January and February are the slowest months. But I’ve always enjoyed being able to travel through books. When I feel the wanderlust or travel bug, I pick up a book. Reading is also good for your mental well-being, as it can fuel your creativity and nourish your mind.
This blog contains the favourite books that I’ve ever read. They transported me out of my house and into places I ended up visiting! I hope you find a book that you enjoy.
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1. Once There Were Wolves, by Charlotte McConaghy
This book is for those who enjoy a thrilling book with a little mystery and a love of the natural world. The book takes place in Scotland, and the main character is driven by a passion to heal the landscape and save the wolves. She knows that the wolves are going to be blamed for the death of a farmer, and she is prepared for what they will face. This book reminded me of my love of the North Shore area of Minnesota. This book relates to my visit to the International Wolf Center in Ely, MN. It also reflects my love of the Northwoods.
Favorite Quote:
Check out my North Shore Minnesota blogs to discover beautiful places!
2. Shea Ernshaw, A History of Wild Places
This book had plenty of mystery. The story takes place in a reclusive 1970s community that was founded by people who were looking for a simpler life. The people who stumble upon the community from the outside happen to…disappear. It’s up to you to find out what happens.
Favourite Quote: A place is not history until it’s made, and someone lives a life that will be remembered.
3. Music of the Deep, by Elizabeth Hall
A young woman mysteriously appears in a small town on the coast of Washington State. While people try to uncover why she went there, they also discover old mysteries in their lives. Trigger warning: domestic violence.
Favourite Quote: “The music had taken her away to another time and place, where she was young, in love, and the future sparkled with possibilities.”
4. Laura Dave, The Last Thing he Told me
Hannah’s husband disappears, leaving a note behind for his wife, telling her to protect their daughter, who is not related to Hannah. She realizes that he’s not the man he claimed to be as US Marshalls arrive at their Saulsilto house. This is the book for you if you enjoy crazy plot twists!
Favourite Quote: “He didn’t understand that I wasn’t afraid of someone leaving me; I was terrified that the wrong person would remain.”
5. Places We’ve Never Been by Kasie West
Norah Simon and her childhood friend Skyler leave the heat of California to view the mountains. She begins to realize her feelings while on the road. The two have a rough start, but sparks begin to fly as the journey progresses. This is the perfect pick for those who enjoy romance and adventure!
Favourite Quote: Failure in life is inevitable. It is only a problem when we allow it to stop us from moving forward .”
6. The Confidence of Wildflowers, by Micalea Smeltzer
Salem Matthews, an 18-year-old girl from New York City, feels lost. She doesn’t feel like she has all the answers to life that she thought she would. Thayer Holmes is a 31-year-old divorced father with a 6-year-old child who moves into the apartment next door. She is immediately drawn to Thayer after learning more about him. Trigger warning: Death, cancer, and child sexual abuse.
Wildflowers are strong. Resilient. They can thrive in almost any situation. I want to be that resilient. I like the wildflowers’ confidence — never to give up and to succeed.”
7. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The book is well worth reading, whether you’ve seen the Netflix movie or not! The “Marsh Girl”, a ghostly figure, haunted the small coastal town of North Carolina for many years. Two young men in the city meet Kya (The Marsh Girl), and Kya is open to a whole new life. But tragedy strikes. Trigger warning: sexual abuse.
Favourite Quotation: “Time is not fixed like the stars.” The speed of time is different around the sun and planets. It is also different in the mountains and valleys.
8. Like Streams to the Ocean, by Jedidiah J. Jenkins
This book is a great read for anyone who loves to travel. It combines the desire to explore the world and the quest for adventure within. This book examines eight aspects of life that are most meaningful: love, family and home, work, dying, ego, friends, and the soul. The people and places that surround us are what bring us fulfilment.
Have you ever noticed that when someone says, “My first impression was …,” you get a swell of interest? We want to meet each other.
9. Wild: From Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed
Cheryl Strayed, who lost everything she cared about, decides to hike alone on the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave desert in California to Oregon and Washington. She discovers that not all is lost. This book is great because it’s about healing. This book is for anyone on a similar path.
“Alone felt like a real place to me. It wasn’t just a state, but a room in which I could be myself.”
Check out my 6-day itinerary for Oregon or Gualala in California!
10. Ashley Frangipane Halsey, I Would leave me if I could
Halsey is a famous singer-songwriter who released this poetry collection a few years ago. I’m still obsessed with it! She tackles raw and difficult subjects such as drug abuse, abusive relationships, low self-esteem, and feeling lost within your body. This book is a must-read for anyone.
Bonus: Shipwreck, by Janessa Jandt
Shipwreck is my poetry collection. This was the perfect opportunity to tell you more about it. This book is a collection of poems that I wrote in my 20s. It’s my pride and joy. Writing poetry helped me cope with everything, from music festivals to the Pacific Northwest Coast to North Shore, Minnesota. My book is all about the metamorphosis of becoming the person you were meant to be. My poems are divided into three sections: the caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly. I write about mental health, body images, toxic relationships and pollution, as well as motherhood, healing, and motherhood.
Thank you so much to all who have supported me and bought a copy of the book. I am forever grateful!
