Welcome to day five of Five Fall Favorites — the annual autumn celebration of all things bookish!
It’s so hard to believe we only have two more days! If you’ve read my previous posts (Day #1, Day #2, Day #3, & Day #4) this week, feel free to skip on down to today’s theme. And if not, here’s a brief recap.
Every day this week (6 days in all), I and a group of other book bloggers will be sharing posts centered around certain bookish themes, and packed full of some of our favorite book recommendations from the past year. I’ll link to a number of those blogs at the end of this post, but for even more links and information, you should check out our hosts’ sites!
Five Fall Favorites is hosted this year by Katja at Little Blossoms for Jesus and Kate at Once Upon an Ordinary (click on their blog names, or the graphics below to visit their blogs). Thank you both so much!
Giveaway
In addition to book recommendations, there’s also a giveaway again this year!
Two winners will be drawn (one international, and one in the U. S.), and contacted after the week is over. Check out the prize graphics below to see what you could win!
To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is click HERE!
FREEBIES
Lastly, every day this week, certain participating bloggers will be sharing freebies of their books! These books will only be free for a couple of days at most, so be sure to snag your copies right away! A list of the freebies each day will be available at either of our host’s blogs (HERE or HERE).
Today’s Theme(s)
Today I’m combining two themes: family and friendship.
Both of these themes go together so well for me, and I had a hard time narrowing down which books could go to each theme, so I figured, why not mix them? Both are themes that I really value in fiction. Family – both blood and found – and genuinely healthy friendships are my favorite types of relationships to find and include in stories.
Honestly, I would venture to say that most of the books I read feature family and friendship in some capacity, and I love it!
All the books I share this week are ones that I’ve either read in the past year, or are currently reading/re-reading, so please feel free to leave any questions you might have about the books below, and I’ll do my best to answer.
Also, I’ve reviewed many of these more thoroughly on Goodreads, so if you’re interested in reading my thoughts – and other reviews – you can find the Goodreads link under each book, or by clicking on each book’s title. I’m slightly behind in my reviews, but hoping to catch up in the next week!
Let’s hop in!
BEATRICE OPHELIA IS FLICKERING OUT
Author: Megan Gerig
Genre: Cozy contemporary mystery
Target Audience: NA (New Adult)
What Stuck Out to Me: This cozy story might be a murder mystery, but the central theme woven throughout is about family, specifically a broken one and the protagonist’s efforts to draw everyone back together, so it fits the theme today really well. This was a really fun and heartfelt book.
I’m rarely a mystery reader (nothing against them, I just don’t often gravitate to them), but I’ve gotten to meet and speak with this author a number of times, and she’s so sweet that I was excited to try out her debut. And it’s such a sweet story! I love how unique certain elements were, such as the protagonist being a candle maker, and a couple elements of the setting and mystery.
I also really appreciated that the murder part of the mystery wasn’t graphic or focused on. It isn’t a dark story at all, even though it does broach a few difficult topics. They’re covered with both hope and honesty, and (thankfully!), the ending is a fairly happy one. I especially loved how dedicated the protagonist is on healing her family, even when that seems impossible.
I didn’t guess where the mystery was headed, but after it was revealed, it made total sense, which are the best kinds of mysteries I think. And the main setting was so atmospheric and cozy! I would absolutely visit that harbor and festival. Lastly, the sibling relationship made me smile, and the friends to more romance was really cute. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!
Tricky Content: Non-graphic murder, mentions of blood, discussions of tough topics (drugs, alcoholism, affairs, abusive marriage)
I’d Recommend It To: Readers 13+ who enjoy cozy mysteries set in small-town, coastal locations, candles, complicated family situations, and touching themes of identity, healing, and forgiveness.
Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!
LIAR IN THE HOLLOW COURT
Author: Bethany Atazadeh
Genre: Contemporary fantasy
Target Audience: YA (Young Adult)
What Stuck Out to Me: This one has such fun found family elements, with a group of characters that become tight-knit friends (against their better judgements?), and a family trying to find one another again, so it had to be included. I really enjoy this author’s books, and this is my favorite yet!
I don’t read too many contemporary fantasies (books with fantasy elements/people set in our modern day), so it took me a little bit to get into, but within a few chapters, I was engrossed, and finished the rest of the book within a day. I listened to the audiobook version and can definitely recommend. It was a lot of fun to hear the characters come to life that way.
As will be a recurring theme, the characters made this a really memorable book. I so enjoyed the ragtag group. Each character felt like they were there for a reason, with a life and goals and personality of their own, and they meshed really well. Their banter was fun, but they all cared for one another in sweet ways.
The author markets this book’s romance to comparable to some spicy books, but without the spice, and without having read the comps, I can get a feel of that in how she twisted some of those tropes. I did really appreciate that their romance was clean, and developed naturally. The protagonist’s reluctance to trust the main male protagonist made for a really intriguing dynamic. And the worldbuilding was also great! I’m so excited for the sequels in this series to learn even more about the world, mythical beings, etc.
Tricky Content: A character drinks fae wine and gets “intoxicated”, their is a clean twist on the one-bed trope, kidnapping, emotional peril, human trafficking
I’d Recommend It To: Readers 13+ who enjoy adventurous books, cozy portal fantasies, fae and other mythical beings, intriguing and complex fantasy worlds, and close family (both blood and found).
Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!
LOST AND FOUND
Author: Orson Scott Card
Genre: Contemporary fantasy (?)
Target Audience: YA (Young Adult)
What Stuck Out to Me: I wasn’t sure whether to include this book this week because it’s a bit of a deviation from my normal reads, and I want to be super honest about that. There’s a bit more mature content than I usually prefer to recommend, so please be aware of your own preferences before you pick it up. Personally, the themes won me over – particularly the heavy focus on both family and friendship.
I knew next to nothing about this story when I started the audiobook, but I had trouble taking breaks from it. The story and its premise was really unique, with the protagonist holding a special power for somehow knowing where/who a lost object belonged to. Only, that mysterious power gets him a reputation for being the one to have stolen the items in the first place and leads to him being bullied and ostracized, and a loner too.
The characters were the best part of this for me. I don’t always like super snarky protagonists, but these two were so endearing that I couldn’t help but enjoy their dialogue. Their developing friendship was cute. The adults in this story were actually highlights too, particularly the police officer and dad.
This story is surprisingly meaningful, and tackled some pretty dark topics with snark, honesty, and heart. I called some plot twists, didn’t see some of them coming at all, and was pretty content with where everything wrapped up – especially that it felt very real. It wasn’t a cheerful ending, but it was satisfying. I think I’ll be rereading this one.
Tricky Content: Some language, bullying, crude/sexual humor, human trafficking, death (parental and other), “micro-powers” and references to a character possibly (but not) being a psychic
I’d Recommend It To: Readers probably 16+ who enjoy unique and odd (in a good way) stories with hard topics, honest and thought-provoking scenes, mystery, and sarcastic, memorable characters you can’t help but root for.
Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!
OPHELIA BROWN AND THE MYTHICAL MENAGERIE
Author: Julia Witmer
Genre: Portal fantasy
Target Audience: MG (Middle-Grade) +
What Stuck Out to Me: I’ve recommended this one (the whole series in fact) before, but it was such a perfect fit for the family theme, I wanted to include it again. I love examples of healthy, close-knit families in fiction, and this is a great one, especially for younger readers!
I absolutely loved the first book in this series (then loaned it to my younger siblings who also really enjoyed it), so this was a highly anticipated sequel. It didn’t disappoint! If anything, I actually enjoyed this one even more.
I really enjoyed the sheer variety of characters and mythical beings, all with vivid personalities, fascinating backstories, and neat quirks. The descriptions were also beautiful, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to explore a lot more of the story world. Every chapter held new elements I wasn’t expecting, and it was fun wondering what might be next.
My other favorite element was the character growth! If you know me, this isn’t a surprise, haha, but characters and their growth are always my favorite. The protagonist wrestled with very relatable and crucial struggles, including managing her anger, feeling left out, overcoming fear, and trusting after hardship. Overall, a very fun, creative, and sweet story, and I eagerly await book #3!
Tricky Content: One usage of “shut up”, some mild violence, a few vaguely-described injuries, peril, the protagonist suffers from non-described nightmares, and wrestles with loss of trust, feeling betrayed and angry, and guilt
I’d Recommend It To: Readers 10+ who enjoy adventurous middle-grade portal fantasy stories with plenty of heart, clean and meaningful themes, and a healthy dose of action/suspense. Bonus points if you enjoy books in a series!
Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!
ROMANOV
Author: Nadine Brandes
Genre: Historical Fantasy (very loosely based on Anastasia Romanov & her family)
Target Audience: YA (Young Adult)
What Stuck Out to Me: This is another one that I’ve recommended before (I’m sorry, it’s a favorite of mine and I can’t help it), but I recently re-listened to the audiobook and it also fits so well into the family theme. Family is such a large part of the story, and a core element of the themes.
I’ve long been intrigued by the tragic story of the Romanov family and the mystery and legends surrounding them, so this fantasy twist is right up my alley. It’s an intriguing, emotional, and well-developed take on their tale, adding in a fascinating and creative magic system.
Best of all, again, are the characters. Relatable, fascinating, and strong, but still imperfect in very real ways. Their relationships, especially the close-knit family during their biggest hardships, inspire me and make me appreciate my own family more. And the romance was both beautiful and heartbreaking. There were so many times I didn’t know what was going to happen, and it kept me on my toes.
While the story starts slowly, the plot grows more mysterious and intense as the story progressed, and by the halfway point, I’m usually unable to stop reading. Strong themes of courage, family, and sacrifice are the cherries on top. There couldn’t really be a sequel for this one, but it definitely leaves me wanting more.
Tricky Content: A magic system with spells, violence and death, some intense/disturbing scenes, brief kisses, and drunkenness (portrayed negatively).
I’d Recommend It To: Readers intrigued by the Romanov family, historical fantasy with creative magic systems, and/or Russian-inspired fiction with heart-tugging romance.
Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!
Because there are so many bloggers participating in Five Fall Favorites, we’ve been split into teams! There’s no competition – only the opportunity to ensure everyone’s posts are shared.
I’m part of Team Mouse (see the adorable graphic below), and I highly encourage you to check out the rest of my teammates’ posts for their recommended books today. That’s where I’m headed!
Here’s the list of bloggers in Team Mouse (click each name to visit that site):
- Kate @ Once Upon an Ordinary
- Meagan @ Blooming With Books
- Skai @ Inspirational Skai
- Virginia @ Books by Virginia
Thank you so much for joining me today! Have you read any of the books I shared? Are there any that stick out to you? I’d love to hear from you, so drop a comment below, and we’ll meet again tomorrow for the final day of Five Fall Favorites!
Remember to go enter that giveaway HERE!