Six Favorites From Fall

It's been a while since I've told you what I'm reading and what I'm thinking about it all....That and my sister asked me for a recommendation based off of what I've been reading lately when we were out yesterday. I had to tell her that I've put more books down in the last few weeks than I've actually finished. Even though that disappointment clouded my memory, I combed through my fall stacks and chose a few favorites for her and for you. 

I read some really great books this fall, but these six came out on top:

"The Trouble With The Truth" by Edna Robinson probably comes out on top. Minus one little chapter that could be completely skipped, this book is simply fantastic. The introduction alone brought me to tears (you'll see why when you read it). The book itself is a hidden gem of a story! I'm glad that I happened upon it in my library's "new" section. This is one I want everyone to read. 

"As Always, Julia" edited by Joan Reardon For the last three years I've read a book related to French cooking and eating during November (this one in 2013 and this one in 2014) and it's a ritual that I've really come to look forward to. It only took me three days to plow through this one. The letters were so entertaining. The two friends wrote about anything and everything and while I admit that I did skim certain parts of the letters, I thoroughly enjoyed them! The third section was my favorite because that was when Avis started working for the publishing house and that world is very interesting to me. Read this one and prepare to feel like two of your closest friends have died when you reach the end. It was really strange to come to the end and realize, "This is it."

"Voracious by Cara Nicoletti" belongs on this list because it shaped much of the reading I did this fall. Nicoletti read books with her friends and then cooked meals inspired by what they had read. Their literary dinner parties turned into a food blog and somewhere along the way she landed a book deal. Voracious is her first book and it reads like a series of literary dinner parties. If you like reading and cooking, this is a book for you. 

"A Man Called Ove" by Fredrick Backman was what I read with my goodreads book club (which you are welcome to join!!!) in November. We all agreed that this was a novel that caught us by surprise. It's Backman's debut novel, but it shows that he definitely has a way with words and people. You will laugh. You will cry. You'll hate the way the book makes you feel and you'll have to force yourself to pick it up so that you can read a little more. Each time you crack it open, you'll realize that you don't want to put it down. All of a sudden you'll realize that you love Ove and you need to know more about his story. Disclaimer: There is a fair amount of language in this book. 

"The Secret Adversary" by Agatha Christie I've been reading Christie for the longest time and I was surprised to find out that I had never touched her "Tommy and Tuppence" series. My Mom and I watched the series on AcornTV as it was released in September, so I decided to read the book before we made it through all the episodes. I LOVE the tv series, but I really like the way Christie brought Tommy and Tuppence to life in the novel. If you're looking for a quick mystery, this is the one for you! There's a whole series following it AND a tv version if that's your thing. 

"I Capture the Castle" by Dodie Smith satisfied my craving for some mid-century literature. This (along with the poetry of Billy Collins - which is hit or miss by the way) was recommended to me by way of Nicoletti. I loved digging into something that had inspired her and has called her back for more many times over. This is one of those stories about LIFE as it happens, slowly and unexpectedly. It's the perfect book to take your time on, to curl up with on a rainy day, and to get a taste for the way writers used to work. 

There you have it, six books that made my fall reading something special! All of these would translate very well into winter reads. If you pick one up, be sure to let me know. I'm taking recommendations for next November's book on French eating and cooking. What would you recommend?

What are some books that really spoke to you this fall?