What I Read in September and October

September and October were some great reading months for me! I’ve read (almost) 20 books and of those, I really liked seven of them, and loved five! Since I’m covering so many books this month, reviews will be on the shorter side and the books will be linked (commissionable), if you’d like to read the synopsis. Books with longer reviews were graciously received ARCs from NetGalley.

Books that I really liked:

The books in this category are good and I recommend them! Solid 4 star reads for me.

The God of the Woods: This book was majorly hyped up this summer!! And while I thought it was a really good, well written literary mystery- it didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. 4/5 stars

What Does it Feel Like? Sophie Kinsella is one of the only authors who could write about such a heart wrenching subject and manage to make me both laugh AND cry. This autobiographical novella is certainly different (much more sad) than her other light hearted books, but she still managed to write about the heavy subject matter in a way that was easy to read. Her positive attitude and great sense of humor shine in the book- I wouldn’t be surprised if these qualities helped her recovery! Ultimately this book felt very real, but also hopeful. I hope the author knows how many people are rooting for her and a full recovery.

The only reason that I didn’t give it 5 stars is because I wish it was longer! I really enjoyed it and was left wanting a little more. I hope we are lucky enough to read more full length books from her in the future. 4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing a digital ARC of the book to read and review.

Madwoman: This book explores the long term ripple effect of domestic abuse on a young mother and her family. It was definitely hard to read during certain parts, but at the same time, is a very important topic. I really liked the whole book- until the end. The “mystery” aspect of the book was wrapped up in a strange way and I needed more closure. Overall, it was a unique book, unlike any I’ve read- and I’d recommend it, keeping trigger warnings in mind. 4/5 stars

House of Glass: This is a fast paced book that had me hooked from the first chapter! I read it in a few days and I thought it was overall a solid “popcorn thriller”. It’s suspenseful, but not super dark- perfect for if you’re in the mood for a quick page turner! 4/5 stars

Return of Ellie Black: This was another really good thriller, with a little more substance to it. It’s hard for me to review thrillers without giving too much away- but this is one of my favorite in the genre that I’ve read lately. It was a page turner, with smart writing, good twists, and I cared about the characters. 4.5/5 stars

The Husbands: This book has a lot of mixed reviews, but I really liked it! I love books that make you wonder what you would do in that situation, and this one definitely does that. What would you do if every time you opened your attic door, a new husband appeared? What constitutes the perfect partner? What would it take for you to be content and happy with your life? I also laughed out loud on a few parts and thought the ending was well done. It was the perfect mix of a lighthearted read mixed with something to ponder. 4/5 stars

Dearest I’m in the middle of this one, but am confident I’ll finish it by end of month! It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read, so I’ll be sure to update once I’m done.

Books that I loved!

5 star reads (or pretty darn close!) These are books that I loved, highly recommend, and are ones that I will keep physical copies of.

The Light Pirate: I truly haven’t stopped thinking about this book since I read it in September. It’s not necessarily a feel good book, but is profound and was so well written. It is set in the not too distant future in Florida and we see what happens to a family, and an entire state as a result of climate change. It is scary and devastating, but also has themes of hope and the power of community. 5/5 stars

Daring Greatly: I’m late to the game on Brene Brown, but I can see why she is so beloved! I listened to the audiobook (she reads it herself!) and related to it so much more than I’d expected. After finishing, I ordered a physical copy so that I can keep it to highlight and refer back to. I’m excited to read more of her work! 5/5 stars

Mary Jane: Another fantastic audiobook! It’s one of those rare books that I think I liked better on audio than I would have if I’d read the physical copy. It’s a coming of age story set in the 70s- not something I usually gravitate towards, but I loved contrast between the families and the reminders that people contain multitudes. Highly recommend the audio. 4.5/5 stars

Here One Moment: This might be my favorite book of the year? I just loved it. It’s another book that makes you think about what you would do in the situation of the characters- what would you do if you were on an airplane and all the passengers were told the age they would die and the cause of their death? What would you do if the predictions started coming true? How would it alter the course of your life? Lots of interesting things to think about and a great cast of well developed characters. It is long, which I don’t always love, but this is one that I didn’t want to end. 5/5 stars

Big Magic: This book won’t be for everyone, but it was one of those books that was perfect for me in this season! I’d encourage you to read it if you’ve felt the itch to take on more creativity, but have let fear/imposter syndrome/inadequacy, etc get in the way. It’s another book that I listened to the audio and then went back with a highlighter through the physical copy. 4.5/5 stars

Books that were okay:

The books in this group were not bad books by any means! For whatever reason they weren’t my favorites, or maybe just weren’t very memorable to me. But someone else might really enjoy them! 3 or 3.5 star reads for me.

Wish I Were Here: When I picked up “Wish I Were Here” I was expecting a typical romance novel- but it turned out to be SO much more than that. It was a story of self discovery and found family, with some romance, and a tiny bit of magical realism sprinkled in. The story was easy to read, kept me turning the pages, and I got a little teary eyed at the end. Overall, a great reading experience and I would recommend to anyone looking for a feel good, easy read with some substance. 3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing a digital ARC of the book to read and review.

Last One at the Wedding: After loving “Hidden Pictures”, I was worried that “The Last One at the Wedding” wouldn’t be able to compare- I’m happy to say that I was wrong! It was less scary and more on the suspenseful than maybe a traditional “thriller”, but I still enjoyed it. I appreciated the extra character development that is sometimes lacking in mysteries or thrillers and especially loved Frank’s character. John Pirhalla was the PERFECT narrator for his character and did a fantastic job with the stereotypical dad vibe. I enjoyed the listening experience but upon writing this review am realizing it wasn’t very memorable for me, hence the rating. 3/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an ARC of the audiobook to read and review.

Black Cake: This book was very well written, but I just couldn’t get into the story. I’m disappointed because I had really high hopes for it! There were a lot of characters and the timeline and storyline bounced all over the place. It seemed like it was told in an unnecessarily complex way and as a result I felt disengaged from the story. 3/5 stars

Didn’t like:

These are books that I stuck with because they either had great reviews or were by an author that I really like, but in the end, weren’t books I enjoyed. 2 and 2.5 star ratings

Libby Lost and Found: If you’ve ever been obsessed with a book series and its characters you will love and relate to the characters this book! I personally wasn’t able to make this connection, but people who feel a deep sense of attachment to literary characters will really enjoy this book.

I was hoping for more of a focus on Libby and her dementia diagnoses, but her feelings towards it were hardly mentioned at all, which I found strange. Yes, she was forgetful, but the life changing diagnosis was rarely mentioned. Instead, a huge focus was on the plot and characters of the book that LIbby was trying to write. The plot of this children’s book felt confusing and overbearing; I didn’t enjoy reading those sections, which lessened my overall reading experience of this book.

With that being said, this is a unique and well written book that specific readers are going to LOVE. I think fans of “The Wishing Game” by Meg Shaffer will like this book. And those who LOVE fantasy series like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc will find “Libby Lost and Found” to be a relatable read. One of those instances where the book is not for me, but I can fully understand how it WILL be for many others! 2/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing a digital ARC of the book to read and review.

The Plan I love lists, planning, Kendra Adachi, and “The Lazy Genius Way”! So while I was very much looking forward to this book, I’m sad to say that I didn’t end up loving it. For a book that was supposed to simplify planning, it felt very, very, confusing to me. It was acronyms within acronyms. It reminded me of taking notes in college when each bullet point had a set of bullet points and those bullet points had bullet points, and on and on. Usually when consuming content by The Lazy Genius, I’m left with a clear action plan and steps to take. I unfortuantley didn’t feel that way after reading this book. 2.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Convergent Books for providing a digital ARC of the book to read and review.

The Little Liar This was my first time reading a book by Mitch Albom and it has fantastic reviews on Good Reads (4.6+!) so I had really high hopes for a wonderful read. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed. I had a hard time connecting with the story and felt detached from the characters. However, I’m thinking that election season might not be the best time to read WWII novels…maybe I would have enjoyed it more at a different time. 2.5/5 stars

Pumpkin Spice Cafe: This was all over social media this fall and I’m thinking it has to be because of the cute cover because the book was just a predictable, cheesy romance novel with a lot of unnecessarily spice thrown in at the end. 2/5 stars

The Life Impossible: I loved The Midnight Library and was so excited to read this but I’m sad to say it didn’t even come close. Matt Haig is a great writer and this book has some extremely profound and beautiful passages- but the overall plot was strange. And while I like a strange book, I had a hard time connecting to this one. I think it was for these two reasons: 1. There was a lot of “math talk” which I absolutely don’t relate to or care about. And 2. Ibiza is a huge part of the story, also something that I don’t feel any connection to. 2.5/5 stars

And that is “all”! Thanks for hanging in there if you made it to the end 😉 I’m second guessing where to post these reading recaps and am considering moving them over to Substack or maybe Instagram? If you have any preferences, I’d love to hear them! And as always, I’d love to chat books with you- please leave your favorite book you’ve read recently over on Instagram!