I’m looking at raindrops out my window and gray skies in the distance. I’ve got a long day ahead typing on the keyboard of my computer when what I really want to do is curl up on the couch with a blanket and a cup of tea or hot cocoa and read.

I’ve got a stack of books just waiting for me to pick them up and turn the pages, and maybe I can carve out some time after lunch to do just that. Here’s what’s on my list of books to read:

• The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages—This story of two girls living with their families in Los Alamos, New Mexico during the development of the Atomic bomb has gotten rave reviews. It’s a story about friendship and the struggle of fitting in set in a historical backdrop.
• The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick—This is a story of four sixth-grade girls who are coerced (!) into joining a Mother Daughter Book Club where they will read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott as their first pick. Alternating chapters gives each girls point of view. Sound like fun!
• I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith—Dodie Smith also wrote The 101 Dalmations, which of course Disney turned into a movie. This book has been resurrected recently, but is considered a classic. It’s the story of two sisters who live in a ruined castle in Britain, and it takes place between Word War I and World War II. Their lives change when a wealthy American family move to the area. It definitely sounds like a book that’s good for cuddling up with on the couch.
• What’s Eating Gilbert Grape by Peter Hedges—Many people are familiar with this story because of the movie, which featured Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio. The book is for mature high school readers and adults. It’s a story about Gilbert, trapped in a small town in Iowa because he’s loyal to his family. We see that family through Gilbert’s eyes and find people who are far from perfect but trying to do their best. I hear the story stays with you long after the book is finished.

As I’m a writer, I also try to get a bit of professional reading in, and I’m currently inspired by Guerrilla Marketing for Writers by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman and Michael Larsen.

I you had a day just to curl up on the couch and read, what would you pick up?

Cindy Hudson. Photo by Jill Greenseth