“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”  - CS Lewis

There is nothing quite like staying at home on a rainy night with a big fuzzy blanket, the fireplace roaring, Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits, and a book you can't put down. The problem is, so many bestsellers tend to have a dark tone and leave me feeling empty.

I read books that bring light into my life, otherwise - what's the point of reading? Here are a couple lovely books I adored, and I think you'll love them just the same.

Read up, buttercup!

I'm No Angel by Kylie Bisutti

This has been my favorite book for a long time. I always wanted to become a Victoria's Secret model (what girl hasn't?) ... until I read this book. Kylie was a VS model for a brief time and gave it up because she didn't feel comfortable flaunting her body. She gave up everything the world sees as "worthy" because of the call Jesus put on her heart. Kylie once tweeted she would rather be a "Proverbs 31 role-model than a VS model." This book was Earth-shattering for me, helping me see how the modeling industry is largely smoke, mirrors, and hurt. She explained how the models party into the wee hours of the night, taking heavy drugs and making rough choices. If you want the real look into high end modeling - this is your one-way ticket.

Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond

If you're anything like me, you have a soft spot for the Food Network. Drummond hosts the Pioneer Woman show, sharing the homegrown recipes she serves her family on their ranch in Oklahoma. Black Heels to Tractor Wheels tells the love story of how her and her "Marlboro Man" rancher hunk of a husband fell in love. Yes - I am a hopeless romantic. No - I did not put the book down.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Warning: this book is thick and intimidating looking, but it will soon become a top-5 favorite of yours. I finished it in a week. Then my mom finished it. Then five of my girlfriends finished it. It tells the story of a young prostitute in the early 1800's whom gets pursued by a kind, wealthy man. It's based off of the book of Hosea in the Bible and will make you laugh, cry, and thank God for being so awesome.

The Honest Life by Jessica Alba

As a new mom, Jess wanted the best for her kids. Having developed some easy, chic, and down-to-earth (aka honest - get it) ways to raise a family, she shares all her inside celeb info in the book. If you're curious how to plan a dinner party or what to feed a 2-year-old or how to apply makeup or how to decorate a master suite, here's your go-to.

The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck

This book, written by a genius psychologist, is jam-packed with stories of his patients and how he helped them achieve greatness. It explains how and why we are the way we are. Are you needy? Are you lonely? Are you a quitter? Are you depressed? He explains the underlying reasons for all these. I had to read this book for my college Leadership 101 class, and I'm so happy I did. It's extremely enlightening and will change the way you think about your decision-making.

Deliciously Ella Cookbook by Ella Woodward

I am usually not one to spend money on a cookbook when I can just pull up a recipe on my iPad. But this book was different - and worth it. Ella suffered from the rare POTS syndrome and overcame it by eating vegan and mainly raw. Her cookbook lists about a hundred FILLING, all-natural recipes. The sweet-potato brownies are especially scrumptious - I whipped up a batch using her nutritious recipe and they were gone in minutes.