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wardenred's review
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
4.0
Do you remember the first time you felt snow on your skin? When you thought you could smell it? When your ears hurt so badly that you couldn’t think of anything except the closest source of warmth?
This book is pretty much a meditation on all the ways humanity has experienced winter through the centuries / across the globe. It goes back and forth between depictions of culture, traditions, and ways of living; lyrical passages beautifully evoking the sensory experience of winter in various settings; and scientific data related to various aspects of the coldest season.
I've got to say I found the transitions between these three distinct types of writing rather jarring at times. Here I am, all settled into one of those lyrical parts, imagining myself walking through a winter forest, and then suddenly there's an assault of numbers and physics- or meteorology-related facts. Or I'm focused on digesting the information about the Native American way of winter living, and then suddenly, there's a page of generic winterly lyricism. That happened more than ones throughout the book and took me out of the reading every time. It didn't help that the science-y parts in particular were rather dense and disjointed at the same time. The other two types of writing are a lot stronger.
Aside from that, though, the book was an enjoyable experience. I learned a lot of cool interesting factoids about a variety of cultures, refreshed others in my mind, and got lots of delicious winter vibes. I just wish the structure was somewhat more solid!
iina's review
4.0
A fascinating, comprehensive book all about winter and the various phenomena associated with it. From sport and festivals to survival and fun little anecdotes, Brunner manages to cover a lot in relatively few pages.
* I received an copy of this book gifted by the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own *
* I received an copy of this book gifted by the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own *
veronicachp's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
I bought this book in the hope that it would help me (a person who does NOT like winter) romanticize the season and come to love it and look forward to it and basically cure my seasonal depression. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it didn't do that, and I found myself relating more deeply to the occasional negative passages about winter than the rest of the book. Three stars because I'm fair enough to realize it couldn't live up to my high expectations, and because it was interesting and educational, but I also found it pretty repetitive and hard to focus on at times.
shaneent's review
3.0
Winter is not my favourite, so I really appreciated this book looking at the beauty we can find in this season. It spoke of snow and ice and how they affect and interplay with our lives - how we adapt to cold all over the world and through history, how it affects our houses and our clothing, our fun and leisure, our holidays and celebrations, how animals behave in winter, and more. I particularly enjoyed the chapters that spoke about the science of snow - how it's made, and how different conditions affect the snow, and how different kinds of snow can sound when we crunch through it.
Overall, a good cozy read about the appreciation of a difficult season.
Overall, a good cozy read about the appreciation of a difficult season.
bookalong's review
I'm enchanted by falling snow. Winter is not my favorite season but it does have a certain charm. Winterlust is an ode to a season full of beauty, brutality, joy and coziness. Brunner does a great job showcasing all sides of winter. From snowflakes to olden times survival and winter activities, traditions and more.
There is so much interesting history and facts packed into this book. Thank you @greystonebooks for the #gifted book opinions are my own.
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For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
There is so much interesting history and facts packed into this book. Thank you @greystonebooks for the #gifted book opinions are my own.
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For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
vg2's review against another edition
3.0
This is a tricky book to review, as I cannot quite articulate what held me back from fully enjoying it. It looks at winter around the world and how humans have interacted with and perceived it over time; chapters cover environmental adaptations, winter sports, traditions and myths, psychology and climate change to name just a few. There are numerous interesting facts, especially when the author delves into the 16th - 19th centuries, and the topics are well-structured. And yet at times, for such a short book, it felt a bit of a slog; more of a textbook approach than flowing, engaging musings on the season. An interesting potted history, but lacking inspiration.
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