Must-Read Books for Your Fall
Fall is arguably the loveliest season here in Idaho. It is a brief time where the sun worshippers of summer and winter’s snow slayers can meet amiably in the middle- even for just a brief moment- before one season slips fully away and the next begins. Experiencing autumn in the Pacific Northwest is a bit like falling asleep: it happens slowly, unnoticeable at first, with warm days and long evenings still guiding the weeks. Then suddenly, you’ll wake one morning to frosty windows and brilliantly colored trees lining the sidewalks.
With the turning of the calendar page comes the search for something new, yet comfortable. If adding one more new sweater to your wardrobe just isn’t fitting that criteria this year, why not tuck into a captivating read instead? Whether you’re on the hunt for something eerie for #spookyseason; an inspirational guide from the iconic Oprah herself; a cookbook inspired by the very recipes made on Yellowstone; or something in between. We’ve rounded up some books to carry you through the fall- whatever seasonal camp you’re in.
Contributing Editor | Claire Meyer
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
“In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family’s orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew. Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart.”
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
In preparation for Martin Scoerce’s late-October release of the film adaptation, this novel lays the groundwork for a thrilling ghost story to fire up any amateur detective’s thinking cap. “In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. One of her relatives was shot. Another was poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more and more Osage were dying under mysterious circumstances, and many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered.”
Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier by Arthur C. Brooks & Oprah Winfrey
“With insight, compassion, and hope, Brooks and Winfrey reveal how the tools of emotional self-management can change your life―immediately. They recommend practical, research-based practices to build the four pillars of happiness: family, friendship, work, and faith. And along the way, they share hard-earned wisdom from their own lives and careers as well as the witness of regular people whose lives are joyful despite setbacks and hardship.”
The Art of Home: A Designer Guide to Creating an Elevated Yet Approachable Home by Shea McGee
“Whether it’s through her thriving design business, Studio McGee, her popular Netflix series, Dream Home Makeover, or her online community of over five million followers, Shea McGee has shown the world how the principles of high-end design can be applied to any home. As the title of her new book suggests, designing rooms for maximum impact while also remaining approachable to any who enter is an art. But it’s also a skill that can be learned because it’s inside each one of us.” Find home decor inspiration and design the spaces of your dreams.
Crossroads: A Novel by Jonathan Franzen
“Crossroads is the story of a Midwestern family at a pivotal moment of moral crisis, interwoven perspectives and sustained suspense. The novel’s action largely unfolds on a single winter day. Jonathan Franzen’s gift for melding the small picture and the big picture has never been more dazzlingly evident. Franzen ventures back into the past and explores the history of two generations. With characteristic humor and complexity, and with even greater warmth, he conjures a world that resonates powerfully with our own.” Longtime fans of Jonathan Franzen will find his signature character development, tongue in cheek one-liners, and bombastic plot lines to the end of a tale once again weaving together the lives of his dynamic characters.
Yellowstone: The Official Dutton Ranch Family Cookbook by Gabriel “Gator” Guilbeau
“Whether it’s a hearty breakfast of Rip’s Fry Bread with Scrambled Eggs and Bacon (his favorite dish handed down by his mother), a quick week-night dinner with Beth’s Cheesy Hamburger Mac Casserole (no box needed), or a pick-me-up with Beth’s ‘Two Scoops of Ice Cream, Three Shots of Vodka’ Smoothie, Yellowstone: The Official Dutton Ranch Family Cookbook compiles over 55 recipes inspired by and featured in the critically acclaimed hit series.” Fans of the show will get a firsthand look into the stick-to-your-ribs faire of the great Yellowstone.
