Top five...so far

There's nothing quite like finishing off a cool autumn day with a bonfire and some smores. So I think it is fitting that we are ending Five Fall Favorites with Bonfires and going over my favorite books of the year, so far.
1. Beloved by Rachel Starr Thomson This whole series was not only amazingly written, but impactful. This last book made me so happy with its inspiring ending. I couldn't read anything else for a couple of days because they seemed so pale in comparison. 
2. A Holy Passion by Alicia G. Ruggieri This book is the perfect mix of history and fiction. I love how real this story is about emotions and desires, yet handled in a godly way. I've never liked books that pretended that girls could choose not to have feelings almost as much as I disliked books that acted as if we have no control over them. I knew a little bit about David Brainard and quite ad bit about Jonathan and Sarah Edwards, but this book made me want to read more about their lives.  
3. Monster by Mirriam Neal I've wanted to read this book since the day it came out. I finally read it on Kindle Unlimited and will probably be buying the paperback early next year because it was so good. This is a deep look at the sanctity of life and what that really means. This book isn't easy to get through, but it is powerful.
4. Letters to Julia by Meredith Allady I loved the first book in this series but I think I enjoyed this one even more. I feel in love with this family in the first book and it was so fun to see them again and continue their story. If you like Jane Austen, only you want something with more faith in it, this book is for you.
5. The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White White is a masterful storyteller. While I love many authors, there are a few that just stand out, and she is one of them. This story gripped my heart and didn't let go. I was a puddle of emotion during the whole book (as my sisters will attest too).