Inspire Great Reading for Fall 2020

It's officially October, which means we are well on our way into the Fall 2020 season. The weather seems to always be inconsistent these days--changing from chilly mornings to sunny afternoons. During this season, there are plenty of opportunities to stay indoors (especially now), snuggle up with a comforting blanket, a warm cup of hot apple cider, and a good book. 

Luckily, there are plenty of options for finding the perfect book to read this season. These books are imaginative, romantic, self-reflective, and they allow readers to escape the real world for a little while. I think we need this now more than ever before. We can escape into an imaginative world of reading when we feel like the walls are closing in on us. 

Find your escape with these five reading recommendations. 

1. "The Harpy" - Megan Hunter 

Megan Hunter's The Harpy (photo/Amazon.com).

In Megan Hunter's suspenseful novel The Harpy, Lucy seems to have it all: a loving husband, Jake; two wonderful sons; and, a successful career. Her life is great and people envy her. However, her life changes when she receives a phone call from a man who tells her that his wife is sleeping with Jake. This (understandably) shatters Lucy's soul, but she's not ready to give up on her marriage. 

Lucy and Jake agree to mend their marriage. However, Lucy offers a negotiation: she must be allowed to hurt Jake three times to even the score. He hurt her by cheating on her, so she can hurt him in return. This unusual game of crime and punishment seems innocent and fun at first, but then Lucy notices her interior rage is starting to consume her life. She's changing--transforming into a creature she no longer recognizes. 

In this dark, dazzling, and fiercely contemporary novel, Hunter presents an exciting new tale that reads like a fairy tale but with more mature themes than you'll find in a Disney movie. It's a magical realist story about the power of revenge, and how this power can transform us into our own inner beasts. 

2. "The Book of Two Ways" - Jodi Picoult 

Jodi Picoult's The Book of Two Ways (photo/Jodi Picoult).

The New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult has returned with her latest novel, The Book of Two Ways. If you love "choose your own adventure" stories, you will probably enjoy this creative new version of the classic trope. 

Dawn Edelstein is on an airplane when the flight attendant announces to prepare for a crash landing. Knowing she's bracing her final moments, Dawn is surprised that she's not thinking of her husband, Brian, but of a man she knew and loved 15 years ago: Wyatt Armstrong. Why him? Why now?  

Dawn miraculously survives the crash, but she's confused. Which life does she want? When the airline offers to fly her anywhere she wants, the book takes readers into two scenarios: in one, Dawn returns home to her family, and in the other, she flies to Egypt to reunite with Wyatt and the archaeology career she gave up a long time ago. 

Which scenario does Dawn ultimately choose? Which one do you want her to choose? This book will certainly keep you on your toes!

3. "Leave the World Behind" - Rumaan Alam

Rumaan Alam's Leave the World Behind (photo/The Seattle Times).

Everyone loves a good thriller, right? With Rumaan Alam's Leave the World Behind, you might want to sleep with the lights on after reading the provocative tale. Amanda and Clay rent a country home for a week-long getaway trip with their teenage son and daughter. Everything is going well until a late-night knock on the door interrupts the quiet peace. 

The owners of the home, an older African-American couple, return to announce that there has been a blackout in New York City. Without a television, cell phone service, and Internet access, Amanda and Clay have to believe the couple. But should they? Are they safe in this foreign home? 

Rumaan Alam has crafted together a suspenseful story about trust, parenthood, race, and class. Who can you really believe when you're in the moment of crisis? 

4. "Love Your Life" - Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella's Love Your Life (photo/Goodreads).

Sophie Kinsella always delivers a fun, quirky, and heartwarming love story. The author of the Confessions of a Shopaholic series has returned with a fun story about a writer falling in love--something I personally like to read about. 

In Love Your Life, Ava is a romantic but she's fed up with dating apps. She doesn't want an app to filter men by their height, job, or astrological sign. That's not love; that's algorithms. So, she decides to put her love life on hold to attend a writers' retreat in coastal Italy. She's ready to finish writing her novel. 

While at the retreat, Ava isn't allowed to use her real name or reveal any personal information about herself. The nearby martial arts retreat is canceled and a few attendees decide to join the writers' retreat. Ava, now known as "Aria," meets "Dutch," and she knows he's too good to be true. They embark on numerous adventures together, including cliff-jumping into the gorgeous Mediterranean waters and exploring the Italian coast. They have fun together, and they don't even know their real names. 

But of course, the retreat must end and they have to return to their "real lives." Are they even compatible in real life? They are so different, but can they look past these differences and love each other in the real world? Or, was their romance just a one-time adventure? Like always, Kinsella tugs at your heartstrings with her charming romance. Look for the book, available on October 27. 

5. "Monogamy" - Sue Miller

Sue Miller's Monogamy (photo/Amazon).

If you love books about deep secrets, you'll enjoy Sue Miller's new novel, Monogamy. The book focuses on Annie and Graham. They meet at Graham's bookstore and they instantly hit it off. They're both divorced and seeing other people, but they realize that they belong together. They eventually get married and everything seems perfect. Graham is lively, energetic, curious, and he loves to host parties. Annie is the complete opposite as a reserved photographer. They're polar opposites, but they seemingly love each other. 

One day, after being married for 30 years, Graham doesn't wake up. He died in his sleep and Annie is devastated. What's the point of going on without him? He was her one true love and biggest inspiration. 

So, you can imagine how shocked Annie is when she finds out that Graham has been unfaithful in their marriage. He wasn't the man she thought he was. This new information sends her spiraling into darkness. How will she move forward? With her sensual and deeply perceptive novel, Miller presents a complex story about love, family, infidelity, sorrow, and grief. 

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Reading is so important, especially now when there is so much stress in our lives. Reading offers us a time to escape reality and get lost in an imaginative world. We learn new perspectives, valuable life lessons, and more. You can learn more about yourself with every book you read. Reading is fundamental. It's that simple. 

I hope you can find the time to curl up with a good book this fall 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 the characters and their stories. 

Consider adding these five reading suggestions (and many other new books) to your reading list this fall. You won't regret it! 

Read on. 

-KJL-