Winter Favorites

Happy winter, everyone!

It's officially my favorite season!  And no, my view from the window does not look like this.  But it is kind of chilly today, so we'll count it.

I did one of these for autumn and I really enjoyed doing it so here I am again!

Winter is the perfect season for snuggling under a fluffy blanket, hugging a stuffed animal of some sort, and digging into some heartwarming stories.  Let's get into it, shall we?


Books:

A good winter book should be cozy, maybe a bit nostalgic, and maybe something tried and true. 

1. One Christmas in Winter ~ Bell Renshaw

You can't have winter-y reads without a little bit of Christmas, can you?  And one of my favorite things to do in the wintertime is join my mom and sister for a Hallmark movie marathon.  This novella was reminiscent of just that.  The story is sweet, the characters are likeable, and it's clean!

2. Disowned ~ Sarah Addison-Fox

There's a lot of snow in this book.  Which is probably a weird criteria, but oh well.  I read this book in one day, and I was glued to my phone (where I read it) the whole time.  The world was rich, there was character development, I loved all of it and I cannot wait for book 2.

3. Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King ~ William Joyce

This is the book series that inspired the film "Rise of the Guardians" (I'm going to talk about that later), and I've been reading through them since December.  It's pure magic, guys.  So, so good.  One of my new favorite middle-grades?  That would be a definite yes.  But this first one follows North, who is a Russian bandit, as he finds his way to a little town in Siberia and saves the children there from the Nightmare King, Pitch.  And yes, those are yetis on the cover.

4. How to Train Your Dragon series ~ Cressida Cowell

While this first book wasn't my favorite, the rest of the series is so good.  Hiccup is such a great main character, and Camicazi and Fishlegs are the best sidekicks ever.  It's different from the movie, but not in a bad way, and it's perfect for binging while curled up with some cocoa.

5. Winter's Child ~ Cameron Dokey

Now, it's been awhile since I've read this book, but I loved it when I read it.  The Snow Queen is one of my very favorite fairytales, and this is a retelling of that fairytale.  I mean, look at all the snow on that cover.  Winter is in the title.  It's perfect for this list.



Movies:

To me, if you could see yourself watching a movie whilst snuggled comfortably under some blankets with a cup of peppermint cocoa, it counts as the perfect winter-y movie.  And now I want to marathon all of these in just that position so guess where I'm going to be right after finishing this list...

1. Brother Bear

Y'all can fully expect a Disney film to be on every single one of these lists let's be real.  And while at first I was going to go with the more obvious choice (Frozen, of course), I decided to go with this one instead.  This, to me, is one of the most beautifully animated Disney films ever.  I mean just the transformation scenes alone, y'all. *swoon*

2. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

I mean??  "Always winter, never Christmas." anyone?  This film is just so snowy and magical and nostalgic and I love it so, so much.  Ahh, it just... fills my heart with happiness and makes me feel so good.  I just adore it.  I'm going to shut up now okay.

3. The Finest Hours

Okay so this was one of my favorite films of 2017, even though I saw it later in the year.  And while it probably isn't everyone's cup of tea, it's definitely worth a watch.  It's a disaster film, which deterred me at first, but I wanted to watch it before it left Netflix (and it's still there, so??? Netflix???) (not that I'm really complaining because that means I can rewatch it yay).  I found what was to me an absolute gem and I still think of this film with a smile.  Plus Chris Pine is in it, so.  And the guy who played Neal on OUAT.  Yep.

4. Rise of the Guardians

Speaking of Chris Pine...  This movie centers on Jack Frost, I mean, come on.  After recently rewatching this beauty as a Christmas movie ('cause it's totally a Christmas movie), my love for it has been renewed.  The whole movie takes place in the wintertime, too, so it works for this list and I'm happy.

5. Anastasia

This animated classic is one that I only just saw for the first time last year.  It's wonderful.  It follows Anya, who may or may not be the missing duchess Anastasia, as she travels from Russia to Paris in search of her long-lost family.  And it's a musical, which is always great.


Television Shows:

While you're snowed in (or not), you may want to binge a TV show or two.  I have some suggestions here that you may want to consider!

1. Psych:

Because Amazon loves us and now all 8 seasons are streaming on Prime.  And yes, my sister and I have already begun our rewatch and yes, it's just as good the second time around.  (Also, who watched the movie?  Did you love it as much as I did?)

2. Signed, Sealed, Delivered

This show is one of my favorites.  It's so fluffy and feel-good.  It followed a team of postal detectives and they're such a family.  It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry, and it's not too long, so there isn't too much to binge. 

3. MacGyver

I'm putting MacGyver on here because I can and I'm currently obsessed with it.  If you need something a little more action-packed for your snuggled-up viewing session, may I suggest the MacGyver reboot?  We just finished binging season 2 here, and it has officially taken over my heart.  The friendships, the family aspect, the snark and the sass, I love it so much.  Highly recommended.


Music:

I have just a few album recommendations here, just for you.

1. Beauty and the Beast ~ Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

The 2017 version has more of a wintery feel to it than the 1991 version, is that just me?  Maybe it's the overture, maybe it's the fact that Beast's castle is surrounded by eternal winter, but it just feels like a winter album.  Yeah.

2. Covers ~ Jillian Edwards

If you like almost-acapella covers, this is a great album.  The songs are soft and gentle, and I like putting them on when I'm stressed or when I need to concentrate.

All In ~ Matthew West

I've been a fan of Matthew West for a long time, and this album is definitely one of my favorites.  Each song is so deep, the lyrics are fantastic, and they're all so dance-along-able.

4. Frozen ~ Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Okay, come on, you knew this was going to be on this list somewhere.  This whole film is based around a blizzard, it's perfect for snowy feelings!  (the instrumental tracks also make an excellent soundtrack for writing a Snow Queen retelling, just putting that out there)

5. The Live Room Sessions ~ For King & Country

Because who doesn't love 4K&C?

SO, what do you think?  What are some of your winter favorites?  Let me know in the comments below!

~ Abby