There’s a cold blast whipping across most of the country, the perfect time to snuggle down with a cosy read, unless of course you’d like something a little more chilling.
Whether it be murder at high snowbound altitudes, strange mythical beasts howling in the night or pursuits across frozen landscapes, the Vision Australia Library has donned its winter woolies to bring you five of the best chilly winter reads. Plus we’ve added something a little cosier to warm you up.
Not a Vision Australia Library member? Find out how you can join by calling the library on 1300 65 46 56 or email us here.
Five chilling winter reads
In the Winter Dark by Tim Winton.
Winton is a perennial library favourite. This taut early novella (just 110 pages) is set in an Australian valley called The Sink. Animals have been disappearing: a pet dog snatched from its chain and livestock disemboweled. Four locals are drawn together by fear of an unidentified killer.
Available in DAISY audio
Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg.
This book firmly established the world’s appetite for Nordic noir. A six-year-old boy falls to his death, the police pronounce it an accident. Smilla however knows her young neighbour didn't fall from the roof on his own and she’s soon following a path of clues as clear to her as footsteps in the snow.
Available in DAISY audio
The Abominable by Dan Simmons.
A thrilling tale of high-altitude death and survival set on the snowy summits around f Mount Everest. Four climbers find themselves being pursued through the night by someone . . . or something.
Available in DAISY audio
The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard.
Cherry-Garrard’s gripping account of an expedition gone disastrously wrong. He was later part of the rescue party that eventually found the frozen bodies of Scott and three men who had accompanied him on the final push to the Pole.
Available in DAISY audio
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
First published in 1818, the book is still considered an influential and terrifying masterpiece. Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist, creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment.
Available in DAISY audio
And one cosy read
The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx.
With selfish parents, an abusive brother, a cheating wife and no stable job, Quoyle's life is falling apart. His aunt convinces him to make a new beginning by returning to their ancestral home in Newfoundland.
Available in DAISY audio.
Do you have a book recommendation, or would you like more recommendations from our library? Email your suggestions to the library here.