Spark

First rule about Book Club…talk about Book Club! There’s nothing we love more than obsessing with our friends about the latest page-turner on our nightstand. Whether it’s in an organized book club or around the lunch table at work, a great book really gets the discussion going. In fact, just last week we jumped in on a conversation in the gym locker room about mega-sensation book-turned-movie Gone Girl with our two cents (loved the book, can’t wait to see the film!). So we tapped our good friends over at Chapters for their top new recommendations for your cozy fall ‘must-read’ list. Here’s what we’re looking forward to diving into:

Pick #1: Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham
Any ‘Girls’ fans out there? (Hands raised over here!) Love her or hate her, this release from the creator, producer, and star of HBO’s megahit about a group of awkward 20-somethings navigating life and love in New York City, is one of the most hotly anticipated books of the season. This collection of personal essays puts Dunham’s hilarious voice to her coming-of-age experiences with everything from falling in love with jerks to sexism in Hollywood to having the guts to be heard.

Pick #2: Sweetland by Michael Crummey
With its ocean-washed shoreline and tumultuous weather, Newfoundland herself is just as much a character in this tale of stubborn and remote islander Moses Sweetland. Facing a resettlement to the mainland after twelve generations of plentiful fishing have dried up, the islanders must all accept a generous government compensation package and leave together. Moses Sweetwater refuses to leave his home, his memories, and his sense of duty to his great-nephew. Faced with strong opposition from both man and the elements, he must battle to keep his home and find his way.

Pick #3: Half Bad by Sally Green
Worlds collide in modern-day England, where witches live next to humans. Black witches are evil, white witches are good, and sixteen-year-old Nathan happens to be both. With his mother gone and his father’s legacy as the most evil black witch of all, Nathan has no place in the world and must fight to survive the bounty on his head. His father, his family, the girl he loves…who can he trust in a world where he is hunted from all sides?

Pick #4: Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good by Jan Karon
Returning home to Mitford after five years of retirement from Lord’s Chapel, Father Tim Kavanagh feels lost without his pulpit but can’t seem to drum up the passion for preaching. What will it take to get it back? Meanwhile, a unique and engaging supporting cast of small town characters face their own challenges, from deep-rooted family resentments to business struggles to blooming romances. It all weaves together in Mitford for a heartwarming glimpse into a town and its people.

Pick #5: Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder
Aganetha Smart may have been an Olympic athlete in the 1920s, but at 104 she now lives in a nursing home with a heart full of unlived dreams. When her days of solitude are interrupted by the arrival of two young strangers, Aganetha has the chance to go back in time to her childhood home in rural Ontario and wade through the memories of World War I, the Spanish flu epidemic, the highs and lows of the 20s and 30s, and her own dedication to her sport and her vision. Inspiring to anyone with a deep-rooted passion, Aganetha shows how life’s journey is about chasing your fulfillment until the very end.

Let us know – what’s on your reading list for fall? Have a recommendation to share? Comment here or take a picture of your current nightstand book and tag us on Instagram (@stvitalcentre). We’d love to hear your picks!

*All books available at Chapters. Product availability may vary; please check store for details.