Crunchy Leaves and Curling up with a Good Book

WLMAC's First Fall Reading List

Binders and notebooks are stuffed into backpacks. Students are skipping or dragging their feet into school. Leaves will soon transform into stunning displays of red, orange and yellow shades. Dust is cleaned off of boxes of woolly sweaters and are blissfully welcomed back into the wardrobes. Cobwebs, pumpkins and skeletons are slated to make their annual return. The air is turning crisp with the smell of fallen leaves, allspice and new school year aspirations. Personally, it is the most wonderful time of the year at WLMAC. Most of all, this atmosphere is perfect for preparing a hot drink of preference and diving into a literary journey. For those who don’t know me, my name is Lea Pelemis. I am a self-proclaimed fall enthusiast and will provide some suggestions on your autumnal reads.

When first asked to give my list of book suggestions, my knee-jerk reaction was to retort with my go-to book recommendation, Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This piece of literary fiction tells the story of Evelyn Hugo, a Hollywood icon. It details the hidden side of her rise to stardom from an everyday reporter. The tale takes place in the captivating setting of Old Hollywood. This novel is also the first book in Taylor Jenkins Reid loosely connected to her lineup of books covering decades from the 50s to the 90s. I feel that this book (along with several other books on this list) is mistakenly branded as being a romance. While romance does drive the narrative, it is ultimately about Evelyn herself and her growth. She is the most well-developed and complex character. However, I found the time that cut back to the present day of the reporter writing her story not only disruptive to the plot but also boring. On the whole, though, I found the book to be a brilliantly executed piece of historical fiction.

Nothing says autumn like a murder. Not in practice though! (Metropolis doesn’t have the money for lawsuits) A favourite murder mystery of mine is A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Pippa Fitz-Amobi, a crime fanatic, centers her senior capstone thesis on the Andie Bell murder, the most talked-about unsolved homicide in her small town. She works alongside the suspected murderer's brother, to prove the suspected murderer's innocence. They discover there is much more to the story than meets the eye. All things considered, this is probably one of my favourite young adult trilogies of all time. The characters, especially Ravi and Pippa, are effortlessly charming and interesting. The plot had me get paper cuts time and again at the speed I flew through it. The first time I read it, I finished the last third of the book in one night! An excellent choice for an electrifying read on a stormy night.

Ew, another girlboss amirite? Not in the case of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. It isn’t any secret that female empowering media nowadays typically runs flat and comes off as performative. But in Lessons in Chemistry, Garmus shows the tactfulness to Elizabeth Zott, a chemist from the 60s, that is absolutely sublime. Despite her qualifications and capabilities, her male coworkers treat her like a doormat and secretary, except when they want to take credit for her work. Due to extenuating circumstances, Elizabeth finds herself hosting a cooking show a few years later, where she still wishes to be taken seriously as a scientist. The characterization of Elizabeth Zott as multi-layered, entertaining and brave. I found it compelling: my mother also works in the science field and went through school with a predominantly male class. She shares Elizabeth’s passion, wit, ingenuity, and stubbornness. The story is eloquently paced. My only grievance was that the side story on rowing was a bit out of place tonally. A fun fact about this book is that Garmus had very little hand in the design of the cover for the North American edition. Funnily enough, the pink cover goes against what one imagined the main character, Elizabeth Zott, would’ve wanted for her story. Throughout the book, the character expresses her dissatisfaction with pinkifying the marketing material when targeting females. A very solid read, if only for the number of times while reading this book that a fellow TTC customer asked me, “Is that actually about chemistry?”

High school. A breeding ground for new passions and opportunities in addition to social anxiety, self-worth issues and bad mental health. Subjects perfectly encapsulated in Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella. The protagonist of this tale is Audrey, a fifteen-year-old girl who has an anxiety problem due to being bullied at school, which has caused her to seek counseling. Now that she is trying to rebuild her confidence, she stays at home with her family and therapist who support her. This book paints a picture of then-not-often-discussed teenage struggles with mental illness and the process of going through therapy at a young age. The characters are all desperately funny for such a grim topic. Oftentimes, in challenging circumstances many default to humour to get themselves through it. This would pair nicely with someone with an appreciation for dark? humour and introspection?.

When the last vibrant autumn leaf is buried under the cover of snow and ice, I hope you have a wondrous time reading. Until next time, beneath the peaceful snowfall, I look forward to sharing some cozy (and some chilly!) winter reads with you. Lea Pelemis signing off.