When winter comes, there is nothing I want more than to curl up with cozy socks, a cup of tea, and a great book! I have always been a bookworm but since having my daughter, I don’t often get to sit down for an hour or two and get wrapped up in a good. That just means that the books I DO pick up must be good enough to keep me interested a few pages at a time. These books did just that and I promise you, they won’t disappoint.
Here are my top 5 books to curl up with this season!
1- The Lucky One
Let’s start with an easy read. Now, I am a sucker for a good trashy romance. You know, those books that pull you in and make your heart flutter as you follow a story that just seems SO romanticly perfect?! YES! I am that sucker. So of course I had to add one romance novel to my list. A book list is just not complete without that one guilty pleasure. It is not a new shiny book – I actually found it in the book bin at a local corner store! I mean, how can you pass by a Nicholas Sparks book and NOT pick it up? Sweet, romantic, and an easy read for those cozy fall afternoons.
I won’t go too much into detail with this book because, well, it’s Nicholas Sparks. Boy meets girl. Boy is mysterious and somehow girl is in need of a strong man in her life…. you know how it ends.
2 – The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith
Maybe is has to do with the crazy year of life changes and events I have recently gone through (for those of you who don’t know me, I will touch on that later!) or maybe it has to do with turning 30, but I have developed a love for that “self help & well-being” genre. You know that isle in the bookstore that, in your 20’s, you look at strangely? The one where it starts off with cookbooks, which turn into workout books, which turn into yoga and mindfulness books? YES! Have you ever gone down that isle? you guys, it is a goldmine!
This is a book that I listened to (thanks Audible App!) and then went out to buy! This girl is such a wealth of knowledge! A motivational speaker and life coach, Gabby takes you through personal stories of how she has transformed her once drug and addiction filled life into one of joy and strength. As the title shares, she touches on this sense of universe as her driving force in changing her life. What I love so much about her book is that she takes this new-age approach to faith. She makes it very clear that when she talks about the Universe, you can easily substitute that word for God, Buddha, or any other greater-being. The point of her book is not to sway you into any certain belief system, but to open your heart and your mind to a greater good. She shows you how you can take control over your life by filling it with love and positive energy.
Some of my favourite words from here book are these:
“In every situation you have two choices: Will you learn through fear or will you learn through love?”
3 –Love Warrior: A Memoir
This memoir from Glennon is JUST what every woman needs. It is raw, real, and so honest that regardless of how different your life story is from hers, you can see yourself in her words. If you haven’t seen this gorgeous woman on Oprah’s Soul Sessions, she is just this breath of fresh air. She shares her story about trying to put her marriage back together after infidelity – but the book goes so much deeper than that. It touches on pain and love and how you can enrich your life when you stop hiding from all the hard moments.
I get goose bumps when I think about her book because it was just so inspirational. I finished this book in only 2 days (I seriously could NOT put it down!) and walked away with this feeling of fullness and empowerment.
Listen to these words that are just so powerful:
“You are not supposed to be happy all the time. Life hurts and it’s hard. Not because you’re doing it wrong, but because it hurts for everybody. Don’t avoid the pain. You need it. It’s meant for you. Be still with it, let it come, let it go, let it leave you with the fuel you’ll burn to get your work done on this earth.”
4 – The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work
This one has me excited. I stumbled upon Shawn Achor when I was in Las Vegas at our most recent Stella & Dot conference.
A happiness scientist (I know, I wondered if that was a real thing too!), Shawn Achor captivated us with his funny jokes and inspirational research. His studies show that you can change our outcomes and productivity at work and in life by simply learning to be more positive. He even tested this theory on doctors in health care facilities with amazing outcomes!
This is one of my fav quotes from the book:
“When we are happy – when our mindset and mood are positive – we are smarter, more motivated, and thus more successful. Happiness is the centre, and success revolves around it.”
5 – 99 Things That Bring Me Joy
This is a a journal, not a book, but one that I really love! Life can get hectic, especially as a mom to a toddler. Sometimes we get so bogged down in all the daily negative things in life that we forget or even lose the joy. This past year I have made it my mission to choose joy daily and to really savour the joyful moments in my life. I just couldn’t resist this journal the minute I saw it. The title is pretty self-explanatory. This book has 99 prompts to help you discover and remember all the things that bring you joy.
Here are a few examples:
- Someone who makes you laugh
- Music you love
- Your favourite place in the world
I am really excited about this journal. I even added it to my gift-guide for her this holiday season. It is one that I will keep in a safe place for those days where I may be a little down or even just to look back at in a few years to remember all moments, memories and people who have brought me joy.
I would LOVE to hear your suggestions for my next reads. What are your favourite books?
xo
Katrina Gwen Rose
