Some people need tropical vacations to survive winter, others need hot coffee and a good book. If an indoor plant is your permanent winter alter ego, here are five amazing books that have everything your snuggly little soul craves: loads of hot drinks, cosy coffee shops, long dialogues about books and a fluffy romance. And you won’t even need to leave the house to get lost in this wonderful world of bookworms!
The Book Charmer, Karen Hawkins
The Book Charmer is like hot cocoa for the soul. It’s well, charming. And adorable. And cute. And sweet. With the library and coffee shop and morning pastries shared on a short car ride to work. The citizens of tiny Dove Pond, located in the middle of nowhere, are all lovable and endlessly cute. But this book also tackles serious issues, like dealing with Alzheimer’s, hidden grief and PTSD.
It feels real, even with the little magic thrown in here and there – one of the main heroes, Sarah Dove, talks to books. And her sister has a special connection with plants, which makes her customised teas super helpful and healing. When Sarah befriends Grace – strong, confident, successful Dove Pond newcomer – books warn Sarah that Grace is the key to saving Dove Pond but to do so, she must stay in the town forever, which is totally not what Grace plans.
While You Were Reading, Ali Berg & Michelle Kalus
Cosy coffee shop with a handsome barista who is also a poet and leaves meaningful quotes from literary masterpieces on coffee cups? Ok, now we’re listening.
Set in Melbourne, While You Were Reading follows 29-year old Bea who discovers a second-hand book with mysterious notes scribbled all over the pages. She becomes so absorbed with the wisdom and beauty of the words that she’s now determined to find the author of the notes.
Bea’s life is relatable and funny to follow. And the skillful writing of the author-duo creates this soft, warm world you instantly want to become a part of.
Writers & Lovers, Lily King
Honestly, King’s heroes are not the ones you end up being so head over heels in love with, you instantly want their names tattooed on your face. They make mistakes, they stumble and sometimes they’re straight up a bunch of idiots. But they’re also real and they all have unique relationships with literature.
At thirty-one, Casey Peabody works as a waitress and spends her mornings writing a book loosely based on her mum’s childhood. She always wanted to be a writer but while her friends had given up literary dreams long time ago, she still clings to the idea of finishing this book. As if juggling her messy life wasn’t already hard enough, Casey is also torn between her ex and two new love interests – an acclaimed writer with a perfect house and two lovely kids and a wild, weird aspiring poet who also happens to be a student of the acclaimed writer. How’s that for a plot twist?
Fangirl, Rainbow Rowell
You can fight us but the Carry On trilogy will forever be the best thing Rainbow Rowell has ever written. Fangirl is a must-read as well though, since that’s when Rainbow first trialed her Carry On ideas. It’s about Cather, a student who prefers writing fanfics on her favourite books to actually coming up with something ‘serious’ for her writing course at the University. Needless to say, her teacher completely disapproves of Cather’s passion.
It’s a light and easy-going coming-of-age novel to refresh your palette after reading too many serious books. But without going too dark, it also touches on subjects of extreme social anxiety, bipolar disorder and mental illnesses often neglected in literature.
The Girl On The Page, John Purcell
This book is hot. Boiling lava kind of hot. And so obviously written by a man, it almost hurts. Cause, sorry, dear John, women don’t instantly get turned on by impromptu sex on the car hood in the middle of the night. Especially not when they know for sure they’re being filmed by their perverted loser of a flatmate through the window.
But borderline-porn sex scenes aside, this book is such a loud and clear tribute to literature, authors and the entire publishing industry, it makes you fall in love with reading all over again. From the young and successful editor Amy Winston to the legendary writer Helen Owen and her husband Malcolm, who are now retirees, – everyone talks books here. Real authors, fictional authors, the differences between good literature and contemporary novels, uphill reading and downhill reading, etc. – they eat, sleep and do chores while talking about books. There is so much of this, all generously sprinkled with witty humour and a deep understanding of reading patterns evolution, it makes you keen to re-read every single line again and again in order not to miss anything important.