10 Arctic Reads to Cool Off with During the Dog Days of Summer

From the beloved author of THE NIGHTINGALE comes another story of the invisible wounds war leaves behind and the resiliency it takes to recover. A Vietnam veteran named Ernt moves to a remote region of Alaska with his wife and thirteen-year-old daughter in hopes of building a better future for his family. But as winter descends on their lonely cabin and Ernt’s mental state worsens, his wife and daughter realize they must survive the winter together without him.

In MY LAST CONTINENT, two star-crossed lovers must find each other, against all odds, in one of the most dangerous places in the world. Deb and Keller rekindle their fragile romance for a few weeks every year while working as guides and researchers in Antarctica. This year, when Keller doesn’t arrive, Deb discovers he is on a cruise ship that has hit deadly waters, and it’s up to her to save him. Atmospheric, adventurous, and original, this debut will excite and awe its readers.

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In this all-time Stephen King classic, bestselling romance author Paul Sheldon finds himself trapped in an isolated home after a terrible accident. Watching over him is Annie Wilkes, a rabid fan of his, who is distraught that he killed off a beloved protagonist in his latest novel. She is determined to make Paul write a new novel that brings her favorite character back to life, and she’ll use whatever violent means necessary.

Danya Kukafka’s debut novel explores the mysterious death of an idealized high school girl through the perspectives of three people drawn into her orbit: a young boy who’s been obsessed with her for years, a smart but bitter outcast whose envy has reached a new peak, and the investigating police officer who has secrets of his own. With crystalline prose and razor-sharp character insights, GIRL IN SNOW will delight fans of the literary thriller.

The latest installment in a bestselling crime series starring female inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen, 1222 is a thrilling mystery that takes place in snowstorm-swept Norway. After her train derails, Hanne and her fellow passengers are trapped with no hope of rescue in a historic luxury hotel. But when one of the passengers turns up dead and another barricades themselves in the hotel’s top floor to avoid recognition, Hanne knows it’s up to her to act before the murderer strikes again.

Before it was a major motion picture, THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US was a tender, powerful novel that explores the impact one life-changing and life-threatening experience can have on two seemingly disparate people. Ashley, en route to her wedding, and Ben, a doctor on his way to perform a series of surgeries, find themselves trapped in the deadly High Uintas Wilderness after their charter plane crashes. Together they must mend both their physical and emotional wounds to return to civilization alive.

Lyrical, mystical, and enchanting, THE SNOW CHILD offers a contemporary fairy tale about an isolated couple’s attempt to connect with a mysterious orphan girl, Faina, who resides in the woods behind their Alaskan home. In 1920s Alaska, Jack and Mabel work hard to survive brutal winters in this beautiful but lonely landscape. As they get to know and love Faina, they learn what it really takes to survive both this place and the wider world that, at times, can be as equally brutal and lonely.

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In this debut novel, Vasya, a young girl on the edges of the Russian wilderness, is raised by a nurse who delights her with stories of snow demons and winter creatures. When her new, strictly devout stepmother insists these stories stop, dark and dangerous forces begin to threaten the nearby village. Vasya realizes that she and her long-hidden gifts may be the only things that can stop them. Spellbinding and breathless, THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE reveals how the stories we tell ourselves are much more than just stories.

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Fredrik Backman, the author of A MAN CALLED OVE, returns with an underdog story that digs deep into questions of community and rivalry. Beartown, a small town carved into a harsh environment, doesn’t have much to brag about except their long-successful hockey team. But in recent years, the team has deteriorated. Now, as a few unlikely remaining players fight to regain their reputation, the community is left wondering what they are willing to risk—or, even, lose—in order to win.