Spring has not sprung yet, and there is still time to hit the slopes. If you are heading out on a ski vacation, here are some great books to take along. Forget beach reads: these seven titles are perfect for a snowy landscape and a cup of hot cocoa. Some will teach you more about the sport, a few will transport you to alternate wintery settings, others will give you an extra chill.
// By Light We Knew Our Names by Anne Valente
Anne Valente’s debut collection is a good book to take anywhere, but many of the stories are ideal reading after a long day on the slopes. In “Dear Amelia,” a group of adolescent girls transforms into Maine black bears. In “By Light We Knew Our Names,” four young women in a small Alaskan town start a fight club under cover of the Northern Lights. All of Valente’s tales contain a wonderful, warming magic.
// The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Many of you probably haven’t read Jack London’s The Call of the Wild since childhood, and a snow-filled vacation is the perfect time to revisit it. Follow the adventures of sled dog Buck, the protagonist of this classic, short novel that takes place in Canada during the Klondike Gold Rush.
// The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier
Part of Volume IV judge Kevin Brockmeier’s The Brief History of the Dead takes place in a nearly abandoned Antarctic research station, where Laura Byrd is the sole survivor of a disaster that has befallen it. The other part is set in a city that is populated by the dead who remain in the memories of the living. Our advice? Just read it.
// Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
If being out among the mountains and snowy trees makes you imagine what it would be like to be on your own in the wilderness, it is a great time to revisit Gary Paulsen’s young adult novel Hatchet. In it, a teenager survives a plane crash but is left to fend for himself in the dense forest. A classic.
// Deep: The Story of Skiing and the Future of Snow by Porter Fox
If climate change and global warming have you concerned for the future of your favorite sport, Porter Fox has traveled the world to answer all your questions. But this book is far from mere alarmist literature: it instead focuses on how skiing has changed over the years, and how skiers might have to adapt in the future.
// The Uncanny Reader, edited by Marjorie Sandor
Curl up by the fire with this thick collection of uncanny tales, edited by Marjorie Sandor. It includes classic stories like “The Sand-man” by Hoffmann as well as newer tales like “Haunting Olivia” by Karen Russell. All of them are sure to leave you feeling unsettled, in the most enjoyable way.
// The Fall Line: America’s Rise to Ski Racing’s Summit by Nathaniel Vinton
Is Olympic skiing more your speed? In this thrilling history, award-winning journalist Nathaniel Vinton explores the story of how skiers like Ted Ligety and Lindsey Vonn helped the United States become a major player in the fast-paced, high-stakes world of Olympic skiing.
by Sadye Teiser and KM Bezner