Fall 2017 Reading List

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September 18, 2017

One of my new year’s resolutions every year is to read more books. Some years, I end up doing pretty well in the reading department, but other years – like this year – I’m not even trying. Not because I completely forgot about my goal, but because I’ve honestly just been lazy. By the time 9PM rolls around and I’m getting ready for bed, I’m completely exhausted and can’t fathom turning on a light to read. That being said, however, I’ve been actually CRAVING a good book lately. Maybe it’s because I’ve been feeling super uninspired lately or maybe because I really want to curl up with a good book and a chai tea latte.

Either way, I’ve made a list below of the books I want to read this fall. I love a good mystery novel so a lot of these books are in that genre, but I threw in a few random picks too. Who knows. I might read one of these books or I’ll surprise myself and read all six. I’ll keep you posted. 

All the Missing Girls

I’m actually about halfway through All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda, so at minimum my goal is to finish this book. It’s really good so far, so I don’t think I’ll have any problems picking it back up again. It’s VERY suspenseful. The book is about a woman named Nicolette Farrell who leaves her hometown ten years ago after her best friend Corinne disappears. Nicolette returns to tie up loose ends and care for her father, and realizes she is thrown head first back into Corinne’s case. While there, another girl, Annaleise, goes missing. The book is told backwards from the time Annaleise goes missing. Nicolette attempts to solve Annaleise’s case and in turn determine what really happened to Corinne ten years ago. 

Into the Water

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins is another suspense novel. It’s written by the same author as The Girl on the Train. Now, although I wasn’t a huge fan of that book, I definitely want to give Into the Water a chance. It has mixed reviews on Amazon, but I’m being openminded. The book is about a single mother and a teenage girl who turn up dead at the bottom of a river. As the townspeople work to discover what happened to these women, they find out that the river has many secrets that they never knew. 

Watch Me Disappear

Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown is a New York Times bestselling book that came out this past summer. I’ve seen it featured in a lot of articles lately, so I was curious to learn more. It’s a suspense novel, so it’s right up my alley. From Amazon: “It’s been a year since Billie Flanagan—a Berkeley mom with an enviable life—went on a solo hike in Desolation Wilderness and vanished from the trail. Her body was never found, just a shattered cellphone and a solitary hiking boot. Her husband and teenage daughter have been coping with Billie’s death the best they can: Jonathan drinks as he works on a loving memoir about his marriage; Olive grows remote, from both her father and her friends at the all-girls school she attends. Together, Olive and Jonathan embark on a quest for the truth—about Billie, but also about themselves, learning, in the process, about all the ways that love can distort what we choose to see.”

Better Than Before

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while or follow me on social media, you know that I’ve always been obsessed with non-fiction books. I could spend hours at Barnes and Noble looking through them all. So, it’s no surprise that Gretchen Rubin in one of my favorite authors. I read her book, The Happiness Project, a few years ago and was excited to see her come out with another book called Better Than Before. Whether you’re looking to get more sleep, read more books {like me!}, or make more money, Gretchen explains that the secret to success is to form habits. Think of this book as an instruction manual to live your best life. 

What Happened

Without making this too political, I want to say that I’m really excited to read What Happened by Hillary Clinton. In this memoir, Clinton reveals what she was thinking and feeling during the election, what it was like to run against Trump, the mistakes she made, how she bounced back after a shocking loss, and her thoughts on what exactly shaped the outcome of the election. Entertainment Weekly reviewed the book by saying, “This is an important book, and anyone who’s worried by what happened last November 8 should pick it up.” The New York Times reported, “What Happened is not one book, but many. It is a candid and blackly funny account of her mood in the direct aftermath of losing to Donald J. Trump. It is a post-mortem, in which she is both coroner and corpse. It is a feminist manifesto. It is a score-settling jubilee…. It is worth reading.” Lastly, The Washington Post reviewed by saying, “What Happened is a raw and bracing book, a guide to our political arena.”

Little Fires Everywhere

Last but certainly not least is Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. It was just released this month, but I saw it pop up over the summer as a book people were really excited to read. It’s Entertainment Weekly’s #1 must-read book for fall and Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club selection. I’ll be honest. The cover definitely drew me in and got me interested to learn more, and I’m hoping that it lives up to its hype. From Amazon: “Mia Warren – an enigmatic artist and single mother – arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town–and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides.  Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia’s past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs.”

// What books are you interested in reading this fall?

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Comments ▼

I just picked up Little Fires Everywhere from the library! Adding All the Missing Girls to Goodreads ASAP because yes please, it sounds fantastic. Love all of your book recommendations. Thank you for sharing Nicole!

We’ll have to chat once I’m done All the Missing Girls. For some reason, I’m struggling to finish it!

You should add Pretty Girls to your list- it sounds like we have similar taste in book (suspense/murders), and I just finished that one. REALLY good.

ooo! Definitely adding this one to my list. Thanks for reading, Kara!

All The Missing Girls is really good!! It wraps up nicely at the end. Let me know how you like it!

IDK why, but I’m STRUGGLING to finish it. I’m maybe halfway through. I need to just buckle down and read it in 1 or 2 more sittings. I’ll let you know what I think.

These sound like great picks! I’m currently reading Middlesex – halfway through and loving it.

ooo, I’ll have to look at that one next. Thanks for commenting, Aubree.

I’m planning on picking up Little Fires Everywhere either this month or next! It was one of my Book of the Month picks! Not sure I’m ready to read Hillary’s book just yet….too soon haha

Haha, I can understand your point about it being too soon to read Hillary’s book. I’ll probably read that one last. 🙂