Cozy Sundays and Good Books

If you looked out of my window today, you would never guess that you were in the middle of southern California. It's one of these extremely rare days where the sun is hiding behind gray, rain-filled clouds. Mist and drizzle give everything a sleepy, comfortable sort of feeling.

It is my opinion that there is nothing more comforting than a rainy Sunday morning, especially when they only come around once a year.

In the corner of my apartment, situated perfectly in between two windows and beside our fireplace is "the chair." Though it doesn't belong to me, it's understood that it's mine. Anytime my brother, sister-in-law and I watch a movie or are all seated in the living room, they take the couch and I take the chair. Its a beautiful, old fashioned kind of chair with a high curved back and dark, wooden legs covered with intricately carved designs. Never do I appreciate the chair as much as on rainy days like today where it's mine to sit in and gaze out of the window all day, wrapped up in a blanket with a steaming cup of coffee in my hands and my journal or a new book in my lap, my imagination running wild.

This glorious gray morning calls for cozying up next to a fire with a good book. Anyone who knows me can tell you how much I love to read, so I thought that in honor of this cozy day, I would make a list of some of the best books that I've recently read. I warn you that I am no snob when it comes to books. I love a good story, and it matters little to me what genre that story belongs to. The following books are not necessarily the best literature you'll ever read, but they are the types of books that will sweep you up to another place with the magic in their pages. But then, isn't that why we read?

Read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstein if you want to be swept up in a magical love story. There are few things I appreciate more than a good imagination, and you can tell within the first chapter that Ms. Morgenstein has an astounding one. Some of the scenes in this book are described so beautifully that I read them out loud so I could really savor what was being described!

Read West with the Night by Beryl Markham if you are looking for a hero. The life of Beryl Markham completely astounds me. Although she is most well known for her work as a pilot, Beryl Markham (an incredible writer) focuses her autobiography mainly on her upbringing in Africa. This book will inspire you and probably amaze you that a woman could accomplish as much as she did in the early 1900's.

Read Zeitoun by Dave Eggers if you're in the mood to be completely outraged. This book is an account of a Middle Eastern man who stays in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Your heart will be uplifted as you read of his bravery, and then outraged as you read on about his treatment by the United States government. It's the type of story that inspires your heart to do something that might change our world for the better.

Read Entwined by Heather Dixon if you want to be completely and totally charmed. This re-telling of one of my favorite fairy tales (the Twelve Dancing Princesses) is set in the Victorian era, and the sweet, funny, plucky dialogue between the sisters in the book will make you laugh and wish that you had eleven sisters to keep things interesting!

I hope these suggestions are welcomed and help you to enjoy your next rainy, cozy day.