Now Read This!

As time goes by and the years pass on, few things have remained constant in my life. With the exception of one thing: reading. I absolutely love to read! When I was younger I used to sneak into the bathroom with a flashlight and climb into the bath tub and read long after it was 'lights out'.

I love to recommend books to my friends and so today's post is me listing 5 books that I think are excellent reads. And as the weather continues to get colder, sometimes the best thing to do is curl up with a warm cup of tea and a good book. Here are my top picks for the Winter Must Reads:

1. Eat. Pray. Love
By: Elizabeth Gilbert

This book is a must read for all young women. It is a personal memoir that chronicles Gilbert as she goes through quite a bit of turmoil in her personal life and she decides to take 9 months off and travel to Italy (eat), India (pray) and then Indonesia (love). In the midst of pizza, yoga mats and charity, Gilbert manages to find herself again and make some long lasting relationships along the way.
At times I felt like I was invading her privacy because Gilbert writes in such an open and honest manner. And she is hilarious. She writes very conversationally and I felt like I was talking to one of my good friends. A great book about love, loss and the return to yourself.

2. The Other Boleyn Girl
By: Philippa Gregory
Now I will admit, this is not a book for everyone. It is a historical fiction tale about King Henry VIII and his many love affairs, which specific emphasis on 2 sisters--Anne and Mary. Now we all know that Anne Boleyn ended up marrying King Henry VII and loses her head. But this story is about her sister, Mary, the other Boleyn girl.
It is a magnifying look into the political intrigues of Tudor England, where families use their daughters as means to change their social standing. Mary is simply a pawn to her family and is forced to bed with King Henry VII, ignoring her own desires to find true love, be with her children and live her own life.
I'm a history junkie and I love to read, so this was a perfect union. It's not for all, but I think most would enjoy it.

3. Feast of Love
By: Charles Baxter
This is one of my most recent reads and a new addition to my list of favorites. This book is alot like the movie Love Actually-individual stories of people struggling with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and how the individual stories manage to intermingle to make all the characters overlap.
It's a real book and has some great characters--Baxter does an amazing job developing each character and makes the reader feel like you actually know the people.
My one request is that you read the book and then see the movie. Book always trumps movie!

4. Love In The Time Of Cholora
By: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Now, I will admit, this is kind of tentative pick. I read it, I didn't love it, but I really enjoyed. It is beautiful story of how love changes over time between two people who marry at a young age and spend their whole lives together.
The ending wasn't quite what I expected, but I found it very true life and an honest portrayal of how relationships develop over time. One of the main characters is a bit creepy at some times, but his heart is in the right place.
It is a Oprah Book Club pick and has also recently become a movie. And again, I beg you, please read book then watch movie.


5. The Handmaid's Tale
By: Margaret Atwood
This is an old one. I read it in high school because it was suggested by a friend of mine. If you liked such books as Fahrenheit 451, A Brave New World, and The Giver I think you'll like this book. It has a futuristic setting--the United States government has been overthrown and taken over by Christian Fundamentalists who rename it and turn it into a theocratic state.
The main character is Offred who is essentially a concubine to a higher level authority and has no civil rights.
It's book that has both been challenged and praised. I absolutely love it!

There are definitely more books that I love and that I would suggest. If you're looking for a good book to read, just ask!