Best Books of September
As I say every month, I’m shamelessly stealing this idea from Jessica Lahey. She has a recurring monthly date where she reviews all the books she read that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better about doing this.
So. I’m going to review them here and also online, but I’m going to do it a little differently. I’m only going to review the stuff I really liked. I don’t see a reason to spend my time writing about something I didn’t love; it’s just using up more of my energy. So only positive reviews.
These are the books I liked (or mostly liked) from September.
Boyfriend Material (Alexis Hall): I laughed aloud reading this book. Like fall-over-snorting-and-have-Josh-stare-at-me kind of laughing. I spent every day texting my cousin favourite lines. I’ll admit that I almost didn’t read this book because it wasn’t grabbing me in the first page or two. But then he mentioned the 80s boy band, Bros, and I was sold. If you are looking for something light that actually contains a lot of depth (and is a completely sweet love story to boot), read this one.
So You Want to Talk About Race (Ijeoma Oluo): This is the best book I’ve ever read about race. She provides solid examples to give everyone a clear understanding of common situations. She’s unflinching but kind. Patient and thoughtful. A fantastic writer. I think this book should be a must-read for every student in America.
I Killed Zoe Spanos (Kit Frick): This book had such an intriguing set-up. A woman confesses to a crime that she couldn’t have committed… or maybe she could. And she looks like the victim. The end is a little sloppy—actually, very sloppy—but I still enjoyed this book so much. It’s a quick read, and totally worth grabbing if you liked the podcast Serial or the book, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
One by One (Ruth Ware): This was my first Ruth Ware, and it won’t be my last Ruth Ware. This book was a totally enjoyable read about tech executives being picked off, one-by-one, at a ski resort. Most of the characters felt pretty interchangeable, but it didn’t detract from the enjoyment of wondering who would be next and who was the killer.
When No One Is Watching (Alyssa Cole): I’m not a fan of romance books, though I’ve always heard great things about Cole. So I was excited to see that she had a non-romance book coming out, and read it on the first day it released. It was so good. She’s a fantastic writer. This book was sort of Stranger Things meets Rear Window about the gentrification of a neighbourhood in New York. So mystery, but with a weird Stepford element. Did I mention it was good? It was so good that I’m going to try her romance books, too.
What did you read last month?
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After blasting through nine books in August, I only finished two books in September:
*”Jane of Lantern Hill” by L.M. Montgomery (a re-read along with my L.M. Montgomery Readathon Facebook group).
* “So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y’all Don’t Even Know” by Retta (for the Gateway Women online book club).
“Jane” is an old favourite, and it was such fun sharing and discussing it with fellow Montgomery fans. 🙂 I haven’t watched “Parks & Rec” so I didn’t have a clue who Retta was, but I enjoyed her book nevertheless. It was light and funny, which is what I needed at that point.
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood: Mel, I know you’re a fan of Atwood, so this will probably horrify you. . . I picked up this book in August, as it had been sitting on my “to read” shelf for over 4 years. I got halfway through it and quit. It was a slog, and while I was interested enough in how it ended to look for a “spoilers included” synopsis online, I just couldn’t get through it.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White: I read this as a child and re-read it with my sons in September. We all loved it, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well this story has held up over time.
You and Me and Us by Alison Hammer: This book was my first read by this author; I checked out the audiobook from the library after seeing a recommendation from someone (maybe Modern Mrs. Darcy?). I enjoyed it.
The Taking by Dean Koontz: I’ve been a fan of Koontz since high school but his books these days are hit or miss for me. This one was more of a miss for me, TBH. Some interesting parts but overall not one I would recommend; he is a lot of better books.
The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan: This book was my book club’s selection for September. I really enjoyed it! The first half was a little slower, but I understand that the author was building the characters and story, and the second half more than made up for it. I’ve already requested the next book about the main character in this story!
Almost Dead by Lisa Jackson. This one was just OK. I read it mainly because it was a sequel to another book I’d read and I was curious to find out what happened to the characters.
Strategic Moves by Stuart Woods: I am trying to work my way through my “to read” pile of physical books, and I let my sons pick this selection. This book had been on my shelf, unread, for 4-5 years. These books by Woods are somewhat formulaic, but they are fun and reliably enjoyable.
Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos: this one was a MMD recommendation. This book was not what I expected it to be, but it was really good! I would recommend.
When All Is Said by Anne Griffin: This book is my book club’s October selection (not sure why we did Irish authors two months in a row?) and is the author’s debut novel. I listened to it on audiobook, and it is one of only a handful of books, ever, that actually made me cry at the end. SO good!
The Places That Scare You by Pema Chodron: this book was thought-provoking and a quick read.
I have Boyfriend Material on my hold list, and I just signed up for the One By One giveaway on Goodreads – I’ll get to that one when I’m feeling like reading thrillers again. I loved Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series, but I couldn’t get into the Loyal League series.
I’m apparently reading 5 books right now, but none of them are making me tear through them like I normally would. :/