In keeping with last month’s theme of me claiming to be too busy to write a proper blog post, I’ve compiled a short and sweet book list. If you missed my first Something For Everyone list in 2019, be sure to check out those 15 fabulous books too.
Why have I been so busy? It’s because until earlier this month when we locked picture on our feature film comedy Bigfoot Killed My Wife, I was busy in the editing room. Then as soon as we delivered the film to Los Angeles for final sound design and music, I opened my laptop once again and resumed working on the manuscript for my first novel.
That’s why I haven’t been blogging or posting as much lately. Last week, one of my girlfriends texted to let me know she had read and loved more than one book on my original Something For Everyone list (which made me very happy to hear!). It made me realize that doing a second list would be perfect for a short and sweet September blog entry.
So here it is. A dozen more “Something for Everyone” books to read:
If you love the TV series Little House on the Prairie and want to know the juicy behind the scenes stories, read this memoir by the hilarious actress who played the nasty Nellie Oleson:
Confessions of a Prairie Bitchy by Alison Arngrim
(Full blog review here)
If you like psychological thrillers with snappy chapters, lots of dialogue, and sparse, efficient prose, read this fun and twisty page-turner:
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
If you enjoy stories that explore the gray area of love, marriage, attraction, and infidelity, read this novel that is much deeper than its cutesy cover suggests:
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
If you’re up for a shocking, infuriating, tragic, and fascinating account of how early 1900s radium factories turned workers into radioactive, glowing, and gravely ill “radium girls,” read this historical non-fiction book:
Radium Girls by Kate Moore
If you’re intrigued by the concept of reincarnation and soul mates, read this magical love story:
My Name is Memory by Anne Brashares
If you want to be swept into an atmospheric coming of age tale of friendship, murder, and prejudice set in the ‘50s and ‘60s swamps of North Carolina, read this literary fiction novel:
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
If you’re fascinated by true crime stories and you love historical non-fiction, read this tale of murder, magic, and madness at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago:
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
(Full blog review here)
If you like long, romantic, sweeping, historical stories with graphic sex scenes and you don’t mind a little melodrama and flowery language, read this World War II novel:
The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons
If you like World War II historical fiction but you’re too busy to dive into a thick book, read this young adult novel about a fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl taken from her home by Soviet soldiers:
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
If you’re a fan of gymnastics and want to truly understand what is meant when it’s said that the toxic culture of the sport needs to change, read this harrowing memoir by the ’86 National Champion:
Chalked Up by Jennifer Sey
If the allure of teenage love and summer enchantment appeals to you, read this fun little young adult gem:
The Boys Next Door by Jennifer Echols (included inside the Endless Summer omnibus)
If a story set in the majestic yet harsh landscape of Antarctica sounds interesting to you, read this novel about a research scientist working with the Antarctic Penguins Project:
My Last Continent by Midge Raymond
(Full blog review here)
Happy reading!
Hallie Shepherd is a writer, actress, and film producer and editor. Follow her on Instagram where she celebrates the stories we tell.
