Gray cold days and clear cold nights may conjure up high fuel bills or ski slopes for some people, but for book people this is reading weather. A cup of tea or hot chocolate, a big easy chair, a down comforter, and a fine book can turn a good day into a glorious one, a bad day into a bearable one.

In this review I’m clearing off my bedside table. Some of these books I’ve read in their entirety, others I’ve only briefly perused.

° Divine And Human (Zondervan, 2000). This collection of stories by Leo Tolstoy, some of which have never been published in English until now, makes us remember the greatness of this Russian author. Many of the stories are quite short, most have a surprisingly modern ring to them, and some are masterpieces. Highly recommended.

° Triumph (Forum, 2001, $29.95). H.W. Crocker’s rousing history of the Catholic Church — the subtitle is “The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church” — may anger or irritate some readers, but they will never complain of boredom. Crocker writes in a swashbuckling style about popes good and bad, shows us the tragedy of the Reformation, and tells us much about the history of Western Europe in the bargain. I read most of this book, dipping here and there whenever I picked it up, and plan on reading the entire book this spring.

° The Cloning (Millenium III Pub., 2002). In this novel, Jan Ledford tells the story of a female journalist who has herself cloned, but who then repents of the act. Ledford’s story shows the battles over cloning involving the press, politics, the church, and science. Ledford, who lives in Franklin, has written an interesting novel about this pressing issue.

° Crazy Dog Song (Writer’s Club Press, 2001, $14.95). Mack Mangham’s latest novel, written under the name Alice Addison, is a rich Southern Gothic story about a wild and decaying family living outside Atlanta. Mangham writes beautifully about this bizarre family and its doomed strange heritage. Mangham’s talent grows stronger with each book he writes.

° Selected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers (Stanford University Press, 2001). Through his later poetry, Jeffers protested both World War II and the growing government of the United States. Now this anti-statist reappears in print just as the state is claiming more power. Jeffers is best known for his long narrative poetry, his harsh imagery, and his lyric intensity. Two of Jeffers’ favorite images were rocks and eagles, and I think of both as I read his wild, powerful poems. Though famed for his narrative verse, his short poems pack the punch of a Latin lightweight. “Then what is the answer? — Not to be deluded by dreams” is a line from Jeffers’ “The Answer” that might sum up much of Jeffers’ work. This one goes on my short list for my next birthday.

° Back When We Were Grownups (Random House, 2001). Anne Tyler, one of my favorite living authors, has written much better books than this one, yet it is still it a cut above most other novels. The story centers around Rebecca Davitch and the family that she inherits when, as a very young woman, she marries a divorcee with three little girls. Rebecca, who has spent her adult life planning opulent parties for a living, is a 53-year-old grandmother when the story opens, a widow trying to make sense of her life. Tyler has written a fine story about how we discover ourselves and how it is permissible, even in our present frenetic age, to be happy with our discovery.

Well, that’s it. One or more of the above books should appeal. If not, then there’s always the library or your local bookstore.

(Jeff Minick lives in Waynesville. He can be reached at saintsbookco@aol.com)