8 Books Our Readers Are Loving: Vol. 2
Photo by Max Harlynking on Unsplash
Here at Wallflower, we like to think we’ve fostered a community of readers who’d consider themselves lovers of literature. And while we truly love recommending our favorite books to you and curating all kinds of book lists for you to find your next read, we want to hear what you’ve been reading lately.
Below, find which books the readers of Wallflower have been loving lately…
01 | At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
The first book in the beloved The Mitford Years series isn’t one you’ll want to skip. Set in a charming tiny town nestled right in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this heartwarming story tells the tale of Mitford’s rector, Father Tim, who yearns for something more. Soon enough, he gets what he’s been hoping for, in the form of a big black dog, a mountain boy named Dooley, and a pretty neighbor called Cynthia. And the good news is, if you enjoy this book, there’s plenty more in this series!
Recommended by Maggie
02 | Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patty Callahan
Calling all Narnia lovers! Set in the 1950s, Megs is a student at the esteemed Oxford University. When her little brother asks her if Narnia is real, Megs assures him it’s just a little children’s book. Determined, he asks that she pass on a question to C. S. Lewis: “Where did Narnia come from?” Upon having tea with Lewis, he asks Megs to come to her own conclusions about the origin of Narnia, sprinkling in stories from his life throughout—leading Megs to completely rethink her evaluation of the purpose of stories.
Recommended by Ulrike
03 | The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Any book lover will adore this story. After Alice Wright marries Bennett Van Cleve, she moves away from England, beginning a new life in Kentucky—which proves to be just as suffocating as her life across the pond had been. Soon, though, she signs up to deliver books through Eleanor Roosevelt’s traveling library. The women she meets along the way change her life for the better, making for a touching tale you won’t want to miss out on.
Recommended by Jessica
04 | The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
The first book of the Wolves Chronicles, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is a dark, intriguing story that tells the tale of Bonnie and her cousin Sylvia, who, after Bonnie’s parents leave them in Willoughby Chase, are left in the evil Miss Slighcarp’s care. Soon enough, they’re sent off to an awful school for orphans—only able to escape with the help of Simon the gooseboy. But how are they going to save Willoughby Chase from Miss Slighcarp’s influence?
Recommended by Eliza
05 | All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes
This historical fiction novel will take you all the way to Venice, and all the way back to 1807, when Sebastien is discovered as a baby, floating in a basket in a canal. A group of artisans take him in and raise him as their own. Still, Sebastien wonders where he came from. Fast forward to the next century when, in 1907, Daniel Goodman travels from California to Venice in order to translate a rare book. There, he stumbles upon many ancient mysteries, secrets, and stories—including that of Sebastien’s.
Recommended by Jacqueline
06 | An Officer and A Spy by Robert Harris
We’re in Paris in the 1980s, and Alfred Dreyfus has just been convicted of treason, sent off to spend his days on an island. To begin with, Georges Picquart is convinced he’s guilty, but upon being promoted to the head of the French counter-espionage agency, he beings to wonder if his initial suspicions were correct.
Recommended by Maria
07 | The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
Set in 1960s New York City, The Dearly Beloved tells the tale of two couples whose lives interweave after both husbands become copastors at a church. This novel follows the couples through decades of faith, jealousy, love, friendship, human hardship, and forgiveness.
Recommended by April
08 | Dracula by Bram Stoker
This 1897 Gothic horror novel introduces readers to the infamous Count Dracula, detailing his move from Transylvania to England, where he hopes to find new blood, as well as the fight that ensues between himself and a group of individuals led by Van Helsing.
Recommended by Madeline