The Best Books Club Column: Which team are you on?

I have always been a proud member of Team Summer. Bring on shorts and a T-shirt, a jumbo glass of Southern sweet tea, and long, sunny days spent outdoors.

Oh, I love Christmas and even enjoy the earlier nightfall once warmer weather fades away. In general, though, I’ve detested winter my entire life. I was hopeful, then, that “How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days” (Kari Lei- bowitz, PhD, 2024) would change that.

I was surprised to find several of the strategies Leibowitz suggests for thriving in winter are ones I already utilize to some degree.

For example, I “acknowledge, anticipate and adjust with intention” to the end of Daylight Savings Time, which for me — and many others, according to Leibowitz — marks the beginning of winter. As a young adult, I began making 10- to 15-minute adjustments to my bed- time every few days in the week leading up to the time change, and I still find that helpful.

I also make an effort to alter the mood of my surroundings. A couple of super-soft throws in the living room and one on each bed, favorite music playing softly, numerous candles and lamps as opposed to harsh overhead lighting, and — with the arrival of Black Friday — Christmas decorations throughout my home create a warm, cozy feel that helps me forget the cold outside.

And instead of lamenting the earlier nightfall that winter brings, my mindset is that it is the perfect time to stay indoors and watch favorite programs on Britbox, as well as read, knit and work on other “slow hobbies.”

Upon reading “How to Winter,” I realized I could be doing much more with, as an added bonus, minimal effort.

For example, when our now-adult children were small, my husband and I made a point of saying, “We’re going to bed at this time because we get — not ‘have’ — to go to school/church in the morning.” However, I realize I do not talk up winter to myself in the same way. But since reading “How to Winter,” I’ve been much more intentional in both my internal and external dialogue regarding the temperature and winter in general.

And while our family has long-standing Christmas traditions, Leibowitz reminded me I could also create rituals and celebrations that are winter-related. I recently celebrated our first snow with “chili night” and have begun using my Christmas dishes every day, as well as taking time out every afternoon for tea and a devotion. Movie nights, candlelight dinners — even for just myself — and other special treats are also in the plans.

Friluftsliv — the Nordic concept of “open air life” in which outdoor activities such as stargazing, daily walks no matter what the temperature, winter swims, etc. — is a positive wintering strategy I’m less enthusiastic about but determined to give a try. Outdoor swims are definitely not on the agenda, but I plan to continue my already-routine daily walks throughout even the coldest days this winter, and I’m considering other ways to spend more time outdoors.

I don’t know how I came to dislike winter to begin with. And in all honesty, I’m not sure I’ll ever really, deep-down-in-my-gut, enjoy it. But I’m determined to give it my best shot — at least until spring.

Now all I need is a “Team Winter” sweatshirt ... and a cup of hot cocoa and thick warm boots and ...

Some questions to consider as you read:

1. What is your least favorite season, and what is it about that time of the year that is most troublesome to you?

2. Why do you think winter is by far the least favorite season of Americans of all ages, according to various surveys?

3. What do you already do to make the colder months more enjoyable?

4. Did this book give you any information and/or tips that you found helpful?

5. Are you now dreaming of moving to Alaska? (Only kidding!)

Up Next

For our January selection, we’re going to revisit an author of a previous BBC selection “The Thursday Murder Club.” In his newest release from September 2024, Richard Osman brings together retired police officer Steve Wheeler, his daughter-in-law and private bodyguard to the rich and famous, and a best selling author in a rollicking, laugh-out-loud whodunit that takes them around the globe. So check out or order your copy of “We Solve Murders” and join in the fun!

Patti Miinch, a resident of Cape Girardeau, is an author, mother and mother-in-law of two, grandmother of five and retired educator; while she has many loves, spending time with her family, sports, travel and reading top the list.