At the beginning of the year I was hoping to get through reading and/or listening to 50 books. I am happy to say that I will be keeping that resolution because I have already finished 42 books. I know I can get through 8 books in the next ten weeks so hurray for actually completing a New Year’s Resolution. Ha!
If you are enjoying fall and the cooler weather and considering staying home a bit more in the coming weeks, I thought I’d share 5 books that you might want to check out for fall. Also, I do have eight more books to go so please share what books you have loved lately so I can add them to my list!
And if you are wondering how the heck I can read so many books well the answer is I don’t! About half of the books I get through are actually audio books that I listen to either from my local library or from Audible. The library is free but it takes months and months for me to get the book I want and I only have two weeks to listen. On Audible I get two credits per month to get any books I want and I keep them forever and ever. If I don’t like what I chose, I just return them for a refund of my credit. If I don’t get to my books that month, the credits roll over to the next month. I love this service so much- you can take it for a test drive by clicking here and see what you think!
The Reckoning by John Grisham- release date 10/23
Years and years and countless books later, I still grab every J. Grish book right when it is released. I don’t think I have been disappointed by any of them- and I love how he continues to find new stories that are so engrossing.
This one I really can’t wait to read. It touches on my favorite genre, WWII history and here is the brief description from the publisher:
Pete Banning was Clanton, Mississippi’s favorite son—a decorated World War II hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor, and a faithful member of the Methodist church. Then one cool October morning he rose early, drove into town, walked into the church, and calmly shot and killed his pastor and friend, the Reverend Dexter Bell. As if the murder weren’t shocking enough, it was even more baffling that Pete’s only statement about it—to the sheriff, to his lawyers, to the judge, to the jury, and to his family—was: “I have nothing to say.” He was not afraid of death and was willing to take his motive to the grave.
In a major novel unlike anything he has written before, John Grisham takes us on an incredible journey, from the Jim Crow South to the jungles of the Philippines during World War II; from an insane asylum filled with secrets to the Clanton courtroom where Pete’s defense attorney tries desperately to save him.
The Diplomat’s Daughter by Karin Tanabe
I just finished this book and really enjoyed it. I know I am so predictable with my reading choices, this one is set during WWII but it is such a fascinating angle on history. You will get a glimpse into the lives of three young people, Emi, a Japanese Diplomat’s Daughter interned in the United States, Leo, a wealthy Austrian Jew in love with Emi and trying to survive the changes in Europe and Christian, an American boy of German ancestry interned with Emi in the United States. I haven’t read a great deal about internment camps in the United States but I do know it was a shameful time in our history and this beautiful story really tells such an interesting and heartbreaking story. This is a longer novel that spans about 8 years in total but I honestly could not put this one down.
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty – released 11/6
Well we all know Liane Moriarty from her string of best sellers and I am so happy to see she has a new book coming out in a few weeks.
Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be.
Frances Welty, the formerly best-selling romantic novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House nursing a bad back, a broken heart, and an exquisitely painful paper cut. She’s immediately intrigued by her fellow guests. Most of them don’t look to be in need of a health resort at all. But the person that intrigues her most is the strange and charismatic owner/director of Tranquillum House. Could this person really have the answers Frances didn’t even know she was seeking? Should Frances put aside her doubts and immerse herself in everything Tranquillum House has to offer – or should she run while she still can?
It’s not long before every guest at Tranquillum House is asking exactly the same question.
I have no doubt this one is going to be as good as her previous books and I can’t wait to dive into this story.
Rush by Lisa Patton
This is another book I recently finished and enjoyed. It is the story of young girls rushing a sorority at Ole Miss from all angles. The story shares their experiences, focuses quite a bit on the complicated relationships with their Mothers, and the lives of staff at the sorority house and I found it really well done. The ending is a bit predictable but I found the relationships fascinating and uplifting and as a mom of girls, I loved reading the positive Mother-Daughter relationships in this book.
I say pick this one up if you want something encouraging and fun and an easy page turner. This is a great one to save for your holiday travels this year or to flip through during sports practices.
A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell
Well this one is in theater’s now and I had to add it immediately to my reading list because it looks so compelling and creepy. Here is the description from the publisher:
It starts with a simple favor—an ordinary kindness mothers do for one another. When glamorous Emily asks Stephanie to pick up her son after school, Stephanie happily says yes. Emily has a life that would make any woman jealous. She is the perfect mother with a dazzling career working for a famous fashion designer in Manhattan. Stephanie, a widow with a son in kindergarten, lonely in their Connecticut suburb, turns to her daily blog for connection and validation. Stephanie imagines Emily to be her new confidante and is shocked when Emily suddenly disappears without a trace, leaving her son and husband with no warning.
Stephanie knows something is terribly wrong. Unable to keep away from the grieving family, she soon finds herself entangled with Sean, Emily’s handsome, reticent British husband. But she can’t ignore the nagging feeling that he’s not being honest with her about Emily’s disappearance. Is Stephanie imagining things? How well did she really know her “best” friend?
Stephanie begins to see that nothing—not friendship, love, or even an ordinary favor—is as simple as it seems.
A Simple Favor exposes the dark underbelly of female friendship in this taut, unsettling, and completely absorbing story that holds you in its grip until the final page.
I am just about a third of the way through this book and so far, I am really into it. Definitely pick this one up if you are looking for a thriller this fall.
If you love books as much as I do, you can see everything I have read and a lot of my to read list over here on Goodreads.
Here are a few other books recs you might want to check out:
4 Books to Make You a Better Parent
Check out The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris.
Oh Bambi thanks for that rec! I have that on my to read list already and can’t wait! WWII history is always my favorite 🙂
-Charlene