Arts & Entertainment
10 Books You Need To Read In October
From Reese Witherspoon's memoir to Nicholas Sparks' newest novel, these are the page-turners everyone's going to be talking about.
Fall is finally here, and we're looking forward to sweater weather, pumpkin picking and, of course, snuggling up with some really great reads. If you're looking to do the same, we've rounded up 10 of the best books to read this season.
This list — a mix of picks from Patch staffers and Amazon editors — has something for everyone. We've got memoirs, mysteries, non-fiction, the latest Nicholas Sparks novel and everything in between. If you like reading, you're going to love these books.
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#1 "A Spark of Light: A Novel" by Jodi Picoult
It's just another morning at the Center, a women's reproductive health services clinic, until a distraught gunman bursts through the doors and opens fire, taking everyone inside hostage. Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, rushes to the scene, but as he makes a plan to communicate with the gunman, he learns his 15-year-old daughter Wren is among the hostages being held inside. Wren will spend the next few hours of her young life with a cast of unforgettable characters. There's the doctor whose faith is tested, the nurse whose strength is unparalleled, the undercover protester who finds herself terrified to be on this side of things, a young woman who came in to terminate her pregnancy and the gunman himself, who wants desperately to be heard. "Spark of Light" provides a harrowing account of the tense time these individuals spend together and looks back at how each one of them found their way to the clinic on that fateful day.
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#2 "Cross Her Heart: A Novel" by Sarah Pinborough
A long time ago, Lisa broke a big promise, and it left her unwilling and unable to trust anyone. She moved forward as best as she could, devoting her life to her daughter, Ava, her job and her best friend, Marilyn. When she meets a handsome new client at work, Lisa thinks she might be ready to let the past go. But when her daughter rescues a boy from drowning and their pictures are all over the news, Lisa's past comes back to haunt her. Someone wants to see Lisa — and her daughter — suffer for the promise she broke, and they're willing to do whatever it takes in the quest for revenge.
#3 "Chris Beat Cancer" by Chris Wark
Chris Wark was just 26 years old when he was diagnosed withs stage 3 colon cancer. After having surgery to remove a golf ball-sized tumor and a portion of his colon, Wark opted against chemotherapy and radiation, choosing instead to radically change his diet and lifestyle. In "Chris Beat Cancer," the survivor recounts his journey to wellness and how the process of healing naturally worked for him.
#4 "Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits" by Reese Witherspoon
America's sweetheart has written a book — and it's filled with life lessons, family recipes, personal stories and beautiful photos. "Whiskey in a Teacup" is a testament to strong women and serves as the ultimate read for anyone with a love or curiosity about life in the South.
#5 "Every Breath" by Nicholas Sparks
Hope Anderson is 36 and has been dating her orthopedic surgeon boyfriend for six years. When her father is diagnosed with ALS, she heads to the family's cottage in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, to prepare the house for sale and mull over some big decisions about her future. It's there that her path crosses with Tru Walls, a born and raised Zimbabwean visiting North Carolina for the first time after hearing from a man who claims to be his biological father. Hope and Tru have an instant, electric connection, but their personal circumstances and familial obligations could never allow for anything to happen... Could they? "Every Breath" explores these heartbreaking conflicts — and other matters of the heart — in the way that only a Nicholas Sparks novel can.
#6 "Waiting for Eden: A Novel" by Elliot Ackerman
After being gravely injured while fighting in Iraq, Eden Malcolm returns home to his seemingly loving and supportive wife. Every day, he lies in a hospital bed, unable to move or speak, with his wife loyally by his side. On Christmas day, while his wife is away, Eden figures out a way to communicate using a click of his jaw. In doing so, he begins to discover some heartbreaking truths about his marriage — and his life before he went to war. From the confines of a hospital bed, Eden is forced to reassess his own identity, love, forgiveness and what it is that makes life worth living.
#7 "Bitter Orange: A Novel" by Claire Fuller
In the summer of 1969, Frances Jellico becomes fascinated by the couple staying in the room below hers in a dilapidated English country mansion. Much to Frances' surprise, this glamorous, fascinating couple is eager to get to know her, and before long, she's spending nearly every night with them eating lavish dinners, drinking wine and smoking cigarettes, But as the summer progresses, Frances realizes there's something not quite right with this hedonistic couple. Soon, she's irreparably tangled up with them both after a small crime committed brings on a much bigger offense — one so terrible it will brand all of their lives forever.
#8 "There Will Be No Miracles Here: A Memoir"by Casey Gerald
Casey Gerald begins his story in Dallas, on New Year's Eve 1999, as a member of the congregation of his grandfather's black evangelical church. Gerald's beautiful, fragile mother is among the parishioners carried off to be healed — a scene that's frequent throughout his adolescence. Gerald and his sister get by on his mother's disability checks. When Gerald is recruited to play football at Yale, he's eager for a chance to pursue an education and eventually provide for his family. He finds success in the Ivy league, going on to excel on Wall Street, Washington and beyond. But as Gerald conquers this new world, he sees more clearly than ever how it's crushing the people living at its margins. He witnesses the elite perpetuating a cycle that keeps others from rising — and his own ascension is part of the scheme. In "There Will Be No Miracles Here," Gerald provides a poignant, personal perspective into the myth of the American Dream.
#9 "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
Young love is hard — and friendships can be just as tricky. In "Odd One Out," each side of a teenage love triangle is told by the parties involved. It's the same story, essentially, but it plays out completely different from his perspective and both of hers.
#10 "Holy Ghost: A Virgil Flowers Novel" by John Sanford
Pinion, Minnesota is a sleepy town of 700 people. Nothing revolutionary ever happens there until its mayor of sorts (whose slogan is "I'll do what I can") and a pal come up with a scheme to put Pinion on the map. They heard about another place where a floating image of the Virgin Mary turned a whole town into a shrine, and they figured why not try something similar with Pinion? Their attempt at fame goes wrong quickly, and a dead body that shows up is just the beginning of their troubles — and Detective Virgil Flowers'.
Looking for even more great books? Check out last month's reading list!
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