Reading List: Fall 2017

I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've put together a true reading list for myself all year. I've been saving up almost all of these books and looking forward to them for quite a while. For obvious reasons, they all seem like the perfect books to curl up with as the days grow colder and shorter.

We've got a mix of historical fiction, mystery, classic, thriller, and even a biography. 

I'm almost finished making my way through this list. As always, I'll come back by as I finish each one to update each title with a short review. 

            

A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner // What a special book this was! It's the kind of novel that has a way of quieting your soul and confronting you with the parts of life that need thinking through. My heart felt heavy and light all at the same time. Love IS worth the risk. There IS more to every story and every heart than meets the eye. God is at work in the details and we CAN trust Him not to leave us to battle against some kind of cruel force of random fate.


Zelda: A Biography by Nancy Milford // I snatched this book up to do some research for my own novel. I didn't get too far into it before I had to return it to the library, but I got far enough to know that I'm incredibly excited to finish it! Milford did her research and talked to every single person who knew Zelda personally and was willing to share what they knew. After years of reading about her and her stories and letters, I'm excited to see it come together in what seems like a very credible biography.


The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie // I'm always in the mood for more Christie. This one was incredibly funny. So funny that I laughed out loud often. I might still be laughing over some of the scenes that happened in this story! It also totally messed with my mind. Christie won this round (I didn't figure out whodunit on my own).


        


The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo // This was the classic I started hunting at the beginning of the year. I found it at a used book sale this spring and set it aside for this fall. It turns out, I got an abridged copy by accident...That said, it was actually really, really good. Like so many classics that I expect to be dark and depressing, this one turned out to be something else entirely. I was impressed by the way he nonchalantly tied in humor during even the most serious plot points. Like Christie, Hugo had me laughing out loud often. He also provided a creepiness that was both eery and disturbing. Drippy Paris comes to life and you will probably find yourself chilled to the bone at times. Hugo's style is unique. I'm ready for more! Who knows...I may even tackle Les Mis one day!


What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan // I didn't LOVE this book, but I have a lot of great things to say about the way MacMillan writes and specifically how she goes about weaving a mystery together. I wanted this to be a thriller that would suck me in and be read in a few sittings. It was exactly that for my friend Shauna (and countless others before here), but it wasn't that for me. I spent 10 days wading my way through this mystery that somehow I just couldn't get into or care about. My biggest problem was the pacing...The plot was moving WAY to slowly for me. I was impressed by the way MacMillan developed each character and wrote out their emotions so well. I was impressed by her choice to keep the strong language to a minimum and to refrain from getting graphic with anything. This is an author I'll be recommending! Here's to hoping that the next book of hers that I pick up is one I can rave about!




The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

What are you reading this fall?