Fall reading has been a bounty of riches! I’ve jumped right back into my Kindle-while-nursing habit, and since I’m nursing a lot, and need good books to keep me awake at 2AM (see category below) my reading time has increased in both quality and quantity. I’ve read- ready for this?- 20 books since Eleanor was born, just over 6 weeks ago. Add that to the 9 I read earlier in the fall, and you’ve got 29 books read this season. Full-length ones, too! I’m not messing around.
Not all 29 books will be represented here, just the cream of the crop. Enjoy the list!
The Category: Most Fun to Read at 2AM
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan. This is a brand-new release. If you liked her Little Beach Street Bakery, you’ll definitely enjoy this one; it has similar construct, voice, and humor. Even the characters are reminiscent, but that doesn’t take away from the fun.
Winter Storms and Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand. Winter Stroll came out last year; Winter Storms is new. They complete the Winter Street trilogy, so read that one first. These aren’t as long as her summer reads, but they’re just as tempestuous.
The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close. A drama about the intersection between politics and relationships. I really enjoyed the story and the writing, though I was bothered by the fact that the protagonist took a passive stance toward major changes in her circumstances. Not my kind of main character.
The Category: Stayed On My Mind Longest
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. A dystopian YA novel based on the premise that if the moon were knocked closer to earth by an asteroid, extreme climate change would send us back into Little House On The Prairie-era life. I found some faults with the portrayal of the main character, but overall this book was both engaging and horrifying. This is the first of a series, but unfortunately, Goodreads rates the others much lower.
The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts by Gary Chapman. This one is rising in popularity again. I love books that give me self-knowledge, and this provided that plus greater understanding of those close to me. Everyone, everyone should read this book; we’d all have better relationships. (For the record, I’m “Acts of Service.” Thankfully, my husband is too. Whew!)
Real Food/Fake Food by Larry Olmstead. I’m still obsessing about this book. I learned so many things I didn’t want to know, about where my grocery store and restaurant food is coming from. But that knowledge is balanced by lessons on where to get better quality food, sometimes even at cheaper prices.
At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson. I checked this out of the library on a whim, but was very pleased to discover its usefulness as research material for my next historical novel set in the Victorian Era. I have to admit, I did skim some of the passages about rats and primitive toilets.
The Category: Most Unique
Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley. A self-discovery novel about a man deeply committed to his dog Lily, and what happens when he discovers an “octopus” on her head. (The octopus is a metaphor; I won’t spoil it.) I found the dream section a little confounding. But I loved the growth arc for both main characters, and Lily’s “voice” always made me smile.
Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave. I know, I know, another WWII novel, even though they always disturb me. But this one was different. Even though it takes place alternately during the Blitz of London and the siege of Malta, it’s not wholly depressing. In fact, some parts are laugh-out-loud funny. It was worth my squeamishness about the war to read these incredibly unique voices. I learned a lot about writing sarcasm and dark humor from this book.
The Category: Best Series
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: Cinder, Scarlett, Cress, Winter. All based on a futuristic reimagining of fairy tale heroines (Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White) and their heroic counterparts. I don’t read a lot of sci-fi, but these are such fantastic stories. I’d put it at the top of the “reading at 2AM” category as well; there were times that Eleanor fell asleep and I was still reading.
If a nursing mother of a newborn is willing to sacrifice sleep, you know it’s an engaging story.
The Category: Most Disappointing
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan. This is one of her earlier novels, and I’m glad she kept writing, because the later ones got a lot better (see above: The Bookshop on the Corner). I missed the trademark Colgan humor and strong feminine voice of her later novels. If you’re new to Colgan, give this one a miss.
The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You by Jessica N. Turner. I’d heard a lot about this book, which would seem to appeal to my love of time management and personal growth. But I got nothing new out of it; Laura Vanderkam writes this genre better. I felt affronted by Turner’s assumption that anyone picking up the book would be a run-down, harried mom who doesn’t prioritize self-care. It also included spiritual references, and while I’m not offended by those, I don’t like them sprung on me mid-read.
What were your favorite fall reads? Which books left the most lasting impact on you?
I used to read while nursing in the middle of the night, too, but had to quit after I found it woke me up too much 🙂 and I couldn’t easily go back to sleep!
An interesting variety of books. My husband is “acts of service,” too, but I’m “words of affirmation” (I think that’s the right term). I agree that everyone should read The Five Love Languages–we could solve a lot of relationship problems if we could better communicate in one another’s love languages.
My favorite reads this fall: H Is for Hawk (Helen Macdonald), National Velvet (I’d never read this, and it was delightful), and Among the Janeites (Deborath Yaffe). I need to delve into my piles for some fun fiction. I seem to have hit a dry spell there.
Kathy, I’ve seen H Is for Hawk recommended by so many people, I feel like I have to try it! I love the movie of National Velvet. Is the book like it?
I’ve never seen the movie, either, so I don’t know! I’ll have to put it on my watch list.
Oh, you must! A young Elizabeth Taylor as Velvet, and Mickey Rooney as Mi Taylor. It’s beautiful.
Oh my goodness, Lily and the Octopus was SO GOOD. But I cried so much. And it’s one of those good books that I feel weird recommending to people or giving as gifts because of all the crying.
I totally get that. I didn’t actually cry, but I suspect that if I’d had the experience of a pet dying (fortunately not yet, though my oldest cat is getting up in years) I would have shed tears.
29 books??? :O I think I read… 14? (That includes 3 books I didn’t finish.) That’s amazing, though, Leanne. We didn’t have any reading picks in common, but I need to get on the Lunar Chronicles next year. I have Cinder already, but just haven’t made it a priority yet.
On a related note, my mom has been listening to audiobooks / books on CD lately on her commutes to work. She mentioned recently that she likes the couple Elin Hilderbrand books she’s listened to. Would you recommend her Winter Street series?
Sara, definitely try the Lunar Chronicles, and make sure to push through- books 3 and 4 are even more fun and exciting than the first 2. I found them to be very quick reads. Possibly because I couldn’t put them down.
I would recommend the Winter Street series, particularly if your mom likes a Christmas-themed story (as I do). But I’m always a little wary of recommending via audiobook if I don’t know who the reader is. Audiobooks are tricky. Sometimes I love a book that I don’t think I would have liked on paper if the reader sells it; other times I get so distracted by the reader’s voice or interpretation that I can’t get through it.