I have always been a book lover. One of the best feelings is cozying up to a really good book after a long day of work or on a lazy weekend. Books help you take your mind off the day-to-day living and get your mind to be in another world for a while. Now that it’s cold and starting to get dark super early, it’s the perfect time to stay inside and cozy up to a great book and a cup of hot chocolate. This is especially true here, where it seems to rain most days. Here is a list of books that I’ve read recently and really enjoyed. 

1. A Daughter of Two Mothers by Miriam Cohen

The first time that I read this book, I was probably like 11 years old. Ever since then, I read it several more times. I even lost it a few years ago, and my foster dad saw how disappointed I was by losing this book, so he bought me a new one a few months ago. I will always cherish this book. This book is about a young girl who is stolen by another family and survives through the war living with a gypsy. It’s a true story and an incredible one. Buy A Daughter of Two Mothers here. 

2. You Can’t Run by Hope E. Davis

You Can’t Run is a murder mystery written by someone I used to hang out with a lot. She is another American living in the Netherlands. Sadly she moved to another part of the country and we haven’t seen each other since. I’m not really the murder mystery type of person, but I definitely got into this book. It even left me wanting more. You Can’t Run is about a string of murders and the new sheriff in town works hard to solve them.

3. The Rural Diaries by Hilarie Burton

I bought The Rural Diaries because I love Hilarie Burton and the shows she’s been in, One Tree Hill and White Collar. This book is the story of her life with her husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan and kids living in the countryside. It’s very rare for a Hollywood actress to move away from it all and enjoy nature like that. The Rural Diaries is a great feel-good book.

4. Expectation by Anna Hope

Expectation is a novel about 3 lifelong friends in England and their lives over the years. It resonated with me because I have definitely had my ups and downs over the years, and it depicted real life really well. Purchase the novel Expectation here. 

5. Islands of Mercy by Rose Tremain

When I first started reading Islands of Mercy, I wasn’t really into it. After a while, I began to really enjoy it. This book takes you to another century. A woman living in the 1860s, a healer. She does something unconventional and suffers the consequences. Luckily, she ends up gaining her freedom. Buy Islands of Mercy here.

6. St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets by Annie England Noblin

St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets is not what I expected at all. My foster mom lent it to me on a recent flight from the USA to the Netherlands. I didn’t want to take it because it was a gift from my foster dad to her. But she insisted, so I took it. And I am glad I did. As someone who moved from New York City to a very small city in the south of the Netherlands, I understood this story very well. Although I moved for different reasons than the main character of the book, I understand how one can start to love small-town life. St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets is about love, family, and community. 

7. Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

I’ve had trouble sleeping for years. So one doctor that I saw recommended that I read this book. It’ll probably take you forever to read because there are so many boring details in it, but even the author wrote that he won’t be offended if you fall asleep reading the book, since it’s all about sleep. He’s a sleep researcher in California and has been studying sleep for years. This book was very informative and definitely should be read. 

8. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

We all sometimes care too much about things that we probably shouldn’t care so much about. Life should be about the good moments, not the annoying ones. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is about how to focus your energy on the things that matter and try to not focus on the things that don’t. I enjoyed reading this book.

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What book are you reading right now?

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