Top 5 Books of Winter 2024-2025

Book Talk

Hello, everyone!

How are we all surviving? I feel like that’s exactly what I am doing… surviving. There’s not a thriving energy in my entire soul or body right now. I think this is how Pisces Season is for me each and every year though.

People talk about Scorpio Season being rough. Nah. It’s the deep sea, don’t get me wrong, but there’s calm down there. There are shadows and monsters (angler and lion fish, I’m looking at you!), but there are moments of quiet, calm, meditative darkness. Cancer Season is summer depression for me. It’s not so much debilitating, but a sense of deep wistfulness and heavy dopamine crashes. Pisces Season though? WHEW! Pisces Season is like being swept up by a King Tide and thrown repeatedly into the crags and cliffs of the coast, never actually able to gain your footing. No rest. No reprieve, just a constant fight for your air and life. This is why I have been so inconsistent, but I am trying to harness this Virgo energy to get my life back on track!

It is the full moon so if you’d like a reading, you can book one here. I also have a 1-card option for $5 here. Let’s get on to the books! I’ve read 36 books this season, and I had 5 that REALLY stuck out to me.

1) Remarkably Bright Creatures

This was the book that brought me out of my first throes of February depression enough to actually stay awake and clean. Everything about it is wonderful. It’s cozy. It’s moving. The octopus is everything millennials would expect from such a remarkably bright creature.

2) Big Magic

Ok, admittedly, I had no idea who Elizabeth Gilbert was when I grabbed this. I liked the subtitle, and I figured that since I definitely live life through the lens of fear, I could use it. Now that I know who Elizabeth Gilbert is, I still have not read Eat, Pray, Love. I might at some point because it sounds like one of those memoirs that I’d be interested in getting lost in. I love memoirs that allow for daydreaming in other countries.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the no fear attitude of “the worst someone can say is no.” I found the discipline and structure and passion of Gilbert really inspiring. This was definitely one of those books that I could see myself owning in order to turn into a little dedication to the 8 of Pentacles.

3) The Risk It Takes To Bloom

I found this book incredible. I am not trans, and I am not Black, and there was a lot to learn from this memoir. This book felt like a very smooth and gentle introduction to trans rights, liberation, and experiences. I would recommend this to anyone who is growing out of their own bigotry and wanting to listen to Black, trans voices. This book has all of the usual trigger warnings. I really, really enjoyed listening to Raquel narrate her story. The vulnerability. The coping skills. The beauty. The tragedy. The love. Everything about this book had me in that feel good space of listening to someone else’s story while also in the headspace of listening to learn especially around privileges I had yet to consider.

4) The Light Between Us

Whew! This was exactly the type of spiritual memoir I know will pull me out of a funk. This memoir is particularly unique because the author has science to back up her mediumship abilities. It is really, really fascinating to listen to. There is also, through the science, proof that potentially we can all make contact with The Beyond. Anyway, I really enjoyed this one. The vignettes are touching. Her growth is interesting to listen to, and again, it was a good February read for ~the morbs.~

5) The Seed Keeper

Everyone go pick up a copy! This is a fantastic novel that time hops. I am technically only 50% of the way as I write this, but it is already amazing. It is by an indigenous author who tells a story about a Dakota teen/woman trying to survive in a small, white, Christian town with no surviving family. It is moving. It is deep. There are moments of joy, grief, and deep connection.

I thought I could keep this to only 5, but I need to make room for a couple of honorary mentions. First, Midnight at the Blackbird Café. It is such a gentle and cozy read, despite the heavy themes of grief and betrayal. Traveling with Pomegranates is another spiritual memoir that stuck out to me this winter, which I talked about in another post. Wild and Precious: A Celebration of Mary Oliver was another moving listen that I talked about earlier. I have yet to see a hard copy of it, but as an audiobook, it feels much more like a podcast.

It is very interesting to see all of these books together. It makes it look like I only read like 2 types of books, and that’s just not true at all. It’s just these are the books that have made the top of my list/the biggest impact!

Let me know what you’ve been reading, which books, podcasts, shows, etc. have been making an impact on your life! Also, comment if you’ve read any of these books or are interested in any of them!!!

Wishing you well this week! May your life offer what you need in this moment.

With love,

Aventurine ✨

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