Five Fall Favorites - Day 2: Epistolary

 While trying to find some epistolary books, I came up sadly empty. So PLOT TWIST I decided to change my genre today to mental health awareness!

Mental health is super important...so here are some books about it!

(Again, click on the covers to be redirected to the book's Goodreads page)

(Again, the redirection will open on a different page to avoid the frustration with which I am well acquainted, trust me)

Sons of Slaughter by Brian McBride

Just a warning, I would not recommend this book for younger or sensitive readers. It's a super powerful and eye-opening book, but it also has a super dark and haunting plot, and also deals with tough topics (like teen pregnancy, suicide, domestic abuse) and characters. But with that aside, it's very well done, and has a message that sticks with you even after you've read it. It's not a feel-good story...but it's not a horror story, either. Just very, very serious. ;)

Freedom by Faith Potts

Yes, I've talked about this book before, and yes, I'll talk about it again because it's SOOOO GOOOOOD. My favorite read of 2019, if that tells you anything. *grins* Snarky, serious, and full of amazing themes and messages. But again, read with caution—PTSD and suicide aren't easy topics. ;) You can find my review of this amazing book here.

Stories that Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner

If a story's going to be set in the 1960s, of course I'm going to be curious. And after reading All Manner of Things by Finkbeiner, I had high expectations of this one, and I wasn't disappointed! Betty Sweet (married to Mr. Sweet of Sweet Family Bakery), suddenly a widow and having her sister suddenly show up with a surprise that she least expected...this book is just. so. sweet. You can read my review here.

When I Close My Eyes by Elizabeth Musser

This book hurts, y'all. About a woman who has suffered with serious depression her whole life—calling it a 'black hole'—and then fighting to live after someone's attempt on her life. And then also about her daughter, racing to find out secrets and discovering more than she ever expected—not just about the perpetrator, but about her own mother as well. Find my review here.

Beloved by Kaitlyn Krispense

*Coughs* *coughs again* c'mon, you had to see this coming. #shamelessselfpromotion This book hurts too. Because life hurts. And without the love of Christ...there really isn't any hope. Suicide is a very serious topic and it's so, so rampant in our world today. People need hope, y'all. Let's give it to them. (besides. It totally counts to use my book. *grins*)

Grab a bushel basket and go pick some apples in the grove—or fill them with books that you find at Five Fall Favorites! The choice is yours—but I know what I'd pick. ;) (pun unintended *smirk*)

And, of course, you can't forget the giveaway!

Are your baskets full yet? What's your favorite epistolary (or mental health) book(s)?