Five Books to Brighten Your Day

It’s safe to say we’re sick of the long, grey days of winter. And since everyone can’t take off for sunny, southern climes, we’ve rounded up the best reads to help you escape, no plane ticket required.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
Strayed’s enthralling account of her solo 1,100 mile trek from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State will make you forget you’re freezing in Canada.

Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life by Gretchen Rubin
Sometimes it takes an epiphany to appreciate all the good things around us. See what you can learn from Rubin’s own quest for happiness.

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
Who says you can only read the big blockbusters on a beach chair? Picoult is known for tackling emotional subjects and her latest is no exception. In it a former Nazi asks a friend to kill him for his crimes.

Tuscany
Pour a glass of wine and lose yourself in the pages of this fabulous cookbook guaranteed to evoke the sunny skies and green landscapes of Italy’s most famous culinary region.

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy
According to some, the only way to enjoy winter is to embrace it. If you’re not the type to strap on a pair of skis, curl up with Binchy’s last novel, which tells the stories of a quirky cast of characters staying at a guest house in Ireland.