Reading is a passion for me. I love to read books from many different genres and on many different topics. Generally, I read an average of one book a week. I haven’t read as many books lately as I usually do, though. Things have been so busy around our home (lets be honest, things are always busy around here!). We’ve also done quite a bit of traveling in the past couple of months. So, I haven’t had as much time to read as I would have liked.

The books I did have time to read this fall were good ones (with one exception—which I will discuss in a moment). Most of them were light, fun reads. When I’m especially busy in my day to day life, a good lighthearted book can be a great way to rest my mind.

Some of the books I read this fall, though, had a bit more substance to them. It’s always good to challenge your mind or expand your way of thinking. Reading can be a way to stretch yourself and prompt personal growth. Never settle for staying in the same place for too long. If you’re feeling stagnant, read a book that challenges your thinking.

All that to say, the list of books I read this fall covers a wide variety of types and topics. It’s an eclectic mix of reading. Maybe by sharing this widely varied list, though, I can help you discover a new addition to your own to-read list.

Without further ado, here they are…

These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

This book is a fictionalized account of the life of an actual woman who lived in Arizona in the mid  nineteenth to early twentieth century. It is both entertaining and poignant. It’s written as if it were the main character’s journal entries, told entirely from her perspective. This is a book that is touching, funny, and well written. I highly recommend it. Perfect for a cozy winter evening!

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Ever since I read What Alice Forgot (which I highly recommend, by the way), Liane Moriarty has been an author I’ve been interested in reading more from. Moriarty is an Australian author who writes what I would categorize as chick lit with a twist. Her books are highly entertaining and yet they have an unexpected depth and substance to them.

Big Little Lies starts (like many of Moriarty’s books) at the end of the story. Through flashbacks, pieces of the story are filled in and things begin to fall into place. The story line—flashbacks and all—follow the lives of several families in a coastal town in Australia. The lives of these characters are interwoven in intricate and sometimes unexpected ways. As the story unfolds, we see glimpses of what’s really happening, and it’s not what you might think at first. As with all of Moriarty’s books (at least the ones I’ve read) there is a major plot twist at the very end.

Children in Church by Curt and Sandra Lovelace

I actually read a large portion of this book in article form almost a decade ago. Having personally known the Lovelaces for many years, I and my family have benefited from their personal guidance over the years. The wisdom and practical advice found in this book are invaluable. The Lovelaces lay a solid basis for children’s involvement in the church worship service, and then give useful ways to implement this with our own families. We had the privilege of sitting and learning at the feet of these wonderfully godly people; now you can, too.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

As I mentioned in my Fall Lifestyle Favorites post, this book challenged my thinking about finances in a way I never expected. It’s considered a classic amongst entrepreneurial types and those interested in building financial security. This book made me realize how much I didn’t understand about the way money works. I’d always been a bit intimidated by finances before, but reading this book helped me realized I don’t need to feel that way. In a nutshell, I’m so glad I read this book. I’m glad that when I read it, I was in a place to be able to receive the information contained in it.

Building a Framework by Abby Lawson

This is a book about blogging. Since I’m a blogger, it was perfect for me (obviously). There is so much to learn and do when it comes to blogging. A lot goes on behind the scenes of a blog that (if it’s done right) the readers never even realize. This book helped me learn how to implement some strategies that can help my efforts as a blogger to be successful. Hopefully, those strategies will ultimately help you as my blog readers to receive value from what I do here on Mud Boots and Pearls. I’m grateful that Abby wrote this ebook from her own experiences and shared what she learned in order to help other bloggers.

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

Truly Madly Guilty is Liane Moriarty newest book. In all honesty cannot recommend this one quite as highly as the other Moriarty books I already mentioned above. This is due mainly to the fact that certain more mature subject matter is covered quite extensively. I would not have chosen to read this book if I had known about some of the topics that are delved into in this book.

It is written in the author’s typical “start at the end” style, with the typical plot twists you would expect from this author. There’s a backyard barbecue where something terrible happens. You don’t learn about this terrible thing that happened until more that two thirds of the way through the book. The build up to the event actually becomes a bit tedious, more so than in Moriarty’s other books (at least in my opinion).

There is some strong language and, as I mentioned, mature content. Because of these elements, I really can’t recommend this particular book. I just want you to be aware of these things. Just because an author has one or two (or more) books you like doesn’t mean all of their books will be as good.

I hope this list gave you some ideas for future reading. Do you have any book recommendations to share in the comments? I’d love to hear them if you’d care to share.