Since fall is just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to share a few books that are perfect for cozying-up in a blanket or next to the fire with your favorite âcup of something lovelyâ! Hot coffee, tea or maybe cocoa anyone? The fall season is so rejuvenating as we begin to turn a new leaf (both literally and figuratively!) 
We tend to turn inward, slow down, and seek-out cozy spaces. As the air gets crisper, we find new outdoor activities that enliven our souls. We gather with the ones we love inside our homes, and we embrace all the fun decor, foliage, and traditions this season bringsâŠEach of these books captures the essence of fall one way or another, and I think youâll see why I chose these as some of my favorite books for fall! So, go ahead, read on!
BTW - I'm an Amazon Associate, which means I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase any of these books via the links below, I'll receive a small percent, which in turn, helps me to continue sharing resources with you! (Thank you in advance 
)
Ready? Here we go!
1) Live in Love: Growing Together Through Lifeâs Changes
by Lauren Akins
There is so much I could say about this book. Itâs a New York Times Bestseller after all! In her book, Live in Love, Lauren Akins shares her personal story of what itâs like behind the curtain of fame as the wife of country music star, Thomas Rhett. She authentically shares her experience of struggling to find her own purpose amidst supporting her famous husband, embracing mission work in Haiti and adopting their daughter from Uganda, navigating marriage, and becoming parents for the first time. This book is so much more than a memoir, however! Lauren shares vulnerably about her thoughts and feelings while finding her way during these different seasons of life. She does so all with the purpose of helping the reader fight for a life-giving marriage, and to live a life of faith and purpose. I love Laurenâs heart behind sharing her story: to help others navigate their own stories both in the joyful and difficult moments of life. This is such a warm story all about living well with the ones you love. If you want to âLive in Loveâ, this book is for you!
2) Soul Care to Save Your Life
by Manda Carpenter
Iâve followed Manda for quite a while and love her heart for fostering children and advocacy work! Sheâs also been a strong proponent for marriage and soul care too. It wasnât until Soul Care to Save Your Life came out, that I could see how all the different aspects of her work come together to form one complete picture! In this book, she beautifully weaves together the hardest parts of her story with courage and vulnerability. She shares about her own childhood trauma, infidelity in her marriage, suicidal thoughts, and most importantly the life-giving perspective sheâs found through radical honesty. She found honesty to free her soul and to ultimately save her life. Her words are convicting, and her words are healing. This book helps the reader turn inward and evaluate how to feed their soul. Itâs a beautiful depiction of the purpose-filled life you can find when leaving behind a picture-perfect life.
(I want more please! Anyone interested in a book study? 
)
3) Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
by Brené Brown
Atlas of the Heart is pure gold! I finished it last week and Iâve already found myself sharing it with family and friends. Itâs just that good. Itâs not a traditional book, however. In my opinion, itâs more like a textbook (perfect for those colder days when you have more time indoors!). I had already purchased it as an audiobook during the book launch pre-sale, and then Sam actually brought a hard copy home for me as a surprise too! So, I had the privilege of listening to BrenĂ© read the book, while I highlighted and took notes! It was the perfect combination.
If youâve read any books by BrenĂ© Brown, you know she is a researcher who shares her findings on courage, shame, vulnerability, and empathy (along with many other elements of the shared human experience). Atlas of the Heart draws upon all her research and defines the 87 emotions we experience as human beings. She helps us to understand these emotions and how and why we feel them, to then be able to better understand ourselves and build connection with those around us.
In this book, BrenĂ© Brown writes, âIf we want to find the way back to ourselves and one another, we need language and the grounded confidence to both tell our stories and be stewards of the stories that we hear. This is the framework for meaningful connection.â
Personally, this was an impactful book for me. There were so many âah-ha momentsâ where I better understood myself or those around me. There were also many moments where I couldnât believe how her research and perspectives align so well with my own platform. BrenĂ© just gets me! (Or, wellâŠI just get her. Ha!) Iâll be referring back to this book often. If youâre looking to find more meaningful connection in your life, youâll be thankful to have this book as a resource!
4) Imagine Heaven
by John Burke
This is the perfect warm, feel-good book to read in the fall. Those of you who have been following along for a while know I LOVE THIS BOOK! Iâve read other books about Heaven, and I love them too, but this book is special. You might already have even read it, because Iâve shared it before (but not in a formal book round-up), so here it is!
Imagine Heaven by John Burke compares over 100 near-death experiences to scripture and finds themes among them to give an idea of what Heaven could be like. WHAT?! Seriously, it is SO incredibly interesting, and left me with an eagerness for Heaven. I first read this book a year ago, and itâs still impacting my life. It helped me see, understand, and imagine Heaven in a way that I never have before. It sounds crazy that a book could do this, but it literally has changed my perspective about life and what's to come. Scripture in the Bible seems to have come alive - I understand God's love + light in a way that I never have before. And do you know what's really cool? One of the main themes experienced by NDE's is the immense light of Jesus that feels like love. LOVE + LIGHT! This ministry is inspired by Him, and reading about these experiences in such a way was a full-circle moment for me! 
If you have a curiosity about Heaven, or even doubts, you will LOVE this book!
5) The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming
by Sally and Sarah Clarkson
When I think of this book, I think of fall because of all the cozy depictions the authors include: light-hearted conversations, cozy fires, candles, fluffy blankets and more. This book is so much more than just the visuals though, of course! In The Lifegiving Home, Sally and Sarah Clarkson go into great detail of all aspects of creating a beautiful, welcoming place to call home. From creating a warm sense of home through sight, sound, smell and touch to establishing rhythms and traditions where your family can flourish, this book offers many ideas for those wanting to create a space and life that is indeed, life-giving!
Bonus:
Letâs Talk about Hard Things by Anna Sale
I went back and forth as to whether I wanted to include this book in my top 5 recommendations, because while I generally really love the overall perspective of the book, I didnât personally agree with everything discussed in the book. Thus, I donât want to portray that this book fully aligns with my views. However, this platform is all about welcoming different perspectives, and this book definitely does just that! Anna Sale encourages us to talk about hard things as a means to better learn about ourselves, each other, and our world. She does a great job of entering into the the margins of difficult topics and I love this book for that reason!
Hereâs an excerpt from the summery of this book: âDiving into five of the most fraught conversation topicsâdeath, sex, money, family, and identityâshe moves between memoir, fascinating snapshots of a variety of Americans opening up about their lives, and expert opinions to show why having tough conversations is important and how to do them in a thoughtful and generous way.â
If you want a thought-provoking book that will challenge your perspective and leave you more open to having difficult conversations, this is definitely it!
What Iâm reading right now:
People I Met at the Gates of Heaven by Don Piper and Cecil Murphey - âPicking up where bestselling 90 Minutes in Heaven left off, Don Piper reveals for the first time the sacred, intimate details of the people who met him at the gates of heaven and the profound impact they had on his faith on earth.â
Heaven is Beyond Your Wildest Expectations by Sid Roth and Lonnie Lane - This book âShares the testimonies of ten ordinary people who have been to heaven, having died and returned.â
There you have it - My Top 5 Favorite Books to Add to Your Fall Reading List! Which one will you be reading first? 
Looking for more books to read this fall?
Check out all my favorite reads on my bookshelf for: purposeful living, faith, nonprofit models/concepts, social justice, and books just for fun too!
Be the first to comment