fall book report.

I know it feels like winter, but technically it's still fall, so I'm just gonna leave the title of this post alone. Here are the books I've read since my last book report:

The Wednesday Daughters by Meg Waite Clayton / I didn't like this book as much as I liked the first in the series, The Wednesday Sisters. I don't know if it's only because I was reading this in the middle of wedding/honeymoon/name change fun, but I found it confusing and hard to get into. I finished it though, because I was happy to have an "update" on where the characters were.

Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand / It's about a trio of women who are best friends and for 20 years, have performed a summer ritual of swimming at midnight on Labour Day weekend. Only this time, one of them disappears. I read this quickly, engrossed in the story, wondering: Did she disappear on purpose? Drown? What? I enjoyed it, but when I got to the end, all I could think, is that it?

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume / So... I bought this book without knowing what it was about just because I like Judy Blume... and I started reading it during my flight back to Beijing... and it turns out it's about plane crashes... perfect. I kept reading it anyway, but I did have to put it away when we experienced turbulence and when we were landing because, well, it was just too much. Obviously, the book is not just about plane crashes, but the crashes are what the story is centered around, how the crashes affect different people in the town and on the flights. I really, really liked it and would highly recommend it. Just maybe not when you're flying ;)

The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan / This was the first book I read in its entirety since summer vacation ended and I loved it from beginning to end. Chick lit? Sure. But it was a heck of a good story. My fingers are crossed for a sequel.

Windfallen by Jojo Moyes / (This book was also released under the title Foreign Fruit.) A slow start and an abrupt ending, but the middle more than made up for both. I was hooked and read it every time I was home and had a spare moment. I thoroughly enjoy Moyes' novels—especially those that are set in the past and present day.

At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen / I read this book in about 2 days (really, a matter of hours once you take into consideration work, cooking, sleeping, etc.), mostly because it was an e-book I borrowed from the library and it was going to expire in 40 hours. I had a hard time deciding whether to give it 4 or 5 stars on Goodreads, because while it wasn't amazing, I really really liked it. Sara Gruen is a master storyteller. This book had everything—love, war, monsters, friendship, history, travel—and it was all weaved together artfully.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr / At first I thought it felt kind of choppy, as it frequently switched perspectives. After awhile, I got used to it and got very into the story. It's a WWII story, but feels so different from other stories set then. I thought it was really interesting that one of the main characters is a German boy and we learn how he became a Nazi. This one lives up to all the hype, for sure.

On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah / Married woman scorned, reunited with someone from her past... Not a new storyline, but Hannah's a good writer so I enjoyed it. Definitely prefer her newer novels though.

I also just reread Elin Hilderbrand's Winter Street and am currently reading the sequel, Winter Stroll—perfect for Christmas. And! I've discovered the magic of audiobooks! I'm listening to Rob Lowe's Stories I Only Tell My Friends, borrowed from the New Brunswick Public Library system, of course.