Is it just us or have you noticed that reading has become the ultimate status symbol? From Sarah Jessica Parker walking the streets of New York armed with the hot new read of the moment to Kendall Jenner sunbathing, with Joan Didion’s memoir and the vast amount of celebrity book clubs springing up – collectively, we can’t get enough of reading, especially cosy winter books!
And when better to pick up a book than winter? The nights are getting darker, the log-fire is roaring and curling up with a cuppa and life-affirming winter books is what brings us joy. Here Woman’s Day’s books editor Laura Evans shares her top five page-turners for July.
It’s the perfect excuse to cancel all your plans and stay in…
FIVE MUST-READ WINTER BOOKS
01
Welcome to glorious Tuga, by Francesca Segal
from $34.99, Booktopia
Best for: escaping to another world!
When Marian Keyes and Nick Hornby endorse winter books, you know it’s going to be a goodie! I read this after David Nicholls’ new book You Are Here and it gave me the same gentle, comforting feels.
Vet Charlotte embarks on a months-long journey to the tiny island of Tuga del Oro to study endangered tortoises and finds herself distracted by other creatures, locals and a doctor called Dan.
Welcome to Glorious Tuga reaffirms the joys of life with its vivid descriptions of place and people. The perfect book to escape into if life is feeling a little flat.
02
The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston
from $34.99, Dymocks
Best for: tugging at the heartstrings
Anna Johnston’s moving and laugh-out-loud debut novel is about second chances and finding family in the most unexpected places. On the brink of homelessness, 82-year-old Aussie battler Frederick’s luck changes when in a bizarre case of mistaken identity he finds himself living as cranky Bernard Greer in the Wattle River Nursing Home.
Tender and wise, you’ll fall in love with Anna’s wonderfully diverse cast of characters, who are both flawed and funny. Proof that you’re never too old to start life over.
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03
Just One Taste by Lizzie Dent
from $30, Booktopia
Best for: food and romance lovers
Our hunger for food-related TV shows hit peak viewing with Jeremy Allen White’s turn as Carmy in the stressful but gripping The Bear – and finally it’s crossing over into the world of books! Lovers of Emily Henry and Rachael Johns, will devour Lizzie Dent’s new book Just One Taste.
Follow Olive Stone as she comes to grips with the death of her celebrity chef father, who she has been estranged from for 14 years. When her dad leaves her his beloved and failing restaurant in his will, she’s forced to confront his surrogate son and sous-chef Leo and fullfill her dad’s dying wish, for the pair to complete his cookbook together.
As they embark on four weeks in Italy, traveling from Sicily to Tuscany to Liguria, they’ll discover more than just some new recipes…
04
Wallaby Lane by Maya Linnell
from $32.99, Dymocks
Best for: a rural romance
Rural romances have been trending over the last few years, perhaps tapping into our post-Covid dreams of a romantic tree-change in a rural idyll?! Back with her sixth novel, Maya Linnell’s vivid descriptions of rural life are elegantly appealing in the delightfully comforting Wallaby Lane.
Set in South Australia’s winegrowing region, love doesn’t run smoothly for radio presenter Lauren and new cop in town, Jack, when their paths cross.
05
The Lyrebird Lake Ladies Choir by Sandie Docker
from $31.75 at Booktopia
Best for: moving family drama
The Australian author beloved for her comforting, emotional reads is back with her sixth release, The Lyrebird Lake Ladies Choir. In it, Sandie Docker tells the story of single mum Hannah, who is homeless after being widowed, and sisters Eleanor and Maggie, whose home by the lake is a refuge for the lost and lonely.
Sandie, 50, drew on the mystery surrounding her own grandmother and a daughter she had that no one knows what happened to, to write this compelling and moving book.
