Top 5 Books with Snow on the Cover I Want to Read

This Top 5 series started back in October 2018 and it has grown really big! This is a series of books that all have a common theme. I post the schedule for the next month the last week of the prior month. You can talk about books you want to read or books you have read and all prompts are open for interpretation! Feel free to get as creative as you want with the prompts.

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Upcoming Schedule!

January 30th, 2021 — Weapons on the Cover

February 6th, 2021 — Royalty in the Title (King, Queen, Princess, Prince, etc.)

February 13th, 2021 — Book with Unique Format (Diary entries, verse, documents, podcast, blog, etc.)

February 20th, 2021 — Books with Family Relationship in the Title (Mother, Father, Daughter, Brother, etc.)

February 27th, 2021 — Snow on the Cover

March 6th, 2021 — Gift Books (Books you got as a gift, would give as a gift or have given as a gift.)

March 13th, 2021 —  Fire on the Cover

March 20th, 2021 — Love Triangle

March 27th, 2021 — Desert Setting

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Snow on the Cover

When I think of books with snow on the cover I tend to think of really atmospheric fairy tale re-tellings. I love a cold snowy setting and there are so many great books out there with snowy covers. Books that have a wintery setting are some of the best books to curl up with under blankets. Since winter is coming to an end soon– hopefully– I figured now was the perfect time to pick out the top 5 books on my TBR with snowy covers. I’d like to fit at least one of these in before winter is over.

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The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a magical debut novel from a gifted and gorgeous voice. It spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent.

This is the first book that comes to mind when I think of a wintery read. This has been recommended to me over and over again. It looks like a super atmospheric fairy tale retelling and a perfect winter read. This looks magical and whimsical, but it’s also not super long so I’m not too worried about a slow pace.

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Hunted by Meagan Spooner

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

This book came back across my radar recently. I read a review that made this sound SO good and I’ve been dying to read it ever since. This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling with some Russian inspirations. It looks dark twisty and basically everyone I know has read it and loved it.

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The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine

Sixteen-year-old Elli was only a child when the Elders of Kupari chose her to succeed the Valtia, the queen who wields infinitely powerful ice and fire magic in service of her people. The only life Elli has known has been in the temple, surrounded by luxury, tutored by magic-wielding priests, preparing for the day when the queen perishes—and the ice and fire find a new home in Elli, who is prophesied to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule.

But when the queen dies defending the kingdom from invading warriors, the magic doesn’t enter Elli. It’s nowhere to be found.

Disgraced, Elli flees to the outlands, home of banished criminals—some who would love to see the temple burn with all its priests inside. As she finds her footing in this new world, Elli uncovers devastating new information about the Kupari magic, those who wield it, and the prophecy that foretold her destiny. Torn between her love for her people and her growing loyalty to the banished, Elli struggles to understand the true role she was meant to play. But as war looms, she must choose the right side before the kingdom and its magic are completely destroyed.

Okay I know there isn’t much snow on this cover, but those snowflakes totally count and I’m way too hype for this one not to include it. It’s a character driven fantasy with tons of action and magic. It sounds like the main character grows quite a bit throughout the course of the book and that is something that I feel like has been missing in a lot of my recent reads.

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Red Wolf by Rachel Vincent

Publication Date: July 20th, 2021

This high stakes, pacey reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood is perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber and Megan Spooner.

For as long as sixteen-year-old Adele can remember the village of Oakvale has been surrounding by the dark woods—a forest filled with terrible monsters that light cannot penetrate. Like every person who grows up in Oakvale she has been told to steer clear of the woods unless absolutely necessary.

But unlike her neighbors in Oakvale, Adele has a very good reason for going into the woods. Adele is one of a long line of guardians, women who are able to change into wolves and who are tasked with the job of protecting their village while never letting any of the villagers know of their existence.

But when following her calling means abandoning the person she loves, the future she imagined for herself, and her values she must decide how far she is willing to go to keep her neighbors safe.

I’ve picked up a few Red Riding Hood re-tellings in the last few years and I haven’t actually read any of them. But this one is by an author that I know and I think I’ll finally actually pick up this one! I love a good creepy woods setting and I feel like this one will be a really fast read.

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Blood Heir by Amelie Wen Zhao

In the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are deemed unnatural–even dangerous. And Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, is one of the most terrifying Affinites.

Ana’s ability to control blood has long been kept secret, but when her father, the emperor, is murdered, she is the only suspect. Now, to save her own life, Ana must find her father’s killer. But the Cyrilia beyond the palace walls is one where corruption rules and a greater conspiracy is at work–one that threatens the very balance of Ana’s world.

There is only one person corrupt enough to help Ana get to the conspiracy’s core: Ramson Quicktongue. Ramson is a cunning crime lord with sinister plans–though he might have met his match in Ana. Because in this story, the princess might be the most dangerous player of all.

Honestly, I almost didn’t put this book on the list because of the controversy around it. But since the book has been edited and I have loved controversial books in the past I don’t think I should let the controversy stop me from reading this one and forming my own opinions on it. The reviews for this one are incredible and it sounds really great. I love Anastasia and the plot of this book just sounds fast paced and unique.

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Tagged!

Vicky @ The Roaring Bookworm

Sarah @ Bookish Rantings 

Chloe @ The Elven Warrior

Kelly @ Here’s to Happy Endings

Elley @ Elley the Book Otter

Check out other book blogger’s top 5 picks!

Louise @ Foxes and Fairy Tales — Top Six Books with Snow on the Cover

Etta @ Chonky Books — ~Top 5 Saturday: Snow on the Cover ~

Donna @ Momsbookcollection — Snow on the Cover

Jill @ Jill’s Book Blog — Top 5 Saturday — Snow on the Cover

Lou @ Lou’s Book Stuff — Top 5 Saturday — Books with Snow on the Cover

Let’s Chat!

Do you like wintery reads? What do you think of when you see snow on a cover? What kinds of books do you like to read in winter? Have you read any of the books I listed above?  Make sure to comment below so we can chat about books with snow on the cover!