What’s on the Book Pile? Autumn 2022

My book pile looks a little different than normal! Usually it’s full of middle grade fiction and mysteries, but this fall I’ve taken a lot of recommendations from friends and family and so the current pile is a bit of a hodgepodge.

N.B. These are not recommendations, simply what I am currently reading. If you’d like to know more about a specific book, or recommendations for you or your children, feel free to contact me. I love to recommend books for kids of all ages! You can also follow me on Goodreads.

So let’s dive in!

  1. Beach Read by Emily Henry, recommended by my cousin. A light, romantic comedy, but not recommended for younger readers.

  2. For the Life of the World by Alexander Schmemann, recommended by my husband. We don’t often read the same books. But something about this one really spoke to him and he asked me to read it. This doesn’t happen often (or maybe, never before?) so I am honored to read it for him. (It’s a stretch for me and my fiction-loving ways, though!)

  3. Tower of Dawn by Sarah Maas, recommended by a friend. I had started this series years ago, but they were a bit too intense for me. By the end of book 5, I couldn’t take it any longer and took an indefinite hiatus. Recently, I was encouraged to get back into the series by a friend, so I’m going to give it a go!

  4. The Bad Guys (book 5) by Aaron Blabey, recommended by my son (8) who absolutely adores this series. I’ve already read books 1-4 and they are cute and silly. He is just very persistent that I finish the entire series, though (17 books and counting!), and who can resist his adorable face???

  5. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot, recommended by my church reading group. I have listened to this one multiple times on audiobook, but it’s fun to read it through again. I read through about half of them with my kids, most of stories going over their heads. One story in particular, though, hit us all where it hurts: the story of an older dog dying. I blubbered through it the best I could, and I’m pretty sure my kids cried with me. It was a surprisingly sweet moment.

  6. Start with Hello by Shannon Martin. This one I picked up myself and have been devouring it. She had me hooked when she spoke of herself as a “shy, awkward introvert”, which is exactly how I would describe myself! I appreciate that this book ties in nicely with my current small group study on how to make friends and be a light in the world. I even sent Shannan Martin a note through Instagram thanking her, and she sent the kindest reply! That makes me want to read her books all the more.

  7. Book of Psalms. This is a book of the Psalms with beautiful photography interspersed throughout. The way it is laid out just makes it a pleasure to read. I like to read them out loud for the full effect of the poetry. Just lovely.

  8. And finally, Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard. This will probably end up in my book recommendations for November, but I wanted to read it through and savor it one more time. It has a lot of information at the end, and I want to make sure I take the time to learn and absorb it fully before writing about it on my blog!

Not pictured:

I am finishing the Manor House Mystery series by Kate Kingsbury on my Kindle. It’s been fun to read these 9 books, especially as I started them when we visited the English countryside this past August! These are the epitome of cozy mysteries.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien on Audible. This is a re-read (re-listen?) of many times over, but this time is with my son. It has been a delight to listen with him and watch him become enamored with Bilbo, Frodo, and the One Ring to Rule Them All.

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