One of my retirement goals is to read more. Earlier this year, I set an ambitious goal to read 1000 books—something I expect will take me many years. My fall reading update covers what I’ve been reading from July 27 to October 31, and a peek at what’s next on my reading list.

Fiction books

The Maid – Nita Prose

This book is told from the point of view of naïve and socially awkward Molly, who works as a maid in an upscale hotel. When she finds a wealthy regular guest dead in his bed during her regular cleaning rounds, Molly finds herself in the middle of a police investigation. Facing murder charges, Molly quickly learns who she can—and can’t—trust.

Firekeeper’s Daughter – Angeline Boulley

I always enjoy books by Indigenous authors and this one was no exception. Angeline Boulley is a Native American author. It’s the story of 18-year-old Daunis Fontaine who agrees to go help investigators find the source of a lethal drug that is killing young people on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. As the investigation continues, what Daunis learns will change her life forever.

The Lying Game – Ruth Ware

I’ve read several of Ruth Ware’s books and really enjoy her writing style. This story starts when Isa Wilde receives a text message from old school friend Kate summoning Isa, and two other friends, to drop everything and visit her in the town where they met at boarding school years ago. In their school days, the girls played a game of lies and deception. Now, years later, their lies come back to haunt them as the truth about a mysterious death comes to life.

Like Ware’s other books, the story weaves back and forth between the months and days leading up to the long-ago death and present day. It’s an exciting page turner that kept me guessing to the end.

The Woman in the Woods – A.J. Rivers

The story begins when private investigator Dean Steele wakes up in the woods beside the body of a woman he doesn’t recognize. With no memory of the events of the previous few days, Steele falls under suspicion when the body has mysteriously vanished by the time police visit the scene. As he races to put the pieces together, Steele finds a connection between the mysterious woman and the case he’s currently working on.

A.J. Rivers is a new author to me and I enjoyed this one enough to look for more!

Sing You Home – Jodi Picoult

After spending 10 years trying to have a baby, Zoe Baxter finds herself alone. In the aftermath of divorce, Zoe develops a friendship with Vanessa that soon turns to love and marriage. As Zoe and Vanessa discuss their future, Zoe remembers there are frozen embryos that she and her husband never used.

Zoe’s husband Max must consent to allow Zoe to use the embryos. Since the divorce, Max has gotten involved with an evangelical church and doesn’t approve of Zoe’s current lifestyle. Zoe and Max find themselves in a bitter legal battle pitting fundamental Christian values against Zoe’s parental rights.

Thanks for the Memories – Cecelia Ahern

I grabbed this book from one of our neighbourhood’s Little Free Libraries after returning home from my vacation in Ireland. Set in Dublin and London, it tells the story of Joyce who is trying to put her life back together after losing her husband, her baby, and her home. Joyce finds herself haunted by memories of things she never experienced. Then, a random meeting with divorced and lonely Justin sets off a chain of events neither of them can explain.

This book was okay, but I found the storyline a bit unbelievable, and it moved a little too slowly for me.

The Husbands – Chandler Baker

This is the story of Nora Spangler, a successful lawyer with a young daughter and another baby on the way. Like many moms, Nora is exhausted from carrying more than her share of household responsibilities.

When Nora and her husband go house hunting in an exclusive suburban neighbourhood, they meet a group of high-powered women whose husbands seem a little too good to be true. Nora suspects something isn’t quite right. When the neighbourhood women hire her to investigate a fire that caused the death of one of their husbands, she uncovers the secret behind the too-perfect husbands—a discovery that puts her and her husband at risk.

This book highlights the plight of moms everywhere who take on a disproportionate share of household duties while balancing demanding careers. It’s also a great mystery that keeps you guessing right to the end.

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Non-fiction books

Generations – Jean M. Twenge

A lot of books discuss generational differences, but this one takes a different approach than many others. Twenge analyzes data from 39 million people from a variety of research studies over the last 100 years to explain why the different generations think and act the way they do. The data busts some of the generational myths and stereotypes and offers thought provoking insights.

Although the book is fairly research heavy, it’s an interesting read for anyone who wants to understand generational differences.

The Game of Joy – Yasmin Nguyen

I bought this book after hearing Yasmin speak at the Retirement Coaches Association conference. If you want to bring more joy into your life, you’ll enjoy this one. Yasmin starts with sharing seven principles of joyful living. From there, he discusses joy activators, joy blockers and strategies for you to play the game of joy in your own life.

It’s an inspiring read and one that I know I’ll go back and reference in the future.

The road to 1000 books

So, in this three-month period I read 7 fiction and 2 non-fiction books for a total of 9 books. That brings my grand total to 16 out of 1000. I have a long way to go to reach my goal.

Winter is coming so I expect I’ll have more time to read. Here’s what’s next on my list:

• More from Nita Prose: The Mystery Guest and The Mistletoe Mystery
• The Housemaid, the first book in Freida McFadden’s Housemaid series
• Think Again by Adam Grant
• The Little Book of Grief, a collection of poems by my friend Pat Keachie.

I’d love to hear your book recommendations. What’s on your fall reading list? Drop me a comment below to let me know.