Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books I've Read in the Past 5 Years That I"m Thankful For

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is a Thankful Freebie.  I don't think I'm the only one who has found the last 5 years a bit hard so I'm looking through my reading logs and finding 10 books that made me happy during that time.

1.  The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery - This book is peace and happiness for me and the last time I read it was right at the beginning of the pandemic.  It feels like it's time to pick it up again.

2.  The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards - This is one of the last books Will and I read together before he got sick and he absolutely loved it.  We had such a good time reading it together.

3.  Summer at Lake Haven by RaeAnne Thayne - This is the first book I picked up in the hospital a few weeks after Will was diagnosed with Leukemia.  It was the first time I was able to distract myself and I will always be thankful for that moment of escape.

4.  Ammie, Come Home by Barbara Michaels - Really I'm thankful for all of Barbara Michaels books but this one especially always comes to mind. They're cozy and Gothic-y and fast paced enough to pull me in and allow a nice little reading break.

5.  Pretty much anything by Agatha Christie - I love all of Christie's books and have a lot of favorites.  No matter what's going on or what mood I am there is always a Christie that will work.

6.  The Key by Patricia Wentworth - While not all of Wentworth's books are winners when her books are good, they are the perfect cozy reading for tired frazzled brains and I'm always thankful to be able to grab one off the shelf.

7.  The Mrs. Pollifax Books by Dorothy Gilman - I love the world that Mrs. Pollifax inhabits and there is nothing like her empathetic good sense to make me happy.

8.  The Bakeshop Mysteries by Ellie Alexander - This is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors and I love the world she has created in Ashland, Oregon around a family owned bakery.  Reading it is like finding the perfect table for people watching in a warm cozy bakery with the best treats to snack on.

9.  Nora Roberts books - They're incredibly unrealistic and everyone is gorgeous and talented and kind (except for the ones that are really really not) but I love the friendships and relationships she creates, and they're always fast enough paced for a perfect escape which I am always thankful for.

10. The Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews - This is another of my favorite cozy series and while it doesn't provide the same warm cozy bakery feel that the Alexander books do there is no author that I've found that does chaos quite like Andrews.  The titles make me laugh and I love all the characters and seeing what they're up too.  Oh - and the mysteries are always entertaining too.  This series is a perfect treat to relax with after a long day or when you need a laugh.  

What books and authors are you thankful for?