What I Read This Autumn | 2019

After the summer, I increased my reading goal from 25 books in 2019 to 35 books! I was reading ferociously over the summer and knew that habit would continue well into the Fall since I had a good chunk of time off in September. I ended up reading a total of 11 books over the course of the Fall and loved so many of the books I read during this season.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng ~ Celeste Ng was an author I was very interested in last year given that her second book Little Fires Everywhere was a hugely popular release! One of my friends told me that I should read her first book Everything I Never Told You first because it is super well-written, easy to read, and is not nearly as hyped up as Little Fires Everywhere (although in my opinion it should be). This book follows the Lee family after their beloved daughter Lydia has died. It’s not clear in the beginning whether she has committed suicide or she was a victim of murder, but rather than the book being a classic ”who dunnit?”, it focuses more on her individual relationships with her family members as they grieve her death. While this book is incredibly heartbreaking, it is stunningly written!

The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle ~ What a fun piece of magical realism this book was! The Dinner List plays off the commonly asked question “If you could have five people, living or dead, at a dinner part who would you pick?” Sabrina, the main character comes to her thirtieth birthday dinner and is met with some surprising guests, some of whom include her ex-boyfriend Tobias, her father, and Audrey Hepburn. While the premise seems a bit fluffy, there are some very heavy themes in this book when it comes to love and loss. Would definitely recommend this for anyone interested in both chick-lit and magical realism.

French Exit by Patrick DeWitt ~ This was one of the books I read this Autumn that I really didn’t enjoy. The plot is focused on a wealthy widow and her son, who face bankruptcy and essentially run away to Paris to avoid ridicule from their wealthy friends in New York. While the plot sounded intriguing to me, it didn’t end up materializing into much and ultimately fell flat.

One Day in December by Josie Silver ~ I never thought a Chick-Lit book would be one of my favorite books of this year but I was wrong! This book takes the whole concept of falling in love at first sight and puts it in book form. The main character, Laurie, catches the eye of a complete stranger at a bus stop on a random day in December and thinks she’s found “the one”. She searches for this mystery man everywhere, only to meet him at a Christmas party as her best friend’s new boyfriend. As you can predict, what comes next is some serious turmoil. I absolutely loved this book because while it’s romantic and cheesy at times, it’s not over the top and most of the book is very realistic in its portrayal of both friendships and romantic relationships.

Calypso by David Sedaris ~ I love David Sedaris and everyone and their mother has been talking about Calypso so I thought I would finally get around to reading it when I had a trip planned and would have time to whiz through this book on the plane. While the hype around this book was a bit nuts, it was a very funny read and one that I would definitely recommend if you are in the mood for a good laugh.

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary ~ This one was recommended by one of my friends who absolutely loved this book! The book is about two twenty-somethings who live in London and share a flat together but never actually cross paths (one works evenings, the other works during the day), however when they inevitably do cross paths, sparks fly! It does sound pretty corny from the outset but it was super well-written and not too fluffy for a rom-com style book.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne ~ Delving into something a bit heavier, I had heard so many people sing the praises of this book earlier this year and put it on my list! Cyril Avery, the main character, was adopted by a couple when he was a baby, and while he was close to his adopted parents he never felt as though he belonged. The book is wide in its scope, ranging from Cyril’s childhood and spans into his old age. The book is a real tearjerker and hits on some heavy topics like exploring one’s sexuality, the AIDS epidemic, and the loss of friendships. This is a book I would 100% recommend.

Say, Say, Say by Lila Savage ~ This is Lila Savage’s debut novel and it was a pretty good one at that! I definitely thought it was a bit on the short side, but overall I enjoyed it and thought the writing was beautiful! The book is about a young woman named Ella who is a caretaker and becomes entrenched in the lives of Jill (the woman she takes care of) and her husband Brian. Ella is caught in somewhat of a crisis, having just turned thirty and having no real direction or security in her life, so she leans on the relationship of Brian and Jill to give her solace even though their situation is heartbreaking for different reasons.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett ~ I haven’t full decided, but I think this is my favorite book I’ve read this year. This came as another recommendation from a friend who was absolutely obsessed with this book! The story is about two kids who grow up in this old historic home and are later kicked out of the house by their awful step-mother after their father dies. What follows is a meandering tale about the kid’s adult lives and how the house symbolizes both everything beautiful and tragic about their childhoods. I haven’t read any other Ann Patchett books, but I definitely will be in the new year.

Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb ~ Another book that absolutely stuck with me and I will most likely be re-reading in the future. Lori Gottlieb is a psychologist in Los Angeles, who sees a myriad of different patients with a myriad of different issues. When she faces a major crisis in her life, she seeks therapy herself. The book is interwoven between her patient’s stories as well as her own story seeking therapy. It definitely goes to show that everyone has their own issues and no one ever has everything figured out.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah ~ Sorry to end on a sour note but I did not get the hype with this book. It had a solid 4+ stars on GoodReads, which is rare for a book this popular. The story itself could have been incredible, as it was about the French resistance during WWII and two sisters who fight Nazi forces in their own, individual ways. However, I thought this book was way too long and it definitely dragged on at times. Ultimately I thought the writing fell flat and did nothing to make this a compelling book even though it had the potential to be an extremely compelling read.