Top 5 Books to Read This Winter

It was much harder coming up with just 5 books this season. There are so many "new releases" that are worth all the hype and promotion. But, alas, here are my top 5 books to read this winter - a few new ones and a couple hidden gems.

1. Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll This is a twisty little gem about a woman named Ani, with a fancy job and a wealthy fiance, and the deep dark secret from her teen years that she's kept buried under her Prada purse and red bottom shoes. Will uncovering the secrets set her free or destroy everything she's done to reinvent herself?

2. Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke This is one of those books that blew me away. Hannah always saw her mother as a mystery, never understanding why she was the way she was. After her mother passes she finds clues to discover who she really was and books a trip to stay with her newly discovered grandfather in Germany. An arranged marriage to a Nazi soldier, a forbidden love, and redemption all rolled into one.

3. All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin There's Nina, once a small town girl and now married to Nashville's elite. There's Tom, a single over-protective father that works hard to stay afloat. There's Lyla, the daughter of Tom at an elite private school she attends on scholarship. Then there's a drunken picture taken at a high school party that causes an uproar in the community. The three force themselves together, each questioning their closest relationships and are left wondering if right and wrong even matter in this community.

4. A Spark Of Light by Jodi Piccoult This author is one of the best storytellers of all time. She finds a way to take a controversial topic and not tell you what to believe but tell the story of those behind the issue. I cried and cried reading this one. A gunman barges into an abortion clinic in the South taking everyone hostage, each one there for different reasons - birth control, an exam, undercover pro-life activist, an abortion. The story is told in reverse so pay attention. Better yet, cancel your weekend and finish this one in one sitting.

5. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty Another one of my favorite authors, she, of course, knows how to deliver another juicy thriller. 9 people gather at a health resort to better themselves or lose weight. Some aren't even quite sure what they're looking for but they all are there for 10 days to complete the program run by the charismatic and mysterious owner. But soon everyone is wondering if they should get out while they can.

Happy reading, friends!

Comments

30 Gluten-Free Crock Pot Meals that Won't Break the Bank

In honor of my dad, this round of crock potting is gluten-free. Over the summer my dad was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and when I found out, I cringed for him. My dad, like me, loves food - all kinds of food but especially pastas, pizzas, bread. How on earth could we take out so many delicious foods that fall under the category of "gluten" and still be satisfied? Apparently it's not as hard as I thought. These recipes are REALLY good, completely satisfying, super easy, and very affordable. I did 30 meals for $168 (this includes a strainer I needed plus disposable trays for the two freezer meals). Keep in mind these recipes are NOT Paleo or AIP. They are simply GLUTEN FREE. That also doesn't mean fat-free or calorie-free. Sorry, folks! ;) You also won't find any cream of whatchamacallit or seasoning packets. Not because I'm completely opposed to them (though I do know they are highly processed and not good for us), but because most, if not all of them...

How We Painted Our Cabinets {and Totally Transformed Our Kitchen}

About 9 months ago I took the plunge and painted our kitchen cabinets. I feel like this is the DIY project that most people are afraid to tackle because, hello! It is the kitchen. So much time is spent in the kitchen and it really is the focal point of the home – if it’s done sloppy, wrong or doesn’t turn out as expected it would be a huge headache and a lot of money to fix. However, this is probably the best DIY project our family has done. Not only did it make a HUGE impact on our home and main living space but it was extremely cost effective at only $150. Once upon a time, our kitchen looked like this: Now it looks like this: It was pretty yellow before. Maple was everywhere. Maple cabinets, maple floors. I walked in this room and it felt like it was constantly glowing (even after I painted the walls a beautiful shade of “perfect greige”). Anyhoo, I knew I wanted a white kitchen. I feel like white cabinets appear decade after decade. They are timeless and cla...

A Humble Encourager

"Going from 2 to the 3 was the absolute hardest ," say so many mamas to the mama pregnant with her third baby with a plastered smile on her face. And it makes sense - you go from man-to-man defense to zone-defense. You run out of hands that can grab on to kids. The parents are officially outnumbered. I get it. It's a fair warning. I don't mind people telling me this because I think it's probably true. I don't think people purposely say it to instill fear or anxiety but sometimes I think people (myself included) can get so hung up on the hard, worn-out and exhausting parts that we forget to glorify the good stuff and give credit to God. Last week I was reading Titus. It is a tiny book squished in the middle of the New Testament. Chapter 2 is about teaching and it breaks it down into groups: older and younger men, and older and younger women. Verses 2:7-8 says: "In your teaching show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be cond...

The Caitlin Moss Blog

Search This Blog