Winter. Dark, dreary, cold. Soulful, serene, pure. There are plenty of adjectives and connotations to associate with this holiday season. While the steel gray clouds have a tendency to provoke a sense of dejection; the bleak landscape appeals to the reader in me. So here are a few options to add to your reading list this winter. Since choices are a matter of perspective, don't blame me if mine differs from yours.

The Goldfinch

Pulitzer winner and every Indian child's worst fears come to life. It's written from the perspective of a boy who suddenly loses his mother and his life thereafter which lurches from bleak to the awfully dreary. The narrative can seem extremely dull and drawn out in parts. But therein lies it's beauty. The first 100 pages fill you with trepidation and the prose is Dickensian. Read it for the utter sadness and some redemption.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Another Pulitzer winner. I feel that more gloomy the book the more chance of it basking in Pulitzer glory. Its about a sad boy who leads a sad life and dies a sad death. He is ghetto and he is a nerd. And every man and his dog knows that you can either be ghetto or you can be a nerd. But not both. The world isn't kind to such species. But then again, who says that life always ends on a happy note. Most of us don't lead a happy life and the ones who do aren't mindful enough to realize there fortunate existence. Read it for utter sadness and zero redemption.

The Art of Fielding

Ah finally a sweet book for sweet people like me. This book taught me the nuances of baseball, a sport I find utterly mundane ( I tend to frequently utter the word utterly for its utter hilarity ). Sure I had to look up on google what a shortstop was when I was turning the first few pages but I had a new appreciation for America's pastime by the time I had creases on its binding. It's about a small-town boy facing the travails of potential while playing college baseball. Although, on a second thought its not about him. There are a multitude of intertwined characters which makes the book such a pleasant read. Plus, its set in a fictional college in north-eastern Wisconsin. If that's not winter than what is.

After Claude

Now this one provokes strong reactions. People either love it or hate it. I personally hated it. But that's probably the reason to read it. It's just a girl ranting against the world after being dumped by her handsome French boyfriend. It's the opposite of Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup. Read it for the passage bordering on softcore pornography that made me look hither and thither on the subway just to make sure no one could ascertain what I was reading. And for the few curious glances you will get from the fairer sex, for this has 50 Shades written all over it.

A Gate at the Stairs

I am currently reading this. And have been impressed enough to recommend it. There are plenty of witty lines to bring a chuckle. Pity that my said chuckles tend to induce stares of disdain from fellow subway passengers. Its more of hoot really. Low in intensity but high in pitch. Which makes me sound like a high-school girl going on her first prom. Cue the stares. Read it for blithe lines that seem more profound with each repeated reading.