This fall was filled with a very diverse set of books. From mystery and thrillers to a memoir to a novel, my fall reading list was very interesting! Some of these books were incredible and others weren’t my favorite. However, I break down all of my thoughts on the books included on my fall reading list of 2023!
First up on my fall reading list of 2023 is Becoming Free Indeed by Jinger Duggar. Known as one of the kids from 19 Kids And Counting, Jinger explains her transition from the IBLP and trying to live by the Bible specifically. She explains how that has changed her life and what challenges she’s had to overcome.
Next up are two stories by Kristin Hannah, The Great Alone and Winter Garden. Both of these stories are incredible stories about family and overcoming impossible situations. Both will grab your attention and take you on an incredible journey of 2 families. Last on my fall reading list is The Last Mrs. Parish by Liv Constantine. I wanted to read a mystery/thriller story and this one lived up to the hype!
Fall Reading List 2023
Becoming Free Indeed
By: Jinger Duggar
Many people watched 19 Kids And Counting for the years that it aired on TV. I didn’t watch it every week but I did watch an episode here and there when I would find it on TV. As a christian myself, I was curious about their lifestyle. They claimed they were christians but their lives looked so different from mine and I never understood why. I was in middle school and high school when it aired so I was trying to understand the Christian faith myself.
I follow the oldest daughters on social media and learned a lot about them when I was in college. Their lives were vastly different from mine and I definitely thought they were weird but their lives intrigued me. When I heard Jinger Duggar was releasing her book “Becoming Free Indeed”, I decided to read it. She shares her experience within the church she was raised in and her questioning everything she was taught.
About the book
Jinger Duggar wrote a beautiful book talking about the lifestyle that she had without bashing her upbringing. She talks about how she discovered the inconsistencies within the teachings of IBLP and Bill Gothard. The main point of the book is her becoming free of her fear, the need to be perfect and the freedom in Christ rather than following all of the rules of a certain teaching.
She discusses her period of questioning the teachings she grew up learning and began comparing it to what the Bible actually teaches. Another topic she discusses is her struggle of fear and worrying. As someone who grew up with cameras on her and being labeled as the “perfect family” she struggled with being the best representation that she could be.
Between her husband, siblings and church community, she discusses how she had the support of those around her to have the courage to ask those questions. Jinger explains her questions and how everything happened. She doesn’t share all of her family’s dirty secrets. If that is what you want to read the book for, I don’t know if you will like it. If you are interested in hearing her side of leaving IBLP and Bob Gothard teachings and how she developed a relationship with God, then this book is great.
Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear: 7/10
The Great Alone
By: Kristin Hannah
If you read my summer book review post then you know that I have recently discovered Kristin Hannah and love her books. I read “The Great Alone” and it gave The Nightingale a run for its money. This story was so incredible. Even though the book is over 400 pages, I read it in probably a week and a half and it was my favorite book from my fall reading list.
This story is about a family of three that moves from Seattle to Alaska in 1974. Leni, a 13 year old girl is whisked away to Alaska as her dad inherited land from a friend he made during the Vietnam war. With his PTSD, he felt that this would be a great chance to start over with his family. Her mom, Cora, will do anything to keep her unstable husband happy.
As they arrive in Alaska, they are welcomed to their new small community of strong men and incredibly strong women. They quickly learn how unprepared they are for the upcoming winter and their new friends help them prepare during the beautiful summer.
As winter approaches, Leni realizes that her father is becoming more fragile and the cold makes it harder to help him keep his emotions under control. As winter deepens, their cabin begins to feel smaller and smaller each day. Leni and Cora quickly realize the hard truth of their reality, that they are alone in their new home.
My thoughts…
This story is filled with emotion and is so deeply moving. It is a story about loyalty, determination and bravery. Kristin Hannah does an incredible job of taking you through their transition as a family and the fear of the unknown. As the story goes on, each of their trials become greater and greater keeping you edge needing to know how they get through.
There are so many different stories going on at once that make up the entire storyline. There is love, passion, hatred, fear, joy and sadness between all characters. The way the story flows makes you want to know how a situation unfolds and what happens when someone makes a wrong decision in the dead of winter.
If you are looking for a deep story that grabs your attention and tells a beautiful story, I highly recommend this book. This was my favorite book on my fall reading list this year.
The Great Alone: A Novel: 10/10
The Last Mrs. Parish
By: Liv Constantine
“The Last Mrs. Parish” follows two women, Amber Patterson and Daphne Parish. Amber Patterson is a 26 year old woman who is tired of being overlooked.She is tired of being poor and feeling like a nobody that can just blend in. She desires a life of luxury, money and power – a life that Daphne Parish has and takes advantage of. When she arrives in Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, she befriends Daphne to get a closer look into the life of luxury and tries to figure out how she can have it for herself.
Amber is filled with envy and could let it eat her alive, however, she develops a plan to try and steal Daphne’s life from her. She slowly befriends Daphne and develops a relationship with her family. She begins connecting with her and her daughter’s and eventually Daphne’s husband, Jackson. Amber eventually begins traveling with the Parish’s to Europe, their lake house and even spending Christmas and birthdays with the family.
However, Amber has a secret from her past that she must keep from resurfacing. If anyone found out about what she’d done, the entire plan would fall apart. Can she manage to pull off one of the most meticulous plans she has created? Can she win the heart of Jackson Perish?
My thoughts…
At first, I had a difficult time getting into this book. It started off very slow, however, it was much needed to help set the story line. Once things got moving, I was definitely intrigued with the story. There were many twists and turns throughout the book. When I thought I figured out the ending, it took an even better turn and I ended up loving it.
I will say, there were times that I did feel uncomfortable reading this book. It was very dark at times but I think it was necessary. To understand certain aspects of the characters, you had to know the dark side of them to know how they thought. Once I understood the characters, some of the personality traits made much more sense.
I decided to read this book for the thriller aspect. It definitely had a thrilling story line. Not in the typical, “GET OUT OF THERE” sense but a “I need to know what happens after that twist was just revealed” type of way. If you are looking for a thriller story line, this one was a decent read!
The Last Mrs. Parish: 7/10
Winter Garden: A Novel
By: Kristin Hannah
The final book on my fall reading list is “Winter Garden” by Kristin Hannah. It is a story based on the Whitson family is a divided family. Two sisters, Meredith and Nina are two very different people. One stayed home to raise a family and manage the family business while the other became a famous photojournalist that traveled the world. When their father becomes sick, the two sisters must come together and care for him and their cold and distant mother. On his deathbed, their father promises each woman of the family to reconnect through a fairytale their mother told them pieces of when they were growing up. He made each of them promise to go through the story together.
After his death, Meredith, Nina and their mother, Anya, have to learn how to navigate their very rocky relationship. Once they find their footing, they begin to listen to the fairy tale that describes their mother’s life during a war-torn Leningrad over 50 years ago. The girls learn more about their mother than they ever knew possible. They even learn some very hard truths of events and decisions their mother had to live through that shaped who she was. Eventually, this changes everything the girls thought they knew about who they thought their mother was and who they are as a family.
My thoughts…
Out of all of the books on my fall reading list, this may have been the most beautiful story. I will admit, it started off very slow. I had a difficult time getting into the story and getting invested in the characters. However, once I realized more of the connections in the story, I couldn’t put the book down.
This is a story about so many different things. It is a story about love, forgiveness, grit and so many other things. This book tore me apart in such a beautiful way. Kristin Hannah did a beautiful job writing this story and giving you the perfect insight of each character as they go through the story. It ties with “The Great Alone” for my favorite book from my fall reading list.
Winter Garden: A Novel: 9/10
What next?
As we close out 2023, I am excited to read so many more stories! I am working on compiling a list of my favorite books of 2023 and will share those very soon! My fall reading list was full of incredible stories! Hopefully, if you have thought about reading any of these books, my thoughts will help you choose to read them! I thoroughly enjoyed each one of these books and the stories they shared. I encourage you to read them if you’ve been thinking about it!