My good friend
Sarah recently posted on her blog about the uplifting power of good books, especially in low times. She asked for recommendations of what to read next, and I started to comment with my ideas, but decided to share them with the world instead.
So here's my list! These are some of my favorite "cold-weather reads"...books that have the power to just sweep you into their world and lift up your winter heart. Some I read regularly, some I've read only once. A lot of them are feminine, young adult novels, but not the cotton-candy kind. May you find something to combat the cold weather with here.
HEARTENING BOOKS FOR WHEN WINTER IS HARD
Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery (third book in the Anne of Green Gables series, and by far my favorite)
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale (along the same vein as Ella Enchanted, although maybe not quite as brilliant)
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (a classic)
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (wonderful if you're looking for a laugh...this book is hilarious!)
Abarat by Clive Barker (much more adventurous...this book is Alice in Wonderland meets some version of Alice in Wonderland that has a scary bad guy that's always after Alice)
The Whistling Toilets by Randy Powell (similar to An Abundance of Katherines, this book is hilarious and delightful and I have a crush on the narrator)
A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes (written during the late 1800's, the writing style is a little bit more demanding, but the prose and the story are BRILLIANT...about a group of pirates who somehow get stuck with a handful of British children, and it's based on a true story)
Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer (all y'all can judge all you want, and I'll agree that the writing isn't perfect, but these books really can cast a spell)
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling (the ole stand-by)
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (a little heavier of a read, but I'm still always inspired by this young girl's spirit and courage)
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (there are very few books out there that celebrate the female spirit in such a holistic and non-confrontational way)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (lovely lovely, always)
A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck (an episodic novella about a cantankerous ole grandma who does a lot of good in the world)
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit (very short read but full of some GORGEOUS writing)
Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund (a little on the heavier side, but this book is one of the most intriguing and wonderful books I've ever read)
Anything by Ray Bradbury
Anything by E.L. Konisburg
Happy reading!
Isn't it lovely that in only a few more months, reading can look like this?
Keep your eye on the goal, dear readers. Winter can't last forever.
all images via weheartit