Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that asks bloggers to create Top Ten lists on a variety of bookish topics. My Fall TBR list is a combination of a few upcoming releases (but, not many at this point!), books from my “must at least try before the end of the year” list, and books for Nonfiction November.
Top Ten Books on My Fall 2015 TBR List
Upcoming Fall Releases
Avenue of Mysteries by John Irving (November 3, 2015)
I’m not too psyched by the premise of Irving’s latest novel AND the average Goodreads rating is currently only 2.92 (but, I’ve learned not to put much stock in these ratings), but Irving is on my auto-buy list, so I’ll at least give this one a shot.
City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg (October 13, 2015)
This is the sprawling epic debut about 1970’s New York City…that got a $2 million advance. I read the Prologue and was definitely drawn in, but am waiting for the e-book to come out to read the rest since it’s over 900 pages!
Nonfiction November
Missoula by Jon Krakauer (April 21, 2015)
I loved Krakauer’s meticulous, yet spellbinding looks at climbing Mt. Everest (Into Thin Air) and Mormon fundamentalism (Under the Banner of Heaven), so I’m looking forward to seeing what he does with the topic of sexual assault on college campuses.
Speed Kings by Andy Bull (October 20, 2015)
Ever since The Boys in the Boat, I’m down with nonfiction about lesser known Olympic sports in the 1930’s! Instead of rowing, Speed Kings tells the story of four men trying to win bobsledding gold in the 1932 Lake Placid Olympics.
The Three-Year Swim Club by Julie Checkoway (October 27, 2015)
More on the 1930’s Olympics front…this time destitute swimmers from Maui training against all odds in the late 1930’s and 1940’s, against the backdrop of World War II.
The Train to Crystal City by Jan Jarboe Russell (January 20, 2015)
More from the World War II era…”The dramatic and never-before-told story of a secret FDR-approved American internment camp in Texas during World War II, where thousands of families – many US citizens – were incarcerated.” – Goodreads
The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg (September 16, 2014)
This book was quite the rage during last year’s Nonfiction November and I feel like I missed the boat! Time to play catch up.
“Must At Least Try Before End of the Year” List
Did You Ever Have A Family? by Bill Clegg (September 8, 2015)
I got a copy of this debut novel about a family tragedy at BEA, but decided to wait until I could get the Kindle version to read it. Since then, every single review I’ve read has been glowing, almost making me nervous it isn’t going to live up to the hype! Fingers crossed…
Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart (September 1, 2015)
Ditto Did You Ever Have A Family?
Where All the Light Tends to Go by David Joy (March 5, 2015)
I’ve had great luck with “grit lit” this year and I loved the sample of this coming of age story about a rough boy from the area around Cashiers, North Carolina.
Tuesday Intro
Every Tuesday, fellow blogger Bibliophile By the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where bloggers share the first paragraph of the book they are currently reading or thinking about reading soon.
I just started this one and can’t say I’m super enthralled so far, but I’m going to give it some more time.
Plot Summary from Amazon (adapted for length)
Late October, 1962. Wes Avery, a one-time Air Force tail-gunner, is living his version of the American Dream as loving husband to Sarah, doting father to seventeen-year-old Charlotte, and owner of a successful Texaco station along central Florida’s busiest highway. But after President Kennedy announces that the Soviets have nuclear missiles in Cuba, Army convoys clog the highways and the sky fills with fighter planes. Within days, Wes’s carefully constructed life begins to unravel.
With heartbreaking clarity and compassion, Susan Carol McCarthy captures the shock and innocence, anxiety and fear, in those thirteen historic days, and brings vividly to life one ordinary family trying to hold center while the world around them falls apart.
Here’s the first paragraph of the Prologue (from an uncorrected proof):
10:47 a.m., Wednesday, March 11, 2009
As I wheel right into Dad’s driveway, a six-foot chain-link fence jumps up out of nowhere. I stomp on the brakes. My car heaves to a stop within inches of the padlocked gate.
Would you keep reading?
Thanks for sharing your list!
I’m interested in A Place We Knew Well. I’m not old enough to really remember that time, but was alive during the Cuban Missile Crisis. As to your 10 books, I eventually want to read Missoula (loved Krakauer’s Into Thin Air), Girl With A Gun, and Did You Ever Have A Family. Am also planning on trying City On Fire.
Just finished A Place We Knew Well and was so disappointed. It was just blah, despite the totally intriguing premise!
Did You Ever Have a Family and Girl Waits with Gun are popping up everywhere lately. I’m curious at your thoughts about those two. I’m also keen to read your review on A Place We Knew Well because despite not being able to read it, I’m participating in the blog tour for the book.
Yes, they are! And – I’m on the blog tour as well…which is now stressing me out because I really didn’t like the book (now finished it).
Oh, boy! I wanted to link my promotion to your review. =-O
I forgot about nonfiction November… and even have a list of possibilities, including The Underground Girls of Kabul. Just posted my fall tbr list and it’s already outdated! LOL!
Haha – isn’t that the point of putting together TBR lists?! To have them change 50 times and never really end up checking off any entire list?
Wonderful TBR list for the fall! I read The Train to Crystal City early this year and found it very well written. I hope you’ll like it as much as I did. And I have Speed Kings waiting for me as well. I’ve been curious about the Swim Club, so I’m looking forward to your review. Happy Reading!
Oooh – good to hear about Crystal City! And – are you a fellow Olympics buff??
My favorite NF is history-related, but any sports-related NF is a very close second. So yes, fellow Olympics buff here! 🙂
Yay! And put history and sports together and you’ve got a real winner!
I’m interested in reading several books on your list. I also got an ARC of City on Fire at BEA, and as much as I want to start it, its heft has held me back.
Hah – me too! I did read the Prologue and loved it, but having to wait for the e-book to really dig in. It would take me months to finish otherwise.
I want to read this as well, since I was a kid in the 60’s and recall parents and adults concerned about the missile crisis.
I’ve now finished it and I was sadly disappointed 🙁
I’m totally intrigued by all your non-fiction picks! I’m always saying I want to read more non-fiction — and I actually have read a bit more this year, but not as much as I’d like. It sounds like you enjoyed “The Boys in the Boat,” which has been on my non-fiction TBR list for a while now. I’m definitely going to look up the swimming one you mentioned — we used to live in Hawaii so anything that takes place there piques my interest! And “The Underground Girls of Kabul” too! Thanks for making my to-read list EVEN longer!! 😉
I’ve barely read any nonfiction all year! I tend to save them for Nonfiction November and then end up with way too many pics for that month! This year is no different – ha!
I actually just bookmarked this one on Amazon, after seeing it on another blog…I remember those thirteen days, and how we thought, for a little while, that our world would blow up.
Thanks for sharing..hope you like it, but it doesn’t sound like you are so inclined.
Here’s mine: “PRETENDING TO DANCE”
I love reading about that time in history and have read some great books about it, but this wasn’t one of them, sadly. Back Channel by Stephen L. Carter was fantastic.
Missoula is going on my wishlist right now. Thanks for the heads up.
You’re welcome!
You reminded me I want to read Jon Krakauer’s new book. The Underground Girls of Kabul has been on my radar for awhile now as well. The Train to Crystal City sounds really good. I hadn’t heard of that one. I haven’t yet read a nonfiction book this year, and that was my own goal. The way my reading is going this year, it will likely end up being a comic memoir, which only half counts.
I hope A Place We Knew Well picks up for you. I like the premise and will be curious to read your final thoughts on it.
I’ve barely read any nonfiction this year either…mostly because I’ve saved them all for Nonfiction Nov…and now have too many!
The description doesn’t even sound that appealing on Irving’s new book.I know I’m going to want to love it, but I think I just won’t…
I know, right?! I was not intrigued at all! But, I have to say I’ve felt that way going into a number of his books and will still give it a shot because it’s Irving.
I’ve picked up Girl Waits with Gun pretty much every time I’ve been to the bookstore in the last month! It looks soooo good; I’ll be interested to hear what you think about it.
Haha – time to buy it!
I have not heard of Underground Girls but as an ESL teacher I’m definitely going to have to add it to my TBR list! My TTT
I do like that opening and I’d definitely keep reading – I also want to read Did You Ever Have a Family – like you I’ve read nothing but good things about this one.
Me too – so many in fact that it makes me nervous! But, I’ve now started it and am into it so far!
I like the blurb and the first paragraph. I’d keep going. I like your set of Top 10. You always read a good mix of books.
Thank you! My tastes are kind of all over the place.
I’m seeing Did You Ever Have a Family highly promoted, and it has me really curious with a twitching wallet to buy. I did not like the prologue and last chapter of A Place We Knew Well AT ALL. But, keep reading because it does have a good story in between – not great, but good.
I’m done with it now and really just never got into it. I was disappointed 🙁
Girl Waits with Gun is going on my list. I’m excited to hear there’s a new Krakauer, and on a subject I’m really interested in. Into the Wild is one of my favorite books.
Love Krakauer and am looking forward to seeing how he takes on this issue!
Of the books here I’ve read, I really enjoyed all of them! And you have some great new picks I’m looking forward to, too. Fall reading is always my favorite!
I just started Speed Kings this morning on my way to work. So far I’m hooked! I so want to read Missoula, but I’m also terrified to. I know it will make me angry and sad. Maybe I’ll brave it for Nonfiction November.
Oh yay! I haven’t heard of anyone who’s read Speed Kings yet, so I’m glad it’s holding up! We can brave Missoula together for NN 🙂
900 pages for City on Fire? Yikes I’d have to be really into NYC to venture into that one. Still I’d like to hear if it’s worth the $2 million advance.
I read the Prologue and it was really good…so we shall see!
YAY! We have a few in common, Sarah! I’m starting to feel a little intimidated about City on Fire, based a few early returns, but I’m also really excited to read it. I had a feeling you’d read Missoula; I think it’s going to be fantastic. Can’t wait to follow along as you get into these!
Catherine at Gilmore Guide is reading it right now and we tend to agree, so I’ll be interested to hear her thoughts! And – yes, I’m very interested in Missoula and have purposely held off on it so I could read it for NN.