• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • Cookies
  • Bread
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Cookies
    • Birthday Cake Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans
  • Shop

Our Winter Reading List

January 8, 2016 by Joy the Baker 54 Comments

the vacationers the leftovers to rise again
one more thing mr & mrs glasses ny notebook
jason priestley cat dish towel drip mugs

Hello, friends!  

Let’s talk about books.  

Winter reading is different from warm-weather Summertime reading.  Winter reading involves slippers, a hoodie jacket pulled well over our heads, and hopefully a hot toddy.  Winter words don’t flit about on beaches during Summer vacation.  I like a little more weight to the books I read in the cold weather, some thing that will match the heavy wool blanket I keep on my bed; the one that’s comforting despite how dang itchy it is.  

Here are some reads for our Winter-selves.  Aren’t you glad the holidays over so we can be regular people who flop on the couch with books instead of… running around not doing that? 

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff  •   The twisty, uncomfortable, intimate, and beautiful story of a marriage. I’ve read this and it hurts so good.  It’s beautifully written.  

Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein  •  From Sleater-Kinney and Portlandia, tell us how you happened, Carrie. 

We Are Water by Wally Lamb  •  It would be fair to say that everything Mr Lamb writes is worth reading.  He writes very well about resilience.  See also:  She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb  •  Remember how engrossing this was? 

No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale  •  Let’s throw in some young adult, murder mystery fiction.

It’s What I Do: A photographers life of love and war by Lynsey Addario  •   A female conflict photographer’s life. I’m reading this now and it’s amazing!  I can’t put it down.  Let’s choose our lives and live them all the way.  

The First Bad Man by Miranda July  •  Miranda July and Carrie Browstein occupy the same space in my brain, but the way Miranda July tells the story of her characters makes me laugh and breaks my heart.  

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi  •  A brand new book.  A man goes from doctor to patient and explores what makes a meaningful life.  Life and cancer and other easy topics.  

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith  •  Let’s read a love story.  

A Movable Feast by Ernest Hemingway  •  Hemingway invites us to 1920’s Paris where we can be broke, beautiful, and in the best company.

I hope you find something cozy to read.  What’s on your reading list that I should know about?  

xo Joy

Previous PostNext Post

Filed Under: Beyond the Kitchen

Previous Post: « Everybody’s Birthday Cake
Next Post: Let It Be Sunday! »

Reader Interactions

All Comments
I Made This
Questions
  1. Amy

    February 2, 2016 at 9:32 am

    I am late to the game on commenting, but I devoured Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl over the holidays. Highly recommend.

    Reply
  2. Bip

    January 26, 2016 at 6:34 pm

    You have to read Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. Hysterical…loved this book – laugh out loud.

    Reply
  3. Rebecca

    January 24, 2016 at 8:09 pm

    Thanks for the ideas! Looking forward to snuggling up with some of these.

    Reply
  4. Jessica

    January 24, 2016 at 2:26 pm

    Always love the book posts and the comments. I’ve gotten quite a few good reads off of past posts. Many of these are already on my list, so glad to know that many others have enjoyed them!
    In the similar vein of When Breath Becomes Air, I recommend Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. It’s about medicine and care at the end of life – a subject most don’t want to discuss as it is definitely not a happy one. But this is a very well written book about it. After several years of working with patients in long term care facilities, assisted living facilities and hospice, this is a book I wish more people would read before they are put in these stressful and emotional situations.

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      January 24, 2016 at 3:48 pm

      thank you for sharing this!

      Reply
  5. Alexis

    January 14, 2016 at 12:17 am

    It’s What I Do was by far the best book I read last year in a year of many great reads. Lindsay Addario had me hooked when I heard her on Fresh Air and once I started reading it, I could not put it down. Enjoy.

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Beyond the Kitchen

Oscars 2023 Party Menu

Since I was raised on movies, the Oscars ceremony is my Super Bowl. I look forward to it all year long and always try to watch all the contenders. Of course I’m in it for the films, the celebs, and the clothes. But I also love a good theme party—who doesn’t? My ideal Oscars party…

Read More

Fat Tuesday aka Paczki Day

Happy Fat Tuesday everyone! We’ve arrived at the day before Lent, where everyone loses their minds and indulges before 40 days of meatless Mondays and fish fry Fridays. Chicago, while having faith from all corners of the world, is an incredibly Catholic-centric city – kind of like New Orleans. Growing up non-denominational Christian I never…

Read More

New Year, New Orleans

If you can spend a holiday away from home, do it. Christmas on a beach with a cocktail? Yes, please. Santa can bring his swim trunks! This year I decided to ring in the new year in New Orleans, my favorite place outside of Chicago, with my girlfriend Breyon. A bae-cation, if you will. We…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

Check it out on Instagram

Drake on cake instagram.

 

BREADS YOU’LL LOVE

jambalaya buttermilk biscuits in a row

Smoked Sausage Jambalaya Buttermilk Biscuits

inside of warm cinnamon roll on plate

How To Make The Best Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

Orange roll on a plate with a fork.

Christmas Morning Orange Rolls

LET’S MAKE COOKIES!

wider shot of lemon bars stacked on a plate with a bite taken out of one lemon bar

My Favorite Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

completed recipe close up shot of a blondie so the toasted almonds, chocolate chips, and sea salt can be seen

My Best Classic Blondie Recipe

cowboy cookies close up showing texture.

Cowboy Cookies with salted cereal brittle

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker and author of books and magazines
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
💁🏻‍♀️Classes with me @thebakehousenola
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
Second coffee: the perfect way to re-start the day Second coffee: the perfect way to re-start the day. 
✨Beignet Café au Lait✨⁣
⁣1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk⁣⁣
Splash of vanilla extract⁣⁣
½ cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks⁣⁣
2 cups fresh brewed strong coffee⁣⁣
½ cup toasted cinnamon cereal, lightly crushed⁣⁣
Powdered sugar for topping⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Place sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Add half of the whipped cream and fold to combine.  Add the remaining half and fold until you have a fluffy sweet cream. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Divide brewed coffee between two mugs. Spoon dream on top.  Sprinkle cinnamon cereal between the cups.  Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy immediately.
Life Skill No. 458: How to Make 1️⃣2️⃣ Cup Life Skill No. 458: How to Make 1️⃣2️⃣ Cupcakes with just 1️⃣ Stick of Butter⁣
⁣
Full recipe linked in my bio! xo
Someone call @foodnetwork because Dad and I need a Someone call @foodnetwork because Dad and I need a baking show stat. Here’s our very best chocolate chip cookies and all the little tips that make them perfection. ✨🍪 Find the full recipe linked in the profile!
We’re baking the classics on Joy the Baker this We’re baking the classics on Joy the Baker this month and up next, my very favorite Lemon Bar recipe with fresh lemon juice and the tiniest hint of coriander. ⁣🍋🌼✨
⁣
Find the full recipe linked in the profile and bust out the white chocolate and macadamia nuts for next week’s bake! ⁣
⁣
#lemonbars #easybaking #bakedfromscratch #joythebaker
Day in the Life: out in the woods writing a little Day in the Life: out in the woods writing a little cookbook about camp food. 💖🏕️🙋🏻‍♀️
Homesick Banana Bread. Recipe linked in the profil Homesick Banana Bread. Recipe linked in the profile (and you don’t have to be homesick to make it). #bananabread #sundaybaking
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up