Holy moly did I read a lot of books this Fall. To be honest though, it was still part of summer because I started this list after the summer reading program ended in mid August. There were a lot of really good books too.
The Lake House by Kate Morton 10/10
I really like Kate Morton books because they are part fiction and part mystery. They also are dual timeline books and very long books that tell the story from different perspectives. This one is about a lake house with a 70 year old mystery about a child that disappeared during a summer party and was never found. It’s such good storytelling and I couldn’t put it down because I literally couldn’t figure out what happened and just needed to know.
The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson 7/10
It’s about a girl who grew up in her Uncle’s bookstore but then one day they became estranged. He passes away and leaves the bookstore to her with a series of clues for her to figure out. The clues lead her all over the place and she discovers a terrible secret that could tear her family apart. I actually didn’t care very much for this book. The search for the clues were just not very believable and the whole story didn’t make much sense.
The Orchid House by Linda Riley 10/10
An interesting story with some historical fiction thrown in about a famous concert pianist dealing with tragedy who reunites with an heir to an abandoned estate where her grandparents once lived and worked. They discover an old diary and try to piece together what happened to their relatives on the eve of WW2.
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry 10+/10
A story about 2 sisters that are sent to the countryside to live with another family in 1939 war torn London. They live with a kind lady and her son but one day her little sister disappears. The story is told between then and 20 years later as the girl finds something that only her sister would’ve known about and so she tries to discover what happened to her and if she’s still alive. I really liked this book.
Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen 9/10
This book is about 2 sisters, one is famous and the other is not. The famous sister says something on national television and then runs away in the aftermath and the younger sister is left to pick up the pieces and do damage control. It’s a pretty good book and the younger sister is kind of funny in some of the things she says and does.
The Clock Makers Daughter by Kate Morton 10/10
Another Kate Morton novel. This one is set in present day and 1862 plus it tells stories from the years in between. There is an old house where a group of artists convene and by the end of their stay someone is shot, someone disappears, a priceless heirloom is lost, and a man’s life is in ruins. In the present day, a girl finds 2 artifacts from that time and proceeds to uncover the mystery of what happened that summer. A really good book that keeps you guessing.
The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler 10/10
A story about 2 people that meet right before WW2 and have a hasty wedding. They are such different people but stay married for nearly 30 years. It’s also about how they handle becoming instant grandparents. It’s a very good book about the everyday nuances of a mismatched couple.
Body Surfing by Anita Shreve 10/10
This is a good book about a girl who takes on a tutoring job with a family at their oceanfront New Hampshire cottage and what transpires when the 2 grown sons arrive and vie for her affections.
Do Not Disturb by Frieda McFadden 10/10
A really good book about a girl who commits a crime and tries to run away before the police find out. She gets caught in a snowstorm and finds this old isolated motel where things are really dark and disturbing. The owner’s wife lives next door and is always at the window watching. There’s a lot of twists and turns in this psychological thriller.
The Last Time They Met by Anita Shreve 10+/10
Oh this book wrecked me. It’s about 2 people who dated in high school and then meet up years later. I wrote more about it here.
Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan 10/10
A story about a girl researching the steamship Pulaski that sunk after an explosion in 1838. Called the Titanic of the South, there were some survivors and the book is about their stories interwoven with the present day research. Very interesting and is based on true stories.
Buckeye by Patrick Ryan 11+/10
I absolutely loved this book and wrote about it here.