Welcome friend! I was passing my bookshelves one Fall morning. The weather was rainy and dreary and all I wanted to do was curl up with a book, a cup of hot coffee, my favorite blanket and my cats. Alas, it was a working day so reading was not on the cards. But I decided to spend a few minutes and pick through my collection. Here are the books I reached for. They are presented in the order I picked them up. I hope you enjoy this walk around my shelves! 🙂
A Skeleton in the Closet
By Claire Hatcher-Smith | Goodreads
I credit this book for the inspiration behind this post.
A skeleton in the closet is the first book in a middle grade series and a recent addition to my collection. I find myself drawn to detectives and sleuths, people on a mission, and there is something special about young people developing their investigative skills. Inspired by the author’s experiences as a speech language pathologist who has worked with children with Down syndrome, this story offers family, action and a “school” project that I would read at any age. Book 2 is also out now.
The Pumpkin Vice Cafe
By Ellie Alexander | Goodreads
October is pumpkin season and I am looking forward to the annual pumpkin carving session with my best friend. So it’s not surprising that pumpkins are on my mind and I reached for The Pumpkin Vice Cafe. Ellie Alexander, who you might remember meeting in the linked interview, has the best titles for her Bakeshop Mystery series. This book features an autumn wedding, an upcoming delivery, cozy treats, and, not to forget, a killer on the loose. What could be a better treat to pair with a pumpkin spice latte?
The Moth Dreamer
By Amy Lynn Farrell | Goodreads
This book is breathtaking to look at. I could picture the cover and had to look for it on my shelves. It had been a while since I had picked it up. The Moth Dreamer is the spiritual evolution of sixteen-year-old Aubrey. She has indigenous roots and is having troubling visions. I love stories about grand-daughter-grandmother relationships and Aubrey’s kokum plays a big role in her journey.
Where No Shadow Stays
By Sara Hashem | Goodreads
It’s the orange of the spine that drew me to this book. Fall and orange go hand in hand for me. The story is about a high school girl, Mina, whose family is from Egypt. But she brings back something sinister when she returns home from a trip to her mother’s childhood home. I love family lore and the supernatural elements promise a nice blend of horror and high stakes. I chatted with Sara Hashem about the book here.
An Impossibility of Crows
By Kirsten Kaschock | Goodreads
Fall is a short season between summer and winter. It can be contemplative. Looking back, I am drawn to titles with crows in this season and those stories have always revolved around personal and community transformation. An Impossibility of Crows actually came out in March this year. It is the story of a chemist, returning to her childhood home after the death of her father. A relatively short book (200 pages), it promises an exploration of daughter-mother relationship, grief, inheritance and connection.
Only Human: Short Stories
By Kristine Scarrow | Goodreads
Like the last book, Only Human is a sombre book. A collection of short stories that explore the quiet struggles of the everyday, I reach for books like this one to get an understanding of the vast human experience. The stories invite me to ask what I would do in the same situation. The author writes about life in Saskatchewan, Canada, which is the neighboring province to me. This book has been on my mind and I hope to make time for it.
The Library Cosmic: Stories
By Ben Berman Ghan | Goodreads
Ben Berman Ghan is a special author to me because he is the first author I ever interviewed. The Library Cosmic is a short story collection of his. From the synopsis: “These stories ask the big questions: What is consciousness? What gives a being its soul? What are the boundaries of love? And perhaps, how will libraries save us?” The best kind of questions I want speculative fiction to explore. My favorite book nooks are being surrounded by my bookshelves and maybe that is why this book with “library” in its title called to me.
The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies
By Kate Westbury | Goodreads
Did I mention my penchant for mystery books right now? This is an exceptional one to mention because it is the only one I have already read! The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies is set in post second world war England. Fall is the start of the university term here in Canada and this book is set on Oxford campus. I discovered that academia and sleuthing is a combination I adore. This is the 1st book of a series and I loved it. Can’t wait for the second. Can’t wait to write about this one. Lots of waiting though to get to any of this.
Falling Like Leaves
By Misty Wilson | Goodreads
I love the colors of Fall, especially the contrast of yellow, red and green on the ground. This YA novel reminds me of the romance in the air. I borrowed it from the library some days back in anticipation of the second book, Falling Like Snow, because I am not ready for snow yet.
Many thanks to all the publishers who sent me the above books. I appreciate every book that meets me in my mailbox and I think about them.
In another season, I would have spent time reducing this list to be shorter with a more “acceptable” number of titles. I would probably have declared that these were the books I would read over the next couple months.
That season isn’t this one.
I am honest about all the books that caught my eye. I love that what started off as books that I would curl up with on a sombre Fall day have such a variety in the stories I am interested in. I am owning that. This is my authentic reading life.
Maybe some will appeal to you, maybe none will.
A Little Update From My Reading Life
I will add an update of the two books that I am actually reading: My daughter is obsessed with Sandra Boynton’s Spooky Pookie (Goodreads). I have read it 2 times today itself – yes, she reaches for books when she gets up. Getting her ready for daycare some days means pulling her away from her books. She loves books more than I loved them growing up and I have many feelings about this.
My personal companion and massive paperweight right now is Alchemised by SenLinYu (Goodreads). I got it for Christmas last year and I am happy to say I will have it read before Christmas this year. The thrill of reading a book that is over a thousand pages is something else. I can’t wait to share more about it!
Anyway, what are you reading right now? Is there a book you want to read next because it is giving you the perfect seasonal vibes?
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