During the pandemic I realized it’s been a long time since I read a good novel, so I decided to track down some books that are not only interesting but also wonderfully written. Here are the books that are on my “fiction to read this fall” list. I chose these books because they’re all dramatic and beautifully layered, offering you pure joy, enthusiasm, agony and just a tiny sense of guilt for our humanity. 

“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”

If you’re an enthusiast of the old, glamorous Hollywood times, then this is a book made for you. It illustrates in the most beautiful way the agony young actors endured to become big movie stars in the late ‘50s and ‘60s, and how a journey like this can either destroy or shape you as a character. Of course, a book with a title like this would emphasize the nature of love. Not only is it interesting to find out who these seven husbands were, but its unpredictable plot twist makes you understand how impulsive love can be, and that perhaps in those times it was not easy to just marry your biggest love. “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a New York Times bestseller and a potential major motion picture movie.

“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” is available on Amazon.

“Daisy Jones & The Six”

Another great novel by Taylor J. Reid is “Daisy Jones & The Six.” A complex story about a teenage girl whose dream is to become a rockstar and a band that has already made its first steps in the music industry. The nostalgia of the ‘60s and ‘70s illustrated in the book makes the reader, regardless of age, visualize what those years looked like, or empathize with how they felt. This is an extraordinary book that portrays the abuse of substance, money, love and rock-and-roll. If you want to know how rock stars lived their lives, then this is a novel worth reading. Although it is a novel, the excellent writing of the book makes you think you’re reading a true story.

“Daisy Jones & The Six” is available on Amazon.

“My Policeman”

If you love Harry Styles you will certainly adore this book. Not only is “My Policeman” by Bethan Roberts a frequently suggested book by Styles, but it’s also a soon-to-be major motion picture starring none other than Styles himself. Set in the ‘50s, “My Policeman” tells the story of two young lovers who fall in love with the same person. A tragic tale of thwarted love that takes place in one of the most difficult periods for the LGBTQ+ community, the story makes us feel both anticipation and guilt while trying to understand the feelings of the three characters. Anticipation, to find out what happens in the end, and guilt, for all the unfair situations gay people suffered through back in those days. It is an astonishing novel worth your time. 

“My Policeman” is available on Amazon.

“Anna Karenina”

“Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy is a remarkable story, which most of you are probably familiar with. Over the years, there have been numerous theatrical plays based on Leo Tolstoy’s great love story performed around the world. This terrifying love story takes place in imperial Russia, where a beautiful woman is married to a powerful minister and unexpectedly falls in love with a wealthy army officer. Tolstoy’s exquisite description of the characters and the environment they live in creates a perfect mental picture of  life in late 1800s Russia. Great novelists have described the book as a flawless piece of literature. Perfection is the least we can say about the book. However, as impressive as it is, some of you might find this book intimidating due to the great number of pages (864 pages), but if you are looking for a novel to get you into reading, perhaps you should consider “Anna Karenina.” 

“Anna Karenina” is available on Amazon.

“The Song of Achilles”

As an enthusiast of Greek tragedy, I could not leave out one of the most powerful, cruel and passionate stories of all time, Achilles in Troy. “The Song of Achilles” is beautifully written by Madeline Miller. Her captivating writing is one of the best novelistic adaptations of Homer’s epic. In this book, you can’t help but love the description of the greatest of all Greek warriors, Achilles. The way that Achilles is described by his lover Patroclus is purely magic. Perhaps it is the only book that emphasizes Patroclus’ and Achilles’ love story rather than the war itself. While there are a few facts about the Trojan War mentioned in the book, such as how and why it started, the main concern of the novel is the true and unconditional love between the greatest Greek and the delicate warrior Patroclus. As a Greek American who knows a few things about Greek mythology, I would certainly rank this book in my top five favorite Greek literature novels. 

“The Song of Achilles” is available on Amazon.

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