It is with great pleasure that I join the blog tour for the epic conclusion to the A Month of Magic trilogy, The December Witches, published by UClan Publishing. To celebrate the release of the final book in the trilogy author, Jennifer Cleassen, is here to tell us her winter reading suggestions .

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Jennifer’s Top Three Books For Cosying Up With This Winter

I find recommending books really hard because I massively overthink it and worry that I haven’t done the job of matching the person to the book perfectly! I’m not a librarian or bookseller and I maybe couldn’t handle the pressure!

Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

I grew up on, and decided to become a writer inspired by!, the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman and there is so much of both chill and warmth in these books, they are the perfect winter read. The armoured bears of Svalbard were the coolest thing I’d ever read aged 11. I wanted to go on an icy adventure to the far north more than anything and when I went to Tromso in Norway for my 30th birthday, it was so magical, it was like something straight from the book.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

This one is the beginning of a trilogy for adults. (I do love a trilogy!) I love the folklore in this sumptuously set winter tale. There’s a slow burn romance which provides the warmth against the icy backdrop.

Little Spruce by Sital Gorasia Chapman and illustrated by Vicky Lommatzsch

This sparkly and inclusive picture book about belonging is ideal for early readers. My family have a tradition of doing ‘book advent’ every year. I made little brown paper packets for 25 books (so that we can reuse them every year too!) and put one under the Christmas tree for my children each day of advent. Some are classics which come out every year and sometimes I swap a few in so Little Spruce is the one I’m adding this year. I’m in awe of the art of picture book writing with so much story in so few words

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I would like to thank Jennifer for our fantastic suggestions. do you have any books you would like to read this winter? if so, please let me know in the comments below.

For more information about The December Witches by Jennifer Claessen here is the blurb:

Blurb

December is Clemmie Merlyn’s favourite month as it usually begins with birthday cake and gifts. But as she turns thirteen, it begins with a bang: Clemmie, and Clemmie alone amongst all witches, is full of magic. So full of magic she might not make it to the end of the month. As the snow spirals down, anxious Clemmie and the young hags will have to find some way to stop her exploding.

Because someone, or something, has chosen Clemmie and made her their One True Witch. But magic is meant to be shared and no-one can survive being filled to the brim with starry power. Can the Merlyn and Morgan covens finally take on the ancient twisted magic of their ancestors? And can they do it in time for Christmas?

I would like to thank Graeme and Uclan Publsihing for inviting me on this tour. Thank you.

To follow the rest of the tour please take a look at the schedule below: