Starr Struck Fall Reading List 2018

Happy Halloween! This is me [finally] getting my fall reading list up...just in the nick of time. Pretty soon all "fall" lists will be lost to "holiday lists," so I'm doing my part to finish out the fall before jumping headfirst into one of the craziest seasons of the year. 

Thus, here are a few books that are either on my list or that I highly recommend you add to your list (because I loved them)...
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• Etched in Sand: A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island by Regina Calcaterra: Oh you guys, this book. I'm reading it right now and it's beyond heartbreaking. But I think it's also a really important book to read--just like so many memoirs that open your eyes to how hard some people have it and especially, some children growing up without stable households (and in this case, in an abusive household). **Also, this book is free with Prime Reading right now!
  
  
• A Spark of Light by Jodi Piccoult: I'm a Jodi Piccoult fan through and through, so her newest is clearly on my list. Anyone else always get excited by an author who writes super long books because you know they'll last you longer than a few days/nights? 
  
  
• The House by the River by Lena Manta: I read this book a few months ago and loved it. It follows the story of 5 Greek sisters who leave home at a young age, but after experiencing hardships and the realities of life, each slowly return at later points in their lives. The storytelling is amazing and the characters are wonderfully human. 
  
  
• Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan: Yes, I know this book is EVERYWHERE right now, but I've been wanting to read it forever and just haven't gotten around to it. Now that I've listened to an interview with Kwan and heard that the movie is a must-see (for many reasons), I want to read the book stat. 
  
  
• Men We Reaped by Jesamyn Ward: I just finished this book and while it was really, really sad, I also felt that it was an important read. I'm trying to do more reading that opens my eyes to the experiences of others, and this book definitely fits that bill. It tells the story of the deaths of 4 young black men from Ward's rural, southern community, and why the death rate for these men is so high. Ward is incredible. 
  
  
• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens: I haven't read this book, but from what I've read about it, it's a beautifully-written story about a girl dubbed "Marsh Girl" who is suspected of murdering a local man in a small town in North Carolina--but "is not what she seems." Sounds right up my alley! 
  
  
• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine: A Novel by Gail Honeyman: I've heard so many good things about this book and particularly about it's main character, Eleanor. Plus, it has incredible reviews and is a NYT bestseller, so that's enough for me! {Oh, and I just read that Reese Witherspoon is making it into a movie, so that's exciting, too!}
  
  
• Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes: I know this book is a classic, but I just read it for the first time last month and wow. I see why it's a classic. It was eye-opening, well-written (duh), and really moving. If you haven't read it, you should! 
  
  

And there you go! What's on your fall reading list/what recommendations do you have for me?