Fall Reading List 2022

by Robin Turnipseed

Our Top 3 Recommendations for Your Fall Reading

Oh, summer, you little sneak! You fooled me this year. You saw me construct all my elaborate plans. You looked on and chuckled as I daydreamed of myself sitting poolside reading in between answering the endless calls of “Mom, watch this! Mom, can I have money for the snack shack? and “Mom, please get Josie’s mom’s phone number so we can facetime and have endless playdates.” Ok, so even in my daydreams, my reading wasn’t uninterrupted, but still, they contained reading.

Summer, you knew that your days would quickly fill with football practices and reading and math tutoring and that any free moments between field day and meet the teacher day would be scarce. However, school is back in session, and I am taking back the reigns.

The Return to Reading

I can finally dig out the (untouched) books I carted around in my pool bag all season. You see, the return to school means the return of the carline, the return of doctor’s appointments, and the return of waiting on the bleachers for football games to begin. I always try to carry a book with me to make my wait easier.

I am also counting down the days until chilly weather hits, and I can curl up with a blanket and something new to read. If you are looking for a few new carline and cold weather companions too, here are my recommendations, all carrying a hint of nostalgia to keep your time occupied and your mind entertained while you wait.

Book 1: I Feel Bad About My Neck And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron

I wish this book could be mailed out to every woman in her thirties with a note that says, “Read this. Aging is hilarious. It happens to the best of us, and it will all be ok”. I admittedly laughed the first time I heard the title of Ephron’s book. Having grabbed a copy shortly after the book was published, my then 28-year-old self could not see why anyone would feel bad about one’s neck. My 44-year-old self now has a firm understanding of Ephron’s title. As I reread the book this summer, I found myself nodding my head in agreement and muttering, “that’s so true” under my breath. Ephron writes with humor about aging and how to embrace it fully, laugh through it and be utterly unapologetic about its aspects.

Ephron not only shares her unabashed thoughts on handling all the maintenance and challenges that accompany aging, but she details tackling life and relationships in Manhattan, the evolving stages of parenting, and how she fell hopelessly head-over-heels for, wait for it, an apartment. If you were a teenager in the 1990s and enjoyed My Blue Heaven, When Harry Met Sally and You’ve Got Mail, all screenplays penned by Nora Ephron, you should add this to your reading list. It is like having coffee with a dear friend. 

Book 2: What Would Audrey Do? Timeless Lessons for Living with Grace and Style by Pamela Keough

The first time I met Audrey Hepburn, she wore a red coat, black gloves, and a gorgeous leopard pillbox hat. I watched as she charmed and chased Cary Grant around the streets of 1960s Paris in the romantic thriller Charade, and I have adored her ever since. 

In her book, Pamela Keogh speaks to all the parts we have come to know and love about Audrey Hepburn, her style, elegance, and generosity. Keough offers all of the insights into Hepburn’s Hollywood glamours and timeless style while weaving in brief glimpses into her childhood and personal relationships. The book addresses practicalities like creating a warm home environment, learning how to choose the correct LBD for your body and unique style, travel tips, and ironing a shirt to crisp perfection while offering fun facts and personal anecdotes to keep the reading light. For example, I found out that one of the only things Audry Hepburn requested in her hotel suites were a hair dryer, an iron, and an ironing board. A quick read, this book makes the perfect companion to any car-line wait.

Book 3: Talking as Fast as I Can, From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham 

A mysterious thing happens every October. Just about when the leaves begin to change and chilly weather wins the battle over the humidity, I find myself humming “Where You Lead, I Will Follow” by Carole King. If you were, and still are, a Gilmore Girls fan, you know this to be the theme song. If you are not a fan, you may wonder why I am humming this tune and also why I am confessing to said humming. However, if you are like me and long to revisit Stars Hollow, the home of Lorelei & Rory Gilmore, the moment you see autumn leaves falling, you will adore Lauren Graham’s book.

Graham, who played the lead character in Gilmore Girls, describes her first years in Hollywood. From working summer theater in upstate Michigan to gain her theatrical union card to walking red carpets and working for decades in the television world, Graham shares one humourous story after another. I liken this book to a decadent dessert that I want to rush through but also slow down to savor. Not only does Graham reveal how she gained her role on Gilmore Girls and what the experience was like, but she documents all the behind-the-scenes happenings as she sits down for a rewatch of the entire series. It truly is like having a self-guided tour. Also, if you are a fan, do yourself a favor and splurge on the audiobook. You will not regret it one bit!

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