Tag Archives: kate christensen

must reads: october’s fiction list

editor’s note:  have you entered our inhabit cashmere giveaway yet?  if not, today’s your last chance…don’t miss it!

now that the weather has cooled off, chances are you’ll be looking for a few books to curl up with this month.  so i thought i’d update you on a few of my favorites from the massive pile of books i’ve made it through over the last few weeks.

the heart of the matter (emily giffin):  i’ve always loved emily giffin’s books…i think she and i are just on similar life paths.  when she wrote about weddings, i was in the middle of mine.  baby drama (or at least other people’s baby drama)?  check.  and her latest book is about a couple who’s been married for a few years, settled into their lives, and then everything changes.  okay, so that last part isn’t exactly right.  but i still loved reading about women at a similar place in their lives, going through things i can imagine going through, and seeing how they handle it.  it’s a great read, and i think giffin is one of the best chick lit writers out there.

the cookbook collector (allegra goodman): this one took me a long time to fall into…but about 150 pages in, the author finally hooked me, and i flew through the rest.  it’s the story of a pair of sisters and the way they each navigate very different lives, intertwined with some pre- and post-9/11 fallout and an interesting side story about, shockingly, a cookbook collector.  it is well written, though i felt like the author was trying a little too hard sometimes.  so, not as high on my list as it was on some others (this was *the* fall book to read according to several different magazines), but it was a good read.

the great man (kate christensen):  i actually picked this book up over a year ago, and it’s been languishing on my bookshelf ever since.  but now that i’ve finished it, i can’t believe it took me so long.  it’s the story of a (fictional) famous painter who’s died, and the stories the women in his life have to tell about him.  it’s beautifully written, and the character development is absolutely perfect.  if you’re into character dramas, this is one of the best i’ve read in a while.

next, i’m still working through barbara kingsolver’s latest, the lacuna, a new title from julia glass, who i love, and a whole pile of anne lamott books i can’t wait to dive into.

what have you been reading lately?

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