The sky is filled with clouds again, but that's alright because I am having a great day! I have dinner in the slow cooker (and it smells amazing) and I am drinking a Dutch Bros. coffee. For those of you that don't know, Dutch Bros. is an awesome coffee chain that is local to Southern Oregon, and it's one of the best places to get coffee ever! I foresee it reaching, if not Starbucks, at least maybe Moxie Java status. It just has a fun atmosphere, the employees are friendly and cool, and the drinks are the best! If you happen to live near one, you know what I mean, and if not you should find one and go there anyway! They have so far spread (to my knowledge) through Oregon, and parts of Idaho and Washington. So, message of the day, go find a Dutch Bros!

Alright, enough about my coffee, I want to tell you about my favorite book. Or one of my favorite books. I have so many that I love that it's kind of hard to choose and actual "favorite" but if I did, this one would definitely have a good chance of filling that title. It's The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Some of you may be familiar with the movie adaptation which starred Rachel McAdams, but if you have never read the book then you are being sorely deprived my friend! Now, I did enjoy the movie as far as romantic movies go, but there was so much that was left out that makes the book as amazing as it is. It's one of those books that that I grab as soon as the weather gets cold (or when I'm sick, as was the case yesterday). It's romantic and fantastical all in one. I guess technically it's more sci-fi than fantasy, but the whole feeling the book evokes is magical. It's about fate and love and human nature. And time travel. I bawl every time I read it! It follows the story of Henry DeTamble and Clare Abshire. He is a librarian and she is an artist. He is an involuntary time traveler and Clare must wait for him when he goes where (and when) she cannot follow. It's about how their paths are so intertwined and how much they love one another. Their lives are told in a way that is so special, it makes you believe in soul mates and fate and free will, even as they struggle with these concepts themselves. And while the book is definitely scientific in many aspects, there's a hope that is present that mirrors on religion. There is probably so much more as far as symbolism goes, but that's something I love about it. The more I read it, the more I discover about it.

Another thing I love about it is the way it is written. Audrey Niffenegger's style of writing is so easy to follow, but there is so much information that is given. I love that I can feel so much from it, but it flows so smoothly that I can completely lose myself in it. It makes me want to visit Chicago. It makes me want to be an artist. And it makes me want to learn. It's filled with so many tid-bits about classical music, punk music, art, poetry, books, and even French! I want to learn French because of this book. To me, that is what makes a book more than just "good". If I am inspired after I read it, and I can't stop thinking about it for days, then I know I have found more than just a good read. I have found an amazing book that I will enjoy reading for years and years. Writing is something I enjoy, but to be able to write the way she does is something I don't think I will ever accomplish. It's a goal I would like to have though. I want to write something that makes someone feel the same way I feel after I read this book.

I hope you will take my advice and run to the nearest library or bookstore to get it if you have not read it before. Let me know if you enjoy it as much I as I do! Now if you'll excuse me, my wonderful other half is home and dinner is calling my name. Have a great rest of your day, and enjoy that book!