Soft Survival: Healing and Comfort through Books
Free Day, Inès Cagnati
A stark, tender novel about a young girl navigating loneliness and longing in rural France. Its quiet emotional landscape feels wintry in its sparsity, yet luminous in the way it captures small, aching truths.
Dallergut Dream Department Store, Mi-ye Lee
A whimsical, comforting tale set in a magical department store that sells dreams. A soft, imaginative, and deeply soothing book that feels like hot chocolate in literary form.
Welcome to Hyunam-dong Bookshop, Hwang Bo-reum
A heart-warming story of starting over, centred around a quiet bookshop in a seoul neighbourhood. It is gentle and hopeful, reminding you that new chapters often begin in the most unusual neighbourhoods.
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Satoshi Yagisawa
A tender, understated novel about grief, healing, and the strange warmth that blooms in dusty bookshops. It offers the kind of solace you only find in stories full of light and stillness.
The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel van der Kolk
A compassionate exploration of trauma, memory, and the body’s capacity to recover. It is a guiding light for those rebuilding themselves from the inside out.
The Mountain Is You, Brianna Wiest
A gentle, insightful look at self-sabotage and the climb towards self-understanding. It is ideal for anyone entering a quieter, more intentional era of their lives.
Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
A winter classic full of warmth: sisterhood, resilience, and the soft courage found in ordinary lives. A book that reminds you that healing is often woven from small domestic rituals and everyday love.
How to Read in the Arctic Era
Here are some soft rituals to lean into your arctic-era reading:
Setting: create a cosy reading nook: in bed, by a window, or take your book to a café. If the weather allows, read outside in your garden or park.
Join a book club: whether online or in person, sharing the journey makes the arctic feel less lonely.
Atmosphere: light candles (vanilla, cinnamon, fir, tonka), brew comforting tea (earl grey, gen maicha, hot chocolate, apple tea), throw on a warm blanket and fluffy socks, play ambient coffee-shop-style music or soft instrumental tracks.
Keep a reading journal: use a notebook (or commonplace book) to jot down your favourite quotes, your thoughts or confusions, recurring themes or words you want to revisit.
Choose your medium wisely: decide what format suits your life: physical books, kindle, or audiobooks. For long commutes, audio works well; for slow evenings, a paperback can feel like a warm companion.
Postlude
“Another time, I happened to find a pressed flower someone had left as a bookmark… I wondered about the person who had put it there. That is how I learned to love the second-hand bookshop, where you can feel the quiet flow of time.”
— Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Satoshi Yagisawa
Winter has a way of softening us and sharpening us at the same time: a season that asks us to retreat inward, to listen more closely, to read more deeply. Your arctic era is not about enduring the cold, but about discovering the warmth that rises from within it.
Take Care,
Safiya Sardar. 🦢
Racing to buy Moon of the Crusted Snow.... and cozy up in an arctic igloo lol. Thank you for this. I write about similar topics and would love to connect/subscribe to read each others' work <3
Obsessed with this list!!!!