The Best Books to Cozy Up To This Fall

It’s been a minute since I’ve shared my latest book favs, but not to worry - I did plentyyyy of reading over the summer and have some good ones to share with you! I’m counting down the days until I can cozy up to a fire with a book and hot cup of tea in hand. This scenario is not too far off though, because we’ve officially made it to beanie season here at STIK. The weather is crisp, the sweaters are out, Bliss Headbands are on...let the fall activities commence! Up your cozy factor in these next few months by putting on some loungewear and settling into one of these gooks!

1. 28 Summers by Elin Hildebrand: I know we are all talking about fall incessantly, and this book will definitely bring you back to summer, but I had to include it. I really liked this one. I’m not normally the biggest Elin Hildebrand fan, so it was a surprise to feel so invested in the story and characters. And for a more of a “beach” read esque book, it was over 400 pages - which I definitely appreciated! (I hate flying through books too quickly). Quick download: the book follows two people, Mallory and Jake, who meet in secret on the same weekend each year on Nantucket, maintaining their illicit love affair for 28 summers through marriage, kids, jobs, and unforeseen family circumstances. Their lives intersect in many ways, despite only seeing each other once a year, which keeps you wondering how their love triangle will end.

2. You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz: I came across this book in one of those “take a book and return it once you’re done” libraries at a hotel this summer (don’t you love when places do that??). This is the perfect book to get lost in on a cozy fall afternoon. While technically it could be categorized as a psychological thriller, this book goes deep into the complexities of a life altered by an unspeakable event (i.e. muuuch more substantive than a Gone Girl or Girl on the Train type book). Enter Grace Reinhart Sachs - a mother and therapist living on the Upper East Side in New York City with her husband, a pediatric oncologist. Right as Grace is about to release her new self-help dating/marital book titled You Should Have Known, which bluntly argues that women fail to acknowledge their intuition with men, she receives a rude awakening - her husband is not the man she thought he was, and she must examine the narrative she’s built her picture-perfect life upon. 

3. Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin: If you’re looking for mostly light and fluffy, and something you can tear through in a couple of days, this book is for you. Happy and You Know It brings you into the upper echelon of the Manhattan mom scene, and the drama, secrets, and relationships that come with it. The main character, Claire, takes a position as a playgroup musician for a group of wealthy moms, and she quickly becomes exposed to the inner workings of their lives. These glamorous women appear to have it all, but this book playfully unpacks that perception and offers a humorous look into how the other half exists.

4. The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante: Switching it up here with a coming of age novel that really makes you question your own childhood and how your parents played a role in constructing your beliefs, thoughts, and actions. Most definitely not light and fluffy, but rather thrilling, emotional, and complex, this book centers around a teenage girl named Giovanna living in Naples, Italy in the 1990s who realizes that her parents have been lying to her. Everything Giovanna had previously thought to be true about herself and her parents comes crashing down when she overhears her father discussing her newfound adolescent unattractiveness. As a reader, you can deeply feel Giovanna’s shame and confusion as she questions her sense of self and struggles to find her identity - she’s no longer the obedient, truthful, pretty, good-natured girl from her younger years. Word on the street is that Netflix is making The Lying Life of Adults into a TV series (release date TBD) - definitely will be putting it on my watchlist!

5. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins: I haven’t read this one yet, but it’s at the very top of my list (it’s also included in Oprah’s Book Club, so naturally I have to try it out!). The premise of this book is intriguing - a mother and son flee to the U.S. from their hometown in Acapulco, Mexico after experiencing drug cartel violence first-hand. I find any cartel-related stories and shows interesting (hello Narcos and Power of the Dog series), so I’m excited to dive into this book!

What books have you read recently? Let us know in the comments below!