Welcome to our Christmas Comforts blog series! In the run up to the festive season, we asked our authors to share with us what they love to read at this time of year. So over the next few weeks, we will be sharing their best wintry recommendations. Do keep checking our blog for more! First up is author of The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside, Jessica Ryn.
Jessica Ryn recommends…
As a serial devourer of books, I rarely read the same book more than once. There are always shiny new stories calling to me! In the depths of winter, however, there are certain days when special comforts are required. A snugly blanket, a candle or five, and a well-worn book that knows me well enough to give me the hug that I need.
As a child it was always The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or Anne of Green Gables. For the past several years, I’ve chosen to lose myself within the pages of The Distant Hours by Kate Morton. The story has duel timelines of 1941 and the 1990s. Protagonist, Edie, is drawn to the castle her mother had once been evacuated to, as she knows there are secrets within its walls she needs to uncover.
The depth of the mystery and the breath-taking setting of Milderhurst Castle sweeps me away every time. My reading tastes have changed a great deal since discovering this story almost a decade ago, and The Distant Hours is very different to my current chosen reads, yet every winter, I’m always pulled back into Edie’s world behind the walls of Milderhurst castle. Despite knowing the complex plot by heart after so many reads, I still feel a small tug of surprise at each twist and turn. It’s a great reminder to return to the stories we know and love and put them on for a while, like a favourite snuggly jumper.
Thank you so much to Jessica Ryn for sharing her Christmas comfort read with us today! Jessica’s own debut novel is available now and is sure to put a smile on your face! Check it out here.
Keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks as we share even more comfort reads from our brilliant authors!
