Minnie's Fiction Addiction

I’ve always believed that reading has its own seasons. Not just the publishing calendar of summer blockbusters and autumn prize-winners, but the way my own habits ebb and flow with the year. Just as I swap sandals for scarves, my TBR seems to change its flavour with the weather.

Winter 🥶 ❄️☃️ Long Nights, Long Books

In the depths of winter, I gravitate towards big, immersive stories. There’s something about dark evenings and frosty mornings that calls for equally weighty novels. I don’t mind if they take me weeks to finish—sometimes that’s part of the comfort. Historical sagas, multi-book crime series, or epic fantasies feel like the perfect companions when I’m tucked under a blanket, candle flickering nearby, mug of tea permanently within reach. There’s no rush; the slower pace of winter reading matches the hush of the world outside.

Spring 🌹🌱🌼 Stories of Renewal

, When spring arrives, so does a change in my reading mood. As the first flowers push through and the days stretch a little longer, I find myself reaching for books that feel fresh and full of possibility. Romance novels, light-hearted contemporaries, or stories about reinvention and second chances sit at the top of my list. I also spend more time outdoors, so audiobooks sneak into my routine keeping me company on walks, turning even the school run or a stroll to the shops into a mini reading session. Spring feels like a literary fresh start.

Summer ☀️👙🕶️ Fast, Fun, and Portable

By the time summer rolls around, my reading has fully embraced wanderlust. Whether I’m travelling in Morag (my campervan) or stretched out in the garden, I lean toward fast-paced thrillers, easy rom-coms, or fantasy adventures that keep me hooked without demanding too much concentration. Summer books have to be portable and bingeable, the kind of stories you can devour in one sitting between sightseeing stops, or pick up and put down between dips in the sea. Paperbacks in my backpack become as essential as sunscreen.

Autumn 🍁🍂🍃 Where the Magic Happens

And then there’s autumn. For me, this is the golden season of reading. The air turns crisp, leaves scatter the pavements, and suddenly I want books with atmosphere. Gothic novels, dark academia, eerie thrillers, and whimsical fantasies with a touch of magic all find their way into my hands. Autumn evenings are made for candles, blankets, and pages that blur the line between comfort and unease. I love stories that feel just a little dangerous, just a little enchanted, like walking through the woods at dusk and half-believing the shadows might move.

A Year in Reading

Over time, I’ve realised that these shifts aren’t just about genres, but about the emotions I’m chasing. In winter, I want to be absorbed. In spring, I want to feel hopeful. In summer, I want adventure and entertainment. And in autumn, I want to be enchanted.

That’s the beauty of reading, it adapts to us. It reflects the rhythm of the world outside, and the mood we bring to the page.

👉 What about you? Do your reading habits change with the seasons, or are you a year-round devotee of one genre? I’d love to hear which books you reach for when the weather turns.