5 books that will blow you away this fall

I’ve been reading like crazy lately – really great, beautifully-written stories about serious topics. Because fall has always been a time of reading lists for me, I’m going to put together a bunch for you, starting with this one. Every single title is perfect for your book club.

Brutal Youth by Anthony Breznican

All I kept thinking as I raced through this dark coming-of-age story was “Thank God my children are out of high school.” The inmates are basically running the asylum at St. Michael’s, a Catholic school that is literally and figuratively falling apart. Bullying has been taken to a whole new level which the adults, who are caught up in their own scandals and greed, are powerless to stop. The book follows three students as they try to navigate – and survive – freshman year, and, as a mother, I alternately wanted to hug and smack some of these kids. I felt like I was watching a train racing out of control, knowing it could only end in a horrible crash, yet unable to look away. Breznican has written an often funny, mostly horrifying modern day classic on the state of education. It should be taken as a wake-up call.

Accidents of Marriage by Randy Susan Meyers

I am a big fan of Randy Susan Meyers, who wrote The Murderer’s Daughters and The Comfort of Lies, both of which are must-reads. In her latest novel, social worker Maddy is exhausted from always trying to keep the peace in her family and stay one step ahead of  her hot-tempered husband, Ben. His rage reaches crisis point in the car one rainy day, resulting in an accident that leaves Maddy with a brain injury. Chapters are written from the perspectives of Maddy, Ben and their 14-year-old daughter, Emma, and they add up to a compelling, heartbreaking, important story. Meyers is a very special writer, and this tale of emotional abuse and its consequences on an entire family is thought-provoking and timely.

Evergreen by Rebecca Rasmussen

Rebecca Rasmussen’s debut novel, The Bird Sisters, was one of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever read. Her new book, which I’ve been waiting years for, is another stunner, set in the wilderness of Minnesota in the early part of the 20^th century. She transports you right into that world – a quiet yet ominous place of beauty – and sets out to prove the book’s epigraph, “Tell me the landscape in which you live, and I will tell you who you are.” This quote from Jose Ortega y Gassett foreshadows the future of Eveline, a young bride who joins her husband in the middle of nowhere, where, for a while, they live happily in a rundown cabin with no electricity but plenty of fish and homegrown vegetables, and she gives birth to a baby boy. When her husband is called to take care of his sick father, she becomes the victim of a crime which alters many lives. I love this book and its depiction of women as survivors. These characters, rich and fleshed out, will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

Friendswood by Rene Steinke

This novel about a small town in Texas haunted by its toxic past is a powerhouse of a story, written in language so simple yet so dead-on perfect, it just breaks your heart. Ten years after a chemical leak killed her daughter, Lee discovers that a local developer is trying to build on the land responsible for destroying the lives of its residents. She sets out to stop him, unleashing a series of events that kept me turning the pages and holding my breath. Politics, sex and religion all play major roles in this cautionary tale, but ultimately it’s a fascinating story about underdogs and fighting for what’s right. It proves that we’re all connected and it’s a devastating reminder that the decisions of a few have a powerful impact on the lives of so many.

The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar

I was hooked immediately by this tale of two women who develop an unlikely and life-changing friendship. Maggie is a psychologist, trained not to get emotionally involved with her patients. Lakshmi, a young Indian woman who tried to commit suicide, becomes one of those patients – and Maggie goes against every professional protocol, inviting her into her house and her life, treating her for free and offering her a job. As they get closer, secrets unravel which make them see each other – and themselves – in a whole new light. The book will make a great movie, reminiscent of The Help, with actresses vying for the roles of these strong, unforgettable characters.