Top Five Friday: National Reading Day

There's nothing to match curling up with a good book when there's a repair job to be done around the house. 
~ Joe Ryan

Beginning in January, I am participating in the One Page a Day Challenge.  Hopefully by the end of the year, I'll have 365 pages worth editing.  I’m also trying to follow My Plan for 2014.  I may need therapy by December.  Oh wait…

A

nd there’s nothing to match curling up with a good book when there’s snow on the ground.

And I’m betting most of my readers have at least an inch, if not more, of beautiful, picture perfect, traffic snarling, black ice-causing, snow outside.

Definitely time to put on the tea kettle, bake up some caramel brownies, and grab a book to cuddle with.

And since today is National Reading Day, it’s the perfect day to give you my snowbound reading list (in no particular order)!

Image credit: Google

Bloodstone

I love fairy tales.  Even more, I love fairy tales and myths re-imagined and re-written.  To me, it shows how brilliant the original storyteller was ~ that his or her stories have lasted thousands of years and can be just as poignant and appropriate for a modern audience. 

It’s one of the reasons BBC’s Sherlock is such a hit and a personal favorite.

One of my favorite fairy tales is Beauty and the Beast ~ and today’s society is in desperate need of reminding that you should never judge a book by its cover or a person by their appearance.

Bloodstone has been compelling so far ~ no grammar snafus and no insta-love insanity  ~ so far so good! 

Also, at Elizabeth Hunter’s recommendation, I’ve added another Beauty and the Beast retelling, Entreat Me, to my TBR list as well.

Winter: A Spiritual Biography of the Season

A pen pal recommended this book (1 in a series of 4 – surprise!) a couple of years ago, and no matter how many times I’ve read it, I always discover something new every winter. 

It has chapters to suit every mood winter can inspire: warmth, coziness, the blues, despair, isolation.

A Country Life: At Home in the English Countryside

Only a chapter in and I’m loving this glimpse into an English country life.  Someday I would like to go, but for now, the next best thing is to read about it. 

And the gardener in me absolutely loves the garden descriptions.

Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod

After spending a week in Alaska this past summer, I dreamed of going back for the Iditarod.  Sadly, I won’t be able to make it this year, but I’ve been following them on Facebook, and I bought Winterdance before I left.  My friend Marly and I are going to start reading it in February ~ just before the race on March 1.

I may love Alaska, but I’m glad I’ll be warm and cozy and not freezing my dupa off on a sled!

The Little House Collection

For the ultimate cozy night by the fire while the storm is rattling the windows read, nothing beats the Little House books, especially Little House in the Big Woods, and The Long Winter.  When I was a little girl, I dreamed of snowfalls of up to five or more feet.  I wanted daddy to have to dig us out like Pa did.

Easy to love it when you’re not the one doing the shoveling!

So grab a book, kick back with a mug of hot chocolate or honeyed tea, and escape on a fantastic adventure ~ all from the cozy comfort of your favorite spot.

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

What is on your To Be Read in a snowstorm list? Share your favorites with us!

Farmgirl Meditations: The Hibernating Garden

Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius. 
~ Pietro Aretino

In November, I am continuing to participate in the Two Pages-a-Day writing challenge.  And I must have been abducted by aliens who replaced my brain with rocks, because I’m also doing NaNoWriMo for the first time.  Someone get this girl a drink!!

I

envy bears.

Soon, they will toddle off to a deep, dark cave.  They’ll curl up in a big fuzzy ball and sleep until spring.

Sleeping for a couple of months when the temps drop into the 30s sounds really good to me.  And I say that before the holiday madness has swung into full gear!

As a gardener, you would think that the coming winter is my least favorite time of year.  But it’s my second favorite season, autumn being my first.  Despite the insanity that are the holidays, winter is a time for rest and relaxation.  Much like the human body repairs itself while we sleep, the earth renews herself as she rests in winter.

Seeds fall and burrow deep, to wait out the cold. 

Bumblebees crawl into earthen holes and lay their larvae.

And gardeners clear the garden, layer it with compost and hay, hang up their shovels and rakes, and pour over seed catalogs, planning the spring rotations. 

Image credit: majune23

With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming fast, it will be busy, yes, but the best kind of busy.  There will be parties to plan, feasts to prepare, and loved ones to visit. 

And once the festivities die down, and no garden to tend, there will be books to read, books to write, letters to pen, and life to ponder.

I can’t wait for the first snow.  Can you?

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

Have you received your seed catalogs yet?  What fun and relaxing things do you plan to do during your winter hibernation?