In the middle of winter when the days are short on sunlight and the nights seem to go on forever, the best place to be is definitely inside.

And winter is definitely a time for fairy tales! Even though we have modern conveniences such as electric light, heating, and Netflix, there is nothing quite like lighting some candles, wrapping yourself in a blanket and enjoying a good fairy tale (or 5) with a warm cup of tea.

So for all the people in the Northern Hemisphere who are looking for a bit of inspiration for their winter reading list (and all the people in the Southern Hemisphere who are looking to take their mind off the hot temperatures), these five fairy tales should be just the thing for you.

1. The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen (AKA Frozen by Disney)

This wintry fairy tale by one of the most famous fairy tale writers in the entire world (and beyond) is so unique that Disney thought it was worthy of becoming a magical family film – and judging by the enormous popularity of Frozen, they weren’t wrong. However, the original fairy tale by Andersen is vastly different from the Disney adaptation and very much worth a read – just don’t expect any cute Olaf…

2. The Three Little Men in the Woods by Brothers Grimm

A short (but good) fairy tale about the virtue of being kind to strangers, even when you have nothing to gain – and the dangers of being a B****, especially if you’re a stepmother! Also, features a basket of strawberries in the middle of winter!

3. Little Snow-white by Brothers Grimm

A classic! And well worth a (re-)read, especially if you’ve only ever seen the films! In this version, the evil queen meets a rather unpleasant end, so if you’ve always thought she got off too easily in the films, this fairy tale ending might just be something for you!

4. Snow-White and Rose-Red by Brothers Grimm

Snow-White and Rose- wait, what? Yes, this fairy tale by Brothers Grimm may sound like it’s related to the famous fairy tale about our favourite pale princess, but these stories are in fact not related at all. If you like talking animals, bad-mannered dwarfs and cursed princes, you should give this fairy tale a go!

5. The Snowman by Hans Christian Andersen

A wonderful story about a snowman who falls in love with a stove! Though it has its funny elements, this story also has a deeper side to it which makes it well worth a read.

You can find all of the stories online (I’ve hyperlinked each fairy tale title to a website with the stories), but if you have a Kindle, I would recommend that you download ‘Household Tales by Brothers Grimm’ translated by Margaret Hunt. It’s free and the translation from German is one of the best out there (in my humble opinion). There are also a few free editions of H.C. Andersen’s fairy tales for Kindle, but as I’ve only ever really read them in Danish, I’m not sure which English version is best. If you have a favourite, do let me know in the comments!

There are, of course, other fairy tales that have a wintry vibe, but many of those also have an element of Christmas to them (which is a bit painful to read for some of us when Christmas is a whole 11 months away). BUT I will compile some and post them in December when we are all looking forward to a dose of seasonal cheer (and holiday!).

If I’ve not included your favourite winter fairy tale here, do tell the rest of us about it below! And if you enjoyed this post and think it may be useful to others, please do share it!