a fall reading list

Call me cliche, but Fall conjures up images of cozying up with a blanket and mug of tea while reading a good book. Since this summer hasn't been the most stress-free, I'm looking forward to days where comfort is the only objective and I can have a good binge-read. So, in preparation for the next few months I put together a rather ambitious list of the books I'd like to read. 

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  • Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong: I love a good debut novel and this one by Rachel Khong about protagonist Ruth's end to her engagement and subsequent move home sounds delightful. Not to mention, I do love the colorful cover.

  • The Idiot by Elif Batuman: The first bildungsroman of a few on this list, The Idiot which is about a college freshman at Harvard feels like the right kind of nostalgia to embrace given my recent graduation from NYU.

  • Forest Dark by Nicole Krauss: Krauss' The History of Love is one of my favorite novels so when I heard she was having a new novel come out following two separate storylines that intertwine in Israel, you know it was added to my TBR list.

  • The Goddesses by Swan Huntley: While I haven't read Huntley's Beautiful Creatures the premise of her latest one sounds worth a shot. A psychological novel with deceit and doubt taking place on Hawaii — why not?

  • Motherest by Kristen Iskandrian: Anyone that knows me well knows I love a good coming-of-age so when I read the synopsis for Motherest, I was sold. Protagonist Agnes is having trouble adjusting to college and begins to write letters to her mother, whom she was never close to and explores the various hardships and triumphs that come with growing up.

  • Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney: In college, one of my creative writing professors told me that one of my strengths lay in my portrayal of friendships and I think part of that comes from enjoying to read about them.

  • How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry: Just the title of this reminded me of one of my favorite books — The Storied Life of AJ Fikry — which is largely centered around a bookshop. And as a lover of independent bookshops myself, this story of Emilia Nightingale trying to run her family's shop after her father's death seems right up my alley.

  • The Sun and her Flowers by Rupi Kaur: I LOVED Kaur's Milk & Honey. And in a time where poetry has taken a backseat to prose, to see such a young writer reach so many through her craft is inspiring to say the least. I very much look forward to this release. (Out October 3rd).

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  • Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang: I've just started this collection of short stories by Jenny Zhang. It is the first book from Lena Dunham's Lenny imprint and largely focuses on the Chinese-American experience. Already, I'm captivated by Zhang's voice and content.

  • The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons: This is a historical fiction novel I've wanted to read for ages ever since Regan originally talked about it on her YouTube channel. I finally was able to nab it from the library and it awaits on my iPad for me to dive into.

  • Crazy, Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan: If you're a frequent reader, you might have heard of Kwan's 2013 novel which is currently being made into a movie. Amazon's synopsis perhaps tells it best.

  • Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas: A few years ago, the majority of what I read was YA fantasy. I f**king loved it and assumed if I became an author, that's what I would write. While that has changed, YA fantasy will always have a place in my heart which is why this summer I started reading a series I had heard a lot of great things about. This is the third book in that series and I'm loving following assassin Caelena on her journey.

  • Turtles All The Way Down by John Green: John Green was a hugely influential author for me as a teenager. When I heard he was coming out with a new book, you know I had to read it if only for old time's sake. I honestly don't even know what this book is about, only that if it can elicit even a fraction of the feelings his other pieces did for me when I was younger, I'll have enjoyed it. (Out October 10th).

  • Play it as it Lays by Joan Didion: I'm in the mood for some Didion and I actually haven't read any of her fiction so I figured, why not just pick one. Play it as it Lays was the first novel to come up in my search.

  • The Sun is also a Star by Nicola Yoon: Another YA, this time by the author of Everything, Everything which recently was released as a movie. My colleague actually recommended this to me and its another I haven't even read a synopsis for but am looking forward to reading.

  • A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena: I love scary movies and it's been a while since I read a great thriller. This novel, where at the center of it protagonist Karen is convinced someone else is in the house sounds like such a fun read.