My Fall Reading List 2020
Fall is upon us, friends. The coziest time of year. Arguably the best time of year.
Unfortunately for me, it was 115 degrees here just a few days ago lol. At one point, I cooled off by running around in the backyard sprinkler (which was actually a lot of fun, I must say).
Okay so fine, it’s not quite fall just yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be excited about it!
Go ahead and crank the AC, grab a latte, put Folklore on in the background, and join me as I dive into this Fall Reading List!
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Oh, real quick!
I just finished Where The Crawdad’s Sing - which as I’m sure you’ve heard, is great. This is a nice fall read and I’d definitely recommend it! It’s set in North Carolina and gives you all the southern vibes. The main character Kya is intriguing and I felt a deep connection with her. I think you’ll love it.
I also recently read All The Light We Cannot See which was wonderful. The story takes place during WWII and is told through the eyes of children on both sides of the war. It really captivated me and I felt sad when I finished it because I loved the characters so much. Definitely add it to your list…
And this leads me to the first book on my Fall Reading List for 2020:
#1 THE NIGHTINGALE
This is another WWII fiction book and it was recommended to me after talking about how much I loved All The Light We Cannot See.
“In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.”
Get your copy of The Nightingale here!
#2 The Lake House
The Lake House is a suspense/mystery book and from what I hear, a total page-turner. What is a fall reading list without a good suspense story?! I‘m really excited to curl up with this one.
“Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure…
One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined.”
Get your copy of The Lake House here!
#3 Then She Was Gone
This is another suspense novel. It’s supposed to be similar to The Lovely Bones and tons of reviewers said they read the book in one day because it was that good! It’s definitely on my to-read list.
“THEN
She was fifteen, her mother's golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.
NOW
It’s been ten years since Ellie disappeared, but Laurel has never given up hope of finding her daughter. And then one day a charming and charismatic stranger called Floyd walks into a café and sweeps Laurel off her feet. Before too long she’s staying the night at this house and being introduced to his nine-year-old daughter. Poppy is precocious and pretty - and meeting her completely takes Laurel's breath away.
Because Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie when she was that age. And now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back.”
Get your copy of Then She Was Gone here!
#4 Once Upon A River
I’m so excited about this one! I’ve heard it described as “magical” and “mysterious” over and over again. I’m just going to let you read the book description…
“On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath, and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation? These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed.
Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their ingenuity to solving the puzzle of the girl who died and lived again, yet as the days pass the mystery only deepens. The child herself is mute and unable to answer the essential questions: Who is she? Where did she come from? And to whom does she belong? But answers proliferate nonetheless.
Three families are keen to claim her. A wealthy young mother knows the girl is her kidnapped daughter, missing for two years. A farming family reeling from the discovery of their son’s secret liaison, stand ready to welcome their granddaughter. The parson’s housekeeper, humble and isolated, sees in the child the image of her younger sister. But the return of a lost child is not without complications and no matter how heartbreaking the past losses, no matter how precious the child herself, this girl cannot be everyone’s. Each family has mysteries of its own, and many secrets must be revealed before the girl’s identity can be known.”
Get your copy of Once Upon A River here!
#5 Midnight Sun
Where my Twihards at!? I’m not too proud to admit that I loved the Twilight series, so I’m really excited to read this from Edward’s POV. I have a few friends that have just started it and said they couldn’t put it down!
“When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella's side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward's version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun.
This unforgettable tale as told through Edward's eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting Bella is both the most unnerving and intriguing event he has experienced in all his years as a vampire. As we learn more fascinating details about Edward's past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he justify following his heart if it means leading Bella into danger?”
Get your copy of Midnight Sun here!
#6 The Woman In The Window
This book is supposed to be a page-turning thriller, comparable to Girl On The Train. The book was made into a movie, which I think is being acquired by Netflix. Amy Adams is in the movie, so obviously it’s got to be amazing. I can’t wait to dive into this one and then watch the movie!
“Anna Fox lives alone, a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.
Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, and their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble and its shocking secrets are laid bare.
What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.”
Get your copy of The Woman In The Window here!
#7 Fifty Words For Rain
This is the final book (for now hehe) on my fall reading list. I just discovered this book this week, but all of the reviews are raving. I’ll let you read the summary…
”Kyoto, Japan, 1948. "If a woman knows nothing else, she should know how to be silent. . . . Do not question. Do not fight. Do not resist." Such is eight-year-old Noriko "Nori" Kamiza's first lesson. She will not question why her mother abandoned her with only these final words. She will not fight her confinement to the attic of her grandparents' imperial estate. And she will not resist the scalding chemical baths she receives daily to lighten her shameful skin.
The illegitimate child of a Japanese aristocrat and her African American GI lover, Nori is an outsider from birth. Though her grandparents take her in, they do so only to conceal her, fearful of a stain on the royal pedigree that they are desperate to uphold in a changing Japan. Obedient to a fault, Nori accepts her solitary life for what it is, despite her natural intellect and nagging curiosity about what lies outside the attic's walls. But when chance brings her legitimate older half-brother, Akira, to the estate that is his inheritance and destiny, Nori finds in him the first person who will allow her to question, and the siblings form an unlikely but powerful bond—a bond their formidable grandparents cannot allow and that will irrevocably change the lives they were always meant to lead. Because now that Nori has glimpsed a world in which perhaps there is a place for her after all, she is ready to fight to be a part of it—a battle that just might cost her everything.”
Get your copy of Fifty Words For Rain here!
There you have it - all the books I plan to read during the upcoming fall months. If I end up adding to the list I’ll be sure to update it. If you have any recommendations for fall reads do share, do share! You can leave them here in the comments below so other readers can see them as well ;)
Have an amazing weekend!
xoxo - Cort.
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