Winter Reading List

I know that February is winding down and we all have our fingers crossed 

for rain and flower buds, but if you're from a place like where I'm from, 

March is a nasty month of dashed hopes and unfounded expectations. 

Two days of 50 degree weather and you're breaking out the flip flops 

and putting away your down coats and then BAM! Overnight blizzard!

Let's face the facts, the groundhog said six more weeks of winter. 

So grab some heavy socks, hot cocoa, an oversized sweater and a good book

 and ignore what's going on outside. 

Here are five of my favorite winter reads.

#1- My Sergei: A Love Story

In celebration of the Olympic Winter Games I'm suggesting you read 

"My Sergei" by Ekaterina Gordeeva. 

Kate & Sergei were master Olympians from Russia during the 80s. And more importantly, 

they did what I (not-so-secretly) always want pair skaters to do: 

fall in love and get married. 

 This book is on my top twenty favorite books of all time. 

It's beautifully written and the perfect mix of inspiring and tragic. 

Just trust me on this one. 

#2 The Letters 

This book is about a husband and wife who lost their son 

in a freak snow-related accident in Alaska. 

This is a story about how they each are coping with that loss

 and how their individual grief isn't translating very well to the other. 

The husband can't cope at all and decides he has to go to Alaska 

and trek to the death site of his son, much to the bafflement of his wife. 

This is a book written as letters exchanged between the two during their time apart. 

Oddly enough this book got me over a breakup. 

But besides that, it's pretty good. 

And if you've always wondered about the finer details of dogsledding 

in Alaska, this is the book for you. 

#3 Just Who Will You Be? 

This book written by the impressive Maria Shriver 

has changed my life every time I've read it. And I've read it at least five times. 

I add this to my winter reading list because if you are anything like me, 

you've put your new year's resolutions off 

for nearly two months now. What I like most about this book is 

the look at what really matters: who you are. 

Not what you are or what you do, 

but what makes up your character. 

Read it and thank me later.

#4 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

If you are one of the poor, unfortunate souls who hasn't read the
Narnia book series, it's time to rectify that situation.
It's simply elegant, insightful and entertaining.
And it'll likely make you cry-- in the good way. 

 

#5 Lost Horizon

I'm not usually a fan of Shangri-La stories, 

but this one is amazing. I was assigned this book in a class once 

and I actually read the whole thing in one night. 

Now that may not seem all that noteworthy, 

but even though I am a avid reader, 

one of my three rebellions in life is that 

I rarely read reading assignments. I hate when people 

think they can tell me what to read, 

when to read it and how to interpret it. 

#Schoolisforfools  

This may be the very first book I ever read on command.

 I couldn't help it, it was that good.