Every summer since my children were born, my extended family rents a lake house on Lake Michigan for an entire week. During this time, all cell phones and the Internet is to be used minimally, if at all. It’s a great way to mentally unwind from the news of the world and emotionally reset. Last week, we had our annual lake house trip, and I made it a goal to read one book cover to cover. To my surprise, I read three books and found myself clamoring for more.
Getting lost in a good book helps me to improve my focus and relieves stress in a way that exercise cannot. All of my attention is focused on the different worlds I am reading about, and it allows my mind to become more aware of how different situations affect others.
With fall on the horizon, chilly weather and cozy nights are the perfect time to hunker down with a great read and get lost in other worlds. So, get the pumpkin spice latte ready, and find comfort under your favorite fluffy blanket. Whether you’re in the mood for something romantic, funny, or poignant, our editors have you covered with 15 books that are on their reading lists for this fall.
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
A powerful and shocking love story between two unlikely people that asks tough questions, highlighting all the ugly and wonderful things that life has to offer.
Forget "Having it All"
A clear-eyed look at the history of American ideas about motherhood, how those ideas have impacted all women (whether they have kids or not), and how to fix the inequality that exists as a result.
Little Fires Everywhere
A riveting novel that traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives.
The Golden Hour
The stories of two unforgettable women thread together in this extraordinary epic of espionage, sacrifice, human love, and human courage, set against a shocking true crime, and the rise and fall of a legendary royal couple.
The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street
The Christmas spirit is overtaking Tradd Street with a vengeance in this witty, wonderful, and haunted world.
Pretty Guilty Women
A man dies at the Banks wedding, and four different women rush to insist they committed the crime – alone.
The Testaments: A Novel
In this brilliant sequel to "The Handmaid's Tale," acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades.
The Water Dancer
A boldly conjured debut novel about a magical gift, a devastating loss, and an underground war for freedom.
Red at the Bone
Two families from different social classes are joined together by an unexpected pregnancy and the child that it produces.
The Dutch House
A richly moving story that explores the indelible bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go.
How We Fight for Our Lives: A Memoir
This memoir tells the story of a young, black, gay man from the South as he fights to carve out a place for himself, within his family, within his country, within his own hopes, desires, and fears.
The Starless Sea
Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood.
The Suspect
When two 18-year-old girls go missing in Thailand, their families are thrust into the international spotlight: desperate, bereft, and frantic with worry. What were the girls up to before they disappeared?
This Is How It Always Is
Rosie and Penn want Claude to be whoever Claude wants to be. They’re just not sure they’re ready to share that with the world. Soon, the entire family is keeping Claude’s secret. Until one day, it explodes.
The Keeper of Lost Things
A charming, clever, and quietly moving debut novel of endless possibilities and joyful discoveries that explores the promises we make and break, losing and finding ourselves, the objects that hold magic and meaning for our lives, and the surprising connections that bind us.
