18 BOOKS FOR WINTER: A SELECTION OF FEEL-GOOD NOVELS, BIG BOOKS, AND CLASSICS TO ENJOY DURING COLDER WEATHER
On Tolstoy Therapy, Lucy discusses books that she has loved and “ snippets of literary interestingness.” In this post she offers some reading choices for your winter reading in the categories of big books, feel-good novels, and literary classics.
Lucy also has a lot of information about bibliotherapy on her blog. Keep in mind, though, that she is not a therapist and that reading cannot replace professional attention for mental health issues.
How One Author Turned the Internet into a Giant Book Club
All authors dream of having a huge readership. And all authors whose last name isn’t King, Patterson, or Rowling know that they have to participate in marketing their work to gain that readership. In this article Nomi Eve describes a plan she launched after publication of her second novel, Henna House:
Grand gestures set you apart from the rest of the world. So I came up with my grand gesture. I challenged myself to personally meet with 100 book clubs. I called it my 100 Book Club Challenge and put the word out on Facebook that I would meet with any book club (either in person or by Skype) that invited me. I asked people to help me reach a goal and to become part of a community of readers.
Read the story of how her challenge succeeded in a way much bigger than she had expected. I’m always glad to hear about authors who welcome interaction with readers because they know that, without readers, their books don’t amount to much.
Nomi Eve’s first novel is The Family Orchard.
J.K. Rowling reveals why she created alter ego Robert Galbraith
In the Los Angeles Times Michael Schaub expands on an interview by J.K. Rowling with NPR about why she chose to publish her mystery series under a pseudonym:
“[T]here was a phenomenal amount of pressure that went with being the writer of Harry Potter, and that aspect of publishing those books I do not particularly miss,” Rowling said. “So you can probably understand the appeal of going away and creating something very different, and just letting it stand or fall on its own merits.”
Rowling’s first novel for adults, The Casual Vacancy, published under her own name, received mediocre reviews.
Her most recent novel, Career of Evil, published as Robert Galbraith, is the third in the mystery series that features Cormoran Strike, an army veteran with a prosthetic leg who is the son of a rock star. The two earlier novels in the series are The Cuckoo’s Calling and The Silkworm.
You can hear hear the NPR interview here.
11 Must-Read Books Coming This Month
My own TBR (to be read) list is so long that any suggestions of new books to add makes me scream and tear out my hair. But if you need some additions to your own list or suggestions of books to gift this holiday season, this article is for you.
Read why Diana Le describes these as “November’s must-read books”:
- Make ‘Em Laugh by Debbie Reynolds and Dorian Hannaway
- Soundless by Richelle Mead
- Unstoppable by Bill Nye
- Simply Nigella: Feel Good Food by Nigella Lawson
- Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
- Young Elizabeth: The Making of the Queen by Kate Williams
- Boys in the Trees: A Memoir by Carly Simon
- The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
- Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker
- The Emperor of Sound by Timbaland
- Hello? by Liza Wiemer
- The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende
I have reproduced this list exactly as it appears on the internet, which means that observant readers will find a dozen books here, not just 11.
A cookbook, biography, memoir, adult and YA fiction: there’s something for everybody here.
