Inspire Great Reading for Fall 2019

It's officially October, which means we're well on our way into the Fall 2019 season. While the weather might be warmer than normal right now, it'll eventually get colder. You'll have plenty of opportunities to spend your days and evenings indoors, snuggled with a blanket, a warm cup of hot apple cider, and a good book.

Luckily, there are plenty of available options for finding the perfect books to read this season. These books are imaginative, romantic, self-reflective, and allow readers to learn more about themselves. Escape into an imaginative world of reading on a chilly autumn day with these five reading suggestions.

1. "Frankly in Love" - David Yoon

David Yoon's "Frankly in Love"
(photo/Goodreads.com).

David Yoon, husband of Everything, Everything author Nicola Yoon, recently released the most highly anticipated and critically-acclaimed young adult novel this season--quite possibly even for the whole year. His debut novel, Frankly in Love, is everything you want in a good romance: love and drama.

Readers will meet Frank Li, who was born and raised in California. He speaks barely any Korean and his parents don't call him by his Korean name, but they still have one rule for him to follow: to meet and marry a nice, proper Korean girl. There's one problem: Frank falls in love with his dream girl, Britt, his white American classmate. She is most definitely not Korean.

So, Frank teams up with his Korean friend, Joy, who finds herself in a similar predicament. They pretend to date each other to make their respective parents happy. But when Frank begins to realize this pretend relationship could be something more--something he didn't anticipate--he finds himself facing grown-up questions on race, identity, and love. Frankly in Love [available now] is a charming, funny, romantic novel that can appeal to both teens and adults. Who doesn't enjoy a good love story? 

2. "The Testaments" - Margaret Atwood 

Margaret Atwood's "The Testaments"
(photo/Amazon.com).

When it was announced last year that Margaret Atwood would be writing a sequel to her 1985 dystopia novel, The Handmaid's Tale, fans could hardly wait. The last time readers saw Offred, Atwood's protagonist who was forced into reproductive slavery in the Republic of Gilead in the first novel, she was being whisked away in a van. Readers [and Offred] were unsure of her fate. It was an appropriate ending to a stand-alone novel, but Atwood decided it was time to return to the critically-acclaimed novel.

The Handmaid's Tale has gained new fans in recent years, mostly due to the success of the popular Hulu series. So, it's not too surprising Atwood decided to return to the story. In The Testaments [available now], the story is picked up more than 15 years later after The Handmaid's Tale, and Atwood finally reveals what happened to the iconic characters from the first novel.

The Testaments is the most anticipated novel of the season. Whether you're a fan of sequels or not, it wouldn't hurt you to pick up a copy of this novel. Haven't you been wondering what happened to Offred?

3. "Red at the Bone" - Jacqueline Woodson 

Jacqueline Woodson's "Red at the Bone"
(photo/Amazon.com).

Jacqueline Woodson, the National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming, has returned with her latest novel about African-Americans. In Red at the Bone, one of the most highly anticipated novels for adults this season, we meet 16-year-old Melody in Brooklyn, who is having her coming-of-age ceremony. The novel unravels her family history, and how everyone arrived at this moment.

Sixteen years earlier, her mother was preparing for the same ceremony, but an unplanned teenage pregnancy changed everything. How did this pregnancy impact three generations of an African-American family? Exploring issues of sexual identity, race, and class, Red at the Bone is a taut, powerful novel that uncovers the role that history and community have played in the experiences and relationships of Melody's family. Woodson's writing is one you won't soon forget, and this is a novel that begs to be discussed in book clubs.

4. "Imaginary Friend" - Stephen Chbosky 

Stephen Chbosky's "Imaginary Friend"
(photo/Amazon.com).

Twenty years ago, Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower made readers feel infinite. It was a charming, relatable novel, and now, Chbosky has returned with an epic work of literary horror that has been years in the making. In Imaginary Friend, single mother Kate Reese is on the run to improve life for her and her son, Christopher. She flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night and, with her son, she finds herself in the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania.

At first, the town looks like it's the perfect place to live. Then, Christopher suddenly vanishes. For six days, no one can find him. Mill Grove is a small town off the beaten path. It shouldn't be that difficult to locate a young boy. But when Christopher finally emerges from the woods, unharmed, he returns with a voice in his head only he can hear. The voice delivers one message: Build a tree house in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again.

In a story about family, faith, and good versus evil, Chbosky has delivered a perfect novel for Halloween that is sure to redefine the literary horror genre. Read it with the lights on, and Imaginary Friend was definitely worth the long wait.

5. "Twice in a Blue Moon" - Christina Lauren 

When you break up with someone, you think you'll never see them again. But that's not always the case. New York Times bestselling-author Christina Lauren (of The Unhoneymooners) delivers another modern love story about what happens when your first love re-enters your life when you least expect it.

Christina Lauren's "Twice in a Blue Moon"
(photo/Amazon.com).

In Twice in a Blue Moon, Sam Brandis was Tate Jones's first love, first lover, and definitely her first heartbreak. They met abroad in a whirlwind two-week vacation, and they fell in love hard. They shared all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets together--thinking that this wasn't just "puppy love." This was the real deal. But when they broke up, Tate was devastated.

Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming Hollywood actress, chooses to think of Sam only "once in a blue moon." Well, right when Tate is cast in the movie that is going to be her first big break, Sam--the same charming, confident man she once knew--is involved in the picture. Forced to confront him, Tate must ask herself if it's possible to guard her heart against him. Or, is it possible to have a second chance? Can a "once in a lifetime" love really come around twice?

Lauren's signature compelling fiction is perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner. You'll flip through this novel, wanting to know what happens to Tate and Sam. Look for the novel, in stores on October 22.

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Reading is so important, as I have reflected many times on my blog. Reading offers new perspectives, imaginations, valuable life lessons, and more. You can learn more about yourself with each new book. Reading is fun. It's that simple.

I hope you find time to curl up with a good book this autumn season. You can visit another world and become a completely different person, all within the pages of a book. You'll fall in love with these characters and their stories, and you won't want to put the books down.

Consider adding these five reading suggestions to your reading list this fall. You won't regret it. The novels are by some of the most accomplished, talented, and influential writers in the industry (Margaret Atwood, for example). You won't want to miss out on their phenomenal stories.

Have fun reading this season!

Read on.

-KJL-