Five Fall Favorites – Day 4 (Don’t Usually Read)

by Kellyn Roth |

September 25, 2025

It’s time for Day 4 of Five Fall Favorites (hosted by Once Upon an Ordinary and Read Another Page)!

Today’s prompt is about those books that we usually wouldn’t read … but we did … and we loved them!

Let’s dive into my picks!

Usually Don’t Read

Ignite by Kara Swanson

Post-apocalyptic (ish) fantasy is not really my thing, but this one HOOKED me. I read most of it on a plane, and it was the perfect read to engross me. It moves pretty quickly, has some incredible allegorical elements, and addresses trauma from high-control religions or organizations in a way that is impactful. It is a pretty intense book, but that’s sort of necessary given the subject manner.

The Nyssa Glass series by H.L. Burke

This is one of those series that has stuck with me for forever as being so vibey. Again, I don’t read a lot of steampunk (plus there’s not a lot out there, or there wasn’t when I was reading a lot), but this one was so fun! Again, a little darker, so not shiney-happy, but not depressing or so grimdark that it’s not enjoyable either. The characters really carry it (especially Ellis).

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

This was a book I loved as a kid and have returned to from time to time. I really enjoyed the cast (Kate was my favorite), and I felt like it was a good “group of kids beat evil with their wits” story. Some have called it a little dark or a little too creepy … yeah. No kidding. If you’re not looking for that, this is not the book for you! Think Madeleine L’Engle.

Daughter of Eden by Jill Eileen Smith

I don’t read a lot of biblical fiction anymore for a wide variety of reasons – mostly because I feel like it can be sensationalized. But this one really touched me! It’s not an easy book to read and enjoy, because it’s just … tragic. But that’s what I enjoyed about it. It really reminded me that real people – just like me – experienced these tragedies and that sin is no joke.

Embracing Joy (from Fingerprints in Frost) by Heather Flynn

Okay … does this count?

Yes, this is my own anthology, but I thought I’d mention something I don’t talk about a ton:

I don’t love contemporary! I almost never read it outside of submissions, lol.

But I publish contemporary short stories sometime, and of all the ones I’ve published, this is one of my favorites. It’s so sweet, and it of course touched on a subject close to my own heart. It’s selfish, but I do recommend it!