Hello, Happy Friday!📚 I can’t believe it’s already the last Friday in September. I thought I’d try something new for this week’s thread- a bit of a reading roundtable. Think of it as a more general book discussion….I’ll toss out several questions below, but feel to add your own if there’s something on your mind as we end September.
Grab your favorite drink, your comfy chair and join us at the reading roundtable…..as always answer one or all, whatever calls to you:)
What are your favorite September reads (so far)?
What books(s) did you start reading but not finish this month?
How was the QUALITY of your reading this month? Will you change anything for October?
Outside of books, what other content did you read and enjoy this month? (articles, Substacks, quotes, etc)
What are you planning on reading in October?
What are you reading right now?
Anything else that’s on your reading mind?:)
To easily see book titles, please put them IN ALL CAPS
Like most of you I'm not finished with September reading, but one of my favs of the month has been MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON by Elizabeth Strout. I loved the audio of it and have already downloaded LUCY BY THE SEA to start this weekend. I'll be sharing a couple other books I loved, including a new all time favorite in my end of the month audio episode.
One book I started but didn't finish is THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt. I've wanted to read this book for so long and I probably got to about 11% on my kindle- I really love her writing but when I came to the many pages of classroom happenings as far as the teachings of Greek and the Classics I felt bored. After a mediocre reading month overall in August my plan this month has been to dnf anything I'm not whole heartedly enjoying.
I'm going to continue leaning into literary fiction in October, but I also want to dive back into some mystery and thrillers. I had such a fun mystery and thriller book chat yesterday with Brett from Brett's Book Stack (he had me on as a guest for his new podcast Behind the Stack)- I'll let you know when the episode drops, sometime in October, but our conversation invigorated by desire to read more great mysteries and thrillers, your recommendations are welcome! Two new releases I'm planning on reading in October are LIKE MOTHER LIKE MOTHER by Susan Reiger and THE MIGHT RED by Louise Erdrich, and two backlist I've put at the top of my tbr are THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS by Kristin Harmel and THE BURIED by Sharon Bolton
I've been reading bits and pieces from the Oh Reader magazine. In the 017 Fall 2024 issue there's an article I'm enjoying called The Sanctity of Buying a Book. I'm also back on my People Magazine reading, I miss the good old days when People used to be thick and filled with all the juicy celebrity details, now it's so sparse. I really enjoyed reading Sara from Fictionmatter's Substack post on literary maximalism - https://fictionmatters.substack.com/p/reading-in-public-no-48-pondering
I'm in between books right now, but I might start LUCY BY THE SEA on audio. I'm also sampling THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Patchett, LIFE AFTER LIFE by Kate Atkinson, and COVENANT OF WATER by Abraham Vergese because I'm in the mood for a long book that has fall vibes
Something on my reading mind- I'm pondering what Stephen King I want to read in October, as well as what truly scary book I can find to read as well- suggestions??
I loved THE DUTCH HOUSE and THE COVENANT OF WATER!!! Hope you like them too. I’m starting LUCY BY THE SEA soon also since I loved her new one so much. I really enjoyed HERE ONE MOMENT by Liane Moriarty too. I should finish THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM today too. I’m liking it so far.
I *loved* MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON, just finished this week! I hope you are in a good head space for THE DUTCH HOUSE- I think you’ll really like if you have the space for it :-)
I love Elizabeth Strout. Lucy By The Sea nails the feeling we had during the pandemic. I am reading her latest now. I read The Covenant Of Water the summer Oprah was reading it. I surprised myself by buying it. The wait list had become enormous at my library and I had FOMO. You’ll be happy to know that despite its size, it reads beautifully and quickly! Very good.
I love hearing that a long book reads quickly, I'm in the mood to have one waiting for me for several nights so I have something good to look forward to
I actually read chunks at breakfast. The book is large, so it helped to have it sitting on my table! I was going to wait to read it; thinking, since I owned a copy there was no hurry. I was reading some other things, then cracked it open one day & once I started there was no stopping. Hope you enjoy it!!
I really loved THE SECRET HISTORY when it was first released and read it quickly...a couple times, that's how much I liked it. It feels like a perfect fall book and I am always planning on re reading it for fall. Well, this year, I finally did and found it impenetrable. And I think what was stopping me was exactly what you found so off-putting. So I guess it will remain a great book that I read but will not be a reread!
Isn't it interesting how a book lands differently on a re-read?! I've only re-read one beloved book - A Little Life and while I still loved it, the magic of that one for me was my complete immersion in the first reading
I recently reread Douglas Stuart’s SHUGGIE BAIN, bc my 23 yr old was going to read it. I loved it just as much, but was blown away by how harsh it is. Hard to read at times for that reason. But the character of Agnes Bain is one of my all time favorites. That was a rare occasion for me. I have very few rereads.
Totally different genre, but this is making me think of the Outlander series (size-wise) and although I loved them at the time & found them to be page-turners, I do not think so could face rereading them. What helped me conquer Secret History was when Jenna picked it (she’d always said it was a favorite) and there was a reading schedule. They helped me. Then there is the big bird in the room, that is brought to mind: The Goldfinch!!!!!!! I never finished that one.
And Ps. this is a super scary book I have on my list I got it from the library and read a little but decided I wanted to buy it before I dove in properly - it's a menopause horror story! MARY AN AWAKENING OF TERROR by Nat Cassidy
I haven't read Dolores Claiborne, I'll be curious to hear what you think - Oh Reader mag is one to definitely keep and revisit, I love that about it. A friend recommended The Forest of Vanishing Stars and hearing you loved it too has me even more excited!
Thank you for recommending Brett’s BookTube channel before! Thanks to his recommendation, I recently had fun reading Get The Picture by Bianca Bosker, a nonfiction book about the contemporary art world in NYC. I am planning to try out some literary prize longlisted books in October.
My reading this month has been great! After putting out my fall guide I have felt so much freedom to read exactly what I want, which has meant a lot of backlist. I can’t resist keeping up with new releases but these backlist titles have been so much more satisfying over all. Currently I’m close to finishing THE TRANSIT IF VENUS and Shirley Hazzard’s writing has blown me away!
The freedom to read what you want is the best isn’t it??!! I’m glad you mentioned the Shirley Hazzard, I got the new audio release of it on Netgalley and I was going to ask you about it- have you already read that one or is this your first time reading it?
Hi Everyone! Favorites of September are easily UNLIKELY ANIMALS by Annie Hartnett and BIRD BOX by Josh Malerman. Unlikely Animals is being added to my all-time favorites :)
Not truly outside of books.. But other content that I loved this month is Sara Hildreth's Fall Compendium (book recs). I'm planning on reading at least 3 from this list during October, but I wrote down 13 that I want to prioritize haha. I love content creators that are bringing books to my attention that aren't everywhere (something I also love about this substack!)
I just picked up my library holds for THE CLIFFS by J. Courtney Sullivan and A GOOD HOUSE FOR CHILDREN by Kate Collins, so I'll be starting one of those soon!
I cannot believe it is late September already. I have been in a bit of a time warp that began when we left for a European trip in mid August. Then my “jet lag” upon returning turned out to be Covid & I am still in a fog. So as sometimes happens with travel, I did not read a lot with all the running around we did. I did however read 2 books. One I loved: The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir by Griffin Dunne & one I wished I had not bothered with: Verity by Colleen Hoover. I watched Dunne in After Hours last night on some free ad supported platform. This might be a book better enjoyed by someone in his age range. The author, I believe is 69. So if you know the names and references, it is a bonus. I loved it. It was equally funny, poignant and heartbreaking. Currently reading Olympus, Texas. Finding it kind of slow going for whatever reason (Covid brain?!), but reading it for book club and it is no fun going to book club meeting and discussing if you haven’t finished the book. Also started Elizabeth Strout’s Tell Me Everything. Seeing the names Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton felt like the warm hug I needed. I have so many books in my TBR. I had a few new releases I did not get around to finishing before the trip and froze my holds at the library. Sadly, some I’d waited to receive and was number one to get, had to go back and now I am farther down the wait list. The God Of The Woods is one of those. I was pretty far into it, so may as well get it again and finish. Not quite sure how I was feeling about it. It was slow. I forgot to take note of what page I was on, but I’ll figure it out. All The Colors Of The Dark was another one I am wait listed on & The Cliffs by J.Courtney Sullivan. These three feel like lifetimes ago, but I want to go back to them. Then my other holds are:
Madwoman by Chelsea Bieber
The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
Guide Me Home by Attica Locke
The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave
The Wildes by Louis Bayard
I tend to max out my hold requests. A very bad habit. I must say that Verity’s only saving grace was it was good for mindless plane reading. It helped pass the hours. Now my goal is not only to catch up on my reading, but to get back to my European walking. Covid has thrown me for a loop.
This month absolutely flew by! I hope you're feeling better, Covid can really knock you down. I also have a lengthy hold list but their seems to always be wait lists on Libby now so I just keep adding to mine - I'm very excited about The Blue Hour!
I loved Phantasma and Double Exposore. I dnf’d quite a bit - too many to list. Short books were what kept my reading life going when I was anxious and stressed. I watched The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and went down a rabbit hole about the LDS church. For October I would love some spooky reads and perhaps I’ll try and return to From Blood and Ash.
Haha I had to load up the reading roundtable with lots of possibilities:) I want some good spooky, creepy recs for October too- I'm contemplating THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE or THE BIRD BOX, but I'm on the lookout for scary so we shall see
Sep 27·edited Sep 27Liked by Renee - Itsbooktalk & More
Yes to Bird box.. I read a decent amount of horror and this one will stick with me, genuinely terrifying! Definitely some content warnings, one in particular that is usually a no for me - but I was able to get through it in this one.
I finished Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand two days ago and immediately picked up Sandwich by Catherine Newman without realizing they make a good book flight. Swan Song is a frothy, soapy read featuring 30 somethings, 50 somethings, and the island of Nantucket as a character. With lots of POVs and interesting narrative style, you’re not really in anyone’s head but watch how they handle various transitions and life stages. Sandwich, on the other hand, takes place in Cape Cod, which also feels like a character. The first person narrative told from the POV of a menopausal woman in her 50s is very relatable- almost annoyingly so. I’ve never read Catherine Newman’s books, but I’ve been reading her blog almost for years (decades?) and this feels a little autofictive, though maybe she doesn’t see it that way.
I haven't read Swan Song but I did read Sandwich and enjoyed it, so now I'm wondering if zi should give Swan Song a try- might have to put it on my next summer tbr because it feels like a summer read. I wondered if Sandwich was inspired by her own life, it felt like she ws writing what she knows
Oh, forgot to add, it took me several tries before I finished The Secret History. Oops I just saw that I was supposed to put book titles in all caps. Next time!
My favourite read in September was SUMMER'S END by Juneau Black, 5th in the Shady Hollow series - if anyone has any suggestions for anthropomorphic books I'd love some more (Redwall is next on this list)!
I started but didn't finish THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES. My reading lately has been wonderful because I have absolutely slowed right down and am sticking to my wheelhouse which has meant I've read only 4 and 5 stars over the last few months. I'm loving this super slow approach and will continue!
Otherwise I've been enjoying S2 of Tell Me Lies and am looking forward to starting Agatha All Along!
I'm currently reading Book 2 in THE MIRROR VISITOR series and will continue in October but have also got AN ACADEMY FOR LIARS, ALL THE HORSES OF ICELAND (prettiest cover I've ever seen!) and PRIVATE RITES xx
My best September book was THE WEDDING PEOPLE. However I’m still reading BABEL and ALL SOULS so hoping to finish those up by the end of the month. For October I’ll be reading FRANKENSTEIN , THE SHADOW OF THE WIND, BLACK SHEEP, CREEP by Jennifer Hillier. T
Those are some great options for October reading, Creep has been on my tbr as well as The Butcher by her- I loved Jar of Hearts and have meant to read more of her books
My Sept. fave was THE PLOT (Jean Hanff Korelitz). Looking forward to THE SEQUEL in October.
I DNFed a lot this month but none that broke my heart. The ratings I gave my read books ranged from 3.0-5.0.
I am almost done listening to LUCKY LOSER: HOW DONALD TRUMP SQUANDERED HIS FATHER'S FORTUNE AND CREATED THE ILLUSION OF SUCCESS (Buettner & Craig - NYT writers). It's a fascinating book. I heard the authors interviewed on a podcast and it made me (surprisingly) interested in reading the book.
I live in Sarasota, FL and feel incredibly blessed and lucky for having been spared the wrath of Hurricane Helene. We didn't have much rain but the wind and tornado warnings/watches were troubling. So, I randomly picked THE VINTAGE SHOP (Libby Page) from my 2023 TBRs and read it all afternoon yesterday, finishing just after midnight. It was the perfect cozy read for the day.
I hope everyone in the range of the hurricane was as lucky as I was.
Jan I was going to message you, I saw on the news today the at Bradenton and Anna Maria Island had flooding and wondered about Sarasota. I’m so glad you’re ok and your home is too. I’m also glad you found just the right book to get you through the day yesterday:)
Well let me tell you, after a very difficult month, the news that you'll be on Brett's podcast was the news I needed! Y'all might be my two favorite folks in the book world to listen to. I can't wait!
I've had a rough reading month. Some know this from a Patreon community, but I live next door to the county in GA that had the school shooting earlier this month. I've been working over there some to help, and we had lots of carry over issues in my school system. (I'm a school social worker.) Then a friend's 31 yr old son died unexpectedly. It's been a heavy, heavy few weeks, and I'm not sure if I've chosen bad books or just can't focus. That said:
My best book of the month was THE SEQUEL, hands down! I also did enjoy I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS.
I DNF'd TELL ME EVERYTHING by Elizabeth Strout which surprised me. I loved My Name is Lucy Barton and Anything is Possible. I was just bored.
I'm currently reading two books that are a major change of pace, and maybe that's what I needed? I'm listening to WHAT THE DEAD KNOW. I've wanted to read this one since Tina brought it to the podcast a year ago but haven't been able to find it. It finally went on sale on Audible and Chirp, so I bought it. It's definitely holding my attention! I'm also reading BURY YOUR GAYS which is "queer horror". It's also really weird so I'm very intrigued. I got it from Aardvark on a whim; the last time I did that I got Diavola and loved it to my surprise!
Finally, Renee, I've had A SHORT GUIDE TO A HAPPY LIFE for so long since you recommended it. I read it last week when I was really struggling, and it was EXACTLY what my heart needed. : )
LeAnne I'm so sorry your month has been so difficult. My condolences about your friend's son, so sad. And I had no idea you lived so close to the school shooting, just horrific. I can imagine how difficult your job has been, social work is already hard but when trying to help students and families after a school shooting- that has to be incredibly hard. Hugs to you❤️
I love your excitement about Brett and I, what you said was sweet:) A Short Guide to a Happy Life is such a wonderful book, I'm so glad you picked it up and it could be a balm for you during this month
LeAnne I hope October is a better and healing month for you!
I love What the Dead Know and the author is on Homicide:New York on Netflix which follows some of the cases she discussed in the book! Great docuseries!
I am having horrible issues with this app with the keyboard and following links. The links do not take me to where I need to go. I did do all the updates. Anyway, I would like to make two corrections in the titles of two books. The first book is THE MUSIC OF BEES AND THE MAN IN THE CORDUROY SUIT.
You’re not alone in having issues with the app, I hope they’re working on it because it needs a lot of work- if there’s a particular link that I post that you can’t access just let me know and I’ll email it to you
I read a lot of emotional books in September which i usually read maybe one a month. These books include THE LOVEE STORIES OF MISSY CARMICHAEL, THE DIVINITY OF DOGS: TRUE STORIES OF MIRACLES INSPIRED BY MA N’S BEST FRIEND, THE MUSIC AND HOW TO READ A BOOK. I also enjoyed 2 books in anew series that I discovered. It is thePETER ASH SERIES. I had one book that I should have DNFed- THE MAN IN THE CORDUROY. Just when I was ready to DNF the book, it started to get interesting. I was 50% through the book so decided to keep going. I should not have. in October, I’m excited about reading SAME AS IT ALWAYS WAS. I read a lor of articles with regard to the election and news in general. I also listened to FICTION MATTERS nd bteS podcast in September. another book that I did not finish was YELLOW WIFE. It is because the books sounded very familiar to me and I was pretty sure that I had already read it. I was going to read it for the backlist challenge for October. Instead I ended up choosing THE MUSIC OF BEE’S. Since I’m leaving to go to New York in a week, I decided to read it and get it out-of-the-way before my trip.
According to The Storygraph emotional is my top reading mood so far this year so I’m here for all the emotional recs! I know you liked Missy Carmichael, did you like HOW TO READ A BOOK?
I did like HOW TO READ A BOOK. It was not a 5 star book. It is not one of those books that you say, “you have to read this book”. It is not a THE COVENANT OF WATER. If you are interested in African parrots, there’s a lot of information in the story about these birds. I meant to mention that fall is the time of year when I enjoy chunky books. I am not in the spooky books so much as I like sitting down and getting involved with a long novel. I would like to tackle a long classic. I downloaded the Forsyte saga and I’m tempted to start that soon.
Y’all I used to read Stephen King in the 80’s when I was pregnant. Go figure. Used to love getting scared. My favorite of his is still The Body. He became a little too formula for me. I may need to revisit.
My favorite books of September were THE WEDDING PEOPLE and PERRIS, CALIFORNIA.
My reading month was not as good quantity wise because I read Long Island Compromise and it took me awhile to finish. I have mixed feelings on this one as far as star rating goes. Has anyone read this and have thoughts? There is quite a bit to unpack here.
For October I am going to focus on reading easy and entertaining books as this is my favorite month of the year. I love all things fall and spooky 👻 I don’t want to read anything that takes itself too seriously. If anyone has any good spooky books to recommend bring them on.
I am planning to read THE SEPTEMBER HOUSE since I didn’t get to it yet this month. I also want to read I AM THINKING OF ENDING THINGS since it has been on my list for forever. I also ordered the HIGHWAY THIRTEEN story collection.
Book club books that I need to get to are HERE ONE MOMENT and BLESS YOUR HEART.
HERE ONE MOMENT is my book for the weekend.
I watched The Night Stalker documentary on Netflix which was super creepy and scary and rewatched Sideways. My husband and I are headed to that area for wine tasting for his 50th this weekend and I love that movie! It truly stands the test of time! I love Paul Giamatti.
Also just to throw in a loving lately I just ordered 2 new rugs from Ruggable that are machine washable and love them both! Great option when you have pets.
Not much reading this month as we took fly/ drive week on the North Shore of Lake Superior. It was a new part of US to thoroughly enjoy. I’ve read all of ELIZABETH STROUT’s books and looking for similar novels that revisit former characters. Any suggestions?
My favorite September book was DISAPPEARING EARTH by Julia Phillips. I am currently reading and listening to HORSE by Geraldine Brooks. I am finding it rather tedious but at 35%, things are getting better, and the audio is quite good. Historical fiction is not my favorite genre, so I am sure that is part of the problem.
For October, I am looking forward to reading TELL ME EVERYTHING by Elizabeth Strout and THE SEQUEL by Jean Hanff Korelitz. I would also like to read more books from my shelves that need my attention.
Always on my reading mind is reading reviews, listening to podcasts, and adding books to my TBR!
Fave Sept reads (So far) : House of Glass, Birdie and Harlow, Blue Sisters, Middle of the Night, and Someone in the Attic
I had so many DNF's: I was very much looking forward to Pink Glass Houses but just found it annoying, and I was anticipating Entitlement, and still think i may revisit but right now it was a DNF
Quality was great! I am very happy!!!
Other content: I love bookish podcasts (Currently reading, Book talk, etc, Bad on Paper to name a few) And I love substacks/blogs including Grace Atwood and Magpie fashion
I plan on spooky and scary thrills! Currently finishing up The Night Guest and Little Rabbit, enjoying both SO Much, as well as Intermezzo, I have started but it is LONG, So Thirsty, By and Other Name
Currently reading Intermezzo, Little Rabbit, and The Night Guest
Like most of you I'm not finished with September reading, but one of my favs of the month has been MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON by Elizabeth Strout. I loved the audio of it and have already downloaded LUCY BY THE SEA to start this weekend. I'll be sharing a couple other books I loved, including a new all time favorite in my end of the month audio episode.
One book I started but didn't finish is THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt. I've wanted to read this book for so long and I probably got to about 11% on my kindle- I really love her writing but when I came to the many pages of classroom happenings as far as the teachings of Greek and the Classics I felt bored. After a mediocre reading month overall in August my plan this month has been to dnf anything I'm not whole heartedly enjoying.
I'm going to continue leaning into literary fiction in October, but I also want to dive back into some mystery and thrillers. I had such a fun mystery and thriller book chat yesterday with Brett from Brett's Book Stack (he had me on as a guest for his new podcast Behind the Stack)- I'll let you know when the episode drops, sometime in October, but our conversation invigorated by desire to read more great mysteries and thrillers, your recommendations are welcome! Two new releases I'm planning on reading in October are LIKE MOTHER LIKE MOTHER by Susan Reiger and THE MIGHT RED by Louise Erdrich, and two backlist I've put at the top of my tbr are THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS by Kristin Harmel and THE BURIED by Sharon Bolton
I've been reading bits and pieces from the Oh Reader magazine. In the 017 Fall 2024 issue there's an article I'm enjoying called The Sanctity of Buying a Book. I'm also back on my People Magazine reading, I miss the good old days when People used to be thick and filled with all the juicy celebrity details, now it's so sparse. I really enjoyed reading Sara from Fictionmatter's Substack post on literary maximalism - https://fictionmatters.substack.com/p/reading-in-public-no-48-pondering
I'm in between books right now, but I might start LUCY BY THE SEA on audio. I'm also sampling THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Patchett, LIFE AFTER LIFE by Kate Atkinson, and COVENANT OF WATER by Abraham Vergese because I'm in the mood for a long book that has fall vibes
Something on my reading mind- I'm pondering what Stephen King I want to read in October, as well as what truly scary book I can find to read as well- suggestions??
I loved THE DUTCH HOUSE and THE COVENANT OF WATER!!! Hope you like them too. I’m starting LUCY BY THE SEA soon also since I loved her new one so much. I really enjoyed HERE ONE MOMENT by Liane Moriarty too. I should finish THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM today too. I’m liking it so far.
I have the audio of The Night We Lost Him, I need to give that a try before the end of the year - How many stars did you give Here One Moment?
I ended up giving it 5 stars. It was so unique and different.
I really liked HERE ONE MOMENT as well. I also watched the first few episodes of APPLES NEVER FALL on Peacock.
Both Dutch House and Covenant of Water were 5 star reads for me. I am tempted to get The Night We lost Him. Anxious to hear your thoughts.
I *loved* MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON, just finished this week! I hope you are in a good head space for THE DUTCH HOUSE- I think you’ll really like if you have the space for it :-)
I listened to The Dutch House with Tom Hanks as the narrator. It was very good.
I love Elizabeth Strout. Lucy By The Sea nails the feeling we had during the pandemic. I am reading her latest now. I read The Covenant Of Water the summer Oprah was reading it. I surprised myself by buying it. The wait list had become enormous at my library and I had FOMO. You’ll be happy to know that despite its size, it reads beautifully and quickly! Very good.
I read along with Oprah too. It was my daily walk book. The audio was so well done. His voice is soothing.
I love hearing that a long book reads quickly, I'm in the mood to have one waiting for me for several nights so I have something good to look forward to
I actually read chunks at breakfast. The book is large, so it helped to have it sitting on my table! I was going to wait to read it; thinking, since I owned a copy there was no hurry. I was reading some other things, then cracked it open one day & once I started there was no stopping. Hope you enjoy it!!
I'm still struggling through The Secret History - maybe an audiobook is the only way to ge through! xx
My daughter was doing the audio, which I believe is actually done by the author, Donna Tartt.
I really loved THE SECRET HISTORY when it was first released and read it quickly...a couple times, that's how much I liked it. It feels like a perfect fall book and I am always planning on re reading it for fall. Well, this year, I finally did and found it impenetrable. And I think what was stopping me was exactly what you found so off-putting. So I guess it will remain a great book that I read but will not be a reread!
Isn't it interesting how a book lands differently on a re-read?! I've only re-read one beloved book - A Little Life and while I still loved it, the magic of that one for me was my complete immersion in the first reading
I recently reread Douglas Stuart’s SHUGGIE BAIN, bc my 23 yr old was going to read it. I loved it just as much, but was blown away by how harsh it is. Hard to read at times for that reason. But the character of Agnes Bain is one of my all time favorites. That was a rare occasion for me. I have very few rereads.
Totally different genre, but this is making me think of the Outlander series (size-wise) and although I loved them at the time & found them to be page-turners, I do not think so could face rereading them. What helped me conquer Secret History was when Jenna picked it (she’d always said it was a favorite) and there was a reading schedule. They helped me. Then there is the big bird in the room, that is brought to mind: The Goldfinch!!!!!!! I never finished that one.
And Ps. this is a super scary book I have on my list I got it from the library and read a little but decided I wanted to buy it before I dove in properly - it's a menopause horror story! MARY AN AWAKENING OF TERROR by Nat Cassidy
My next Stephen King will be DOLORES CLAIRBORNE which I don't remember watching or reading.
I love O Reader and have every issue. I plan to re-read them all.
I'm one of those non-Elizabeth Strout readers (though I've tried).
I loved THE FOREST OF THE VANISHING STARS and just about everything that author writes.
I haven't read Dolores Claiborne, I'll be curious to hear what you think - Oh Reader mag is one to definitely keep and revisit, I love that about it. A friend recommended The Forest of Vanishing Stars and hearing you loved it too has me even more excited!
Thank you for recommending Brett’s BookTube channel before! Thanks to his recommendation, I recently had fun reading Get The Picture by Bianca Bosker, a nonfiction book about the contemporary art world in NYC. I am planning to try out some literary prize longlisted books in October.
The Dutch House is an all time favorite for me Renee!
My reading this month has been great! After putting out my fall guide I have felt so much freedom to read exactly what I want, which has meant a lot of backlist. I can’t resist keeping up with new releases but these backlist titles have been so much more satisfying over all. Currently I’m close to finishing THE TRANSIT IF VENUS and Shirley Hazzard’s writing has blown me away!
The freedom to read what you want is the best isn’t it??!! I’m glad you mentioned the Shirley Hazzard, I got the new audio release of it on Netgalley and I was going to ask you about it- have you already read that one or is this your first time reading it?
Hi Everyone! Favorites of September are easily UNLIKELY ANIMALS by Annie Hartnett and BIRD BOX by Josh Malerman. Unlikely Animals is being added to my all-time favorites :)
Not truly outside of books.. But other content that I loved this month is Sara Hildreth's Fall Compendium (book recs). I'm planning on reading at least 3 from this list during October, but I wrote down 13 that I want to prioritize haha. I love content creators that are bringing books to my attention that aren't everywhere (something I also love about this substack!)
I just picked up my library holds for THE CLIFFS by J. Courtney Sullivan and A GOOD HOUSE FOR CHILDREN by Kate Collins, so I'll be starting one of those soon!
I really loved Unlikely Animals too - I listened to it and the voices of those in the cemetery were some of my favorite parts. Loved Sara's guide too
I cannot believe it is late September already. I have been in a bit of a time warp that began when we left for a European trip in mid August. Then my “jet lag” upon returning turned out to be Covid & I am still in a fog. So as sometimes happens with travel, I did not read a lot with all the running around we did. I did however read 2 books. One I loved: The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir by Griffin Dunne & one I wished I had not bothered with: Verity by Colleen Hoover. I watched Dunne in After Hours last night on some free ad supported platform. This might be a book better enjoyed by someone in his age range. The author, I believe is 69. So if you know the names and references, it is a bonus. I loved it. It was equally funny, poignant and heartbreaking. Currently reading Olympus, Texas. Finding it kind of slow going for whatever reason (Covid brain?!), but reading it for book club and it is no fun going to book club meeting and discussing if you haven’t finished the book. Also started Elizabeth Strout’s Tell Me Everything. Seeing the names Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton felt like the warm hug I needed. I have so many books in my TBR. I had a few new releases I did not get around to finishing before the trip and froze my holds at the library. Sadly, some I’d waited to receive and was number one to get, had to go back and now I am farther down the wait list. The God Of The Woods is one of those. I was pretty far into it, so may as well get it again and finish. Not quite sure how I was feeling about it. It was slow. I forgot to take note of what page I was on, but I’ll figure it out. All The Colors Of The Dark was another one I am wait listed on & The Cliffs by J.Courtney Sullivan. These three feel like lifetimes ago, but I want to go back to them. Then my other holds are:
Madwoman by Chelsea Bieber
The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
Guide Me Home by Attica Locke
The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave
The Wildes by Louis Bayard
I tend to max out my hold requests. A very bad habit. I must say that Verity’s only saving grace was it was good for mindless plane reading. It helped pass the hours. Now my goal is not only to catch up on my reading, but to get back to my European walking. Covid has thrown me for a loop.
This month absolutely flew by! I hope you're feeling better, Covid can really knock you down. I also have a lengthy hold list but their seems to always be wait lists on Libby now so I just keep adding to mine - I'm very excited about The Blue Hour!
So many questions!! 😝
I loved Phantasma and Double Exposore. I dnf’d quite a bit - too many to list. Short books were what kept my reading life going when I was anxious and stressed. I watched The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and went down a rabbit hole about the LDS church. For October I would love some spooky reads and perhaps I’ll try and return to From Blood and Ash.
Haha I had to load up the reading roundtable with lots of possibilities:) I want some good spooky, creepy recs for October too- I'm contemplating THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE or THE BIRD BOX, but I'm on the lookout for scary so we shall see
Yes to Bird box.. I read a decent amount of horror and this one will stick with me, genuinely terrifying! Definitely some content warnings, one in particular that is usually a no for me - but I was able to get through it in this one.
I do like Josh Mallerman though. His recent one had a creepy kid.
I read HOhH with dearbasicbuddyreads a few years back and we were all disappointed. ☹️
Oh ok, noted. That’s a bummer though
I finished Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand two days ago and immediately picked up Sandwich by Catherine Newman without realizing they make a good book flight. Swan Song is a frothy, soapy read featuring 30 somethings, 50 somethings, and the island of Nantucket as a character. With lots of POVs and interesting narrative style, you’re not really in anyone’s head but watch how they handle various transitions and life stages. Sandwich, on the other hand, takes place in Cape Cod, which also feels like a character. The first person narrative told from the POV of a menopausal woman in her 50s is very relatable- almost annoyingly so. I’ve never read Catherine Newman’s books, but I’ve been reading her blog almost for years (decades?) and this feels a little autofictive, though maybe she doesn’t see it that way.
I haven't read Swan Song but I did read Sandwich and enjoyed it, so now I'm wondering if zi should give Swan Song a try- might have to put it on my next summer tbr because it feels like a summer read. I wondered if Sandwich was inspired by her own life, it felt like she ws writing what she knows
Oh, forgot to add, it took me several tries before I finished The Secret History. Oops I just saw that I was supposed to put book titles in all caps. Next time!
My favourite read in September was SUMMER'S END by Juneau Black, 5th in the Shady Hollow series - if anyone has any suggestions for anthropomorphic books I'd love some more (Redwall is next on this list)!
I started but didn't finish THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES. My reading lately has been wonderful because I have absolutely slowed right down and am sticking to my wheelhouse which has meant I've read only 4 and 5 stars over the last few months. I'm loving this super slow approach and will continue!
Otherwise I've been enjoying S2 of Tell Me Lies and am looking forward to starting Agatha All Along!
I'm currently reading Book 2 in THE MIRROR VISITOR series and will continue in October but have also got AN ACADEMY FOR LIARS, ALL THE HORSES OF ICELAND (prettiest cover I've ever seen!) and PRIVATE RITES xx
I love that you’ve found a flow of reading that works for you! And a chain of 4 and 5 star books is so motivating to keep doing what’s working
My best September book was THE WEDDING PEOPLE. However I’m still reading BABEL and ALL SOULS so hoping to finish those up by the end of the month. For October I’ll be reading FRANKENSTEIN , THE SHADOW OF THE WIND, BLACK SHEEP, CREEP by Jennifer Hillier. T
Those are some great options for October reading, Creep has been on my tbr as well as The Butcher by her- I loved Jar of Hearts and have meant to read more of her books
I’m hoping to read more Thriller and mystery this October. I felt like my travels interfered with my getting as much reading done.
My Sept. fave was THE PLOT (Jean Hanff Korelitz). Looking forward to THE SEQUEL in October.
I DNFed a lot this month but none that broke my heart. The ratings I gave my read books ranged from 3.0-5.0.
I am almost done listening to LUCKY LOSER: HOW DONALD TRUMP SQUANDERED HIS FATHER'S FORTUNE AND CREATED THE ILLUSION OF SUCCESS (Buettner & Craig - NYT writers). It's a fascinating book. I heard the authors interviewed on a podcast and it made me (surprisingly) interested in reading the book.
I live in Sarasota, FL and feel incredibly blessed and lucky for having been spared the wrath of Hurricane Helene. We didn't have much rain but the wind and tornado warnings/watches were troubling. So, I randomly picked THE VINTAGE SHOP (Libby Page) from my 2023 TBRs and read it all afternoon yesterday, finishing just after midnight. It was the perfect cozy read for the day.
I hope everyone in the range of the hurricane was as lucky as I was.
Jan I was going to message you, I saw on the news today the at Bradenton and Anna Maria Island had flooding and wondered about Sarasota. I’m so glad you’re ok and your home is too. I’m also glad you found just the right book to get you through the day yesterday:)
Well let me tell you, after a very difficult month, the news that you'll be on Brett's podcast was the news I needed! Y'all might be my two favorite folks in the book world to listen to. I can't wait!
I've had a rough reading month. Some know this from a Patreon community, but I live next door to the county in GA that had the school shooting earlier this month. I've been working over there some to help, and we had lots of carry over issues in my school system. (I'm a school social worker.) Then a friend's 31 yr old son died unexpectedly. It's been a heavy, heavy few weeks, and I'm not sure if I've chosen bad books or just can't focus. That said:
My best book of the month was THE SEQUEL, hands down! I also did enjoy I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS.
I DNF'd TELL ME EVERYTHING by Elizabeth Strout which surprised me. I loved My Name is Lucy Barton and Anything is Possible. I was just bored.
I'm currently reading two books that are a major change of pace, and maybe that's what I needed? I'm listening to WHAT THE DEAD KNOW. I've wanted to read this one since Tina brought it to the podcast a year ago but haven't been able to find it. It finally went on sale on Audible and Chirp, so I bought it. It's definitely holding my attention! I'm also reading BURY YOUR GAYS which is "queer horror". It's also really weird so I'm very intrigued. I got it from Aardvark on a whim; the last time I did that I got Diavola and loved it to my surprise!
Finally, Renee, I've had A SHORT GUIDE TO A HAPPY LIFE for so long since you recommended it. I read it last week when I was really struggling, and it was EXACTLY what my heart needed. : )
LeAnne I'm so sorry your month has been so difficult. My condolences about your friend's son, so sad. And I had no idea you lived so close to the school shooting, just horrific. I can imagine how difficult your job has been, social work is already hard but when trying to help students and families after a school shooting- that has to be incredibly hard. Hugs to you❤️
I love your excitement about Brett and I, what you said was sweet:) A Short Guide to a Happy Life is such a wonderful book, I'm so glad you picked it up and it could be a balm for you during this month
LeAnne I hope October is a better and healing month for you!
I love What the Dead Know and the author is on Homicide:New York on Netflix which follows some of the cases she discussed in the book! Great docuseries!
I am having horrible issues with this app with the keyboard and following links. The links do not take me to where I need to go. I did do all the updates. Anyway, I would like to make two corrections in the titles of two books. The first book is THE MUSIC OF BEES AND THE MAN IN THE CORDUROY SUIT.
You’re not alone in having issues with the app, I hope they’re working on it because it needs a lot of work- if there’s a particular link that I post that you can’t access just let me know and I’ll email it to you
I read a lot of emotional books in September which i usually read maybe one a month. These books include THE LOVEE STORIES OF MISSY CARMICHAEL, THE DIVINITY OF DOGS: TRUE STORIES OF MIRACLES INSPIRED BY MA N’S BEST FRIEND, THE MUSIC AND HOW TO READ A BOOK. I also enjoyed 2 books in anew series that I discovered. It is thePETER ASH SERIES. I had one book that I should have DNFed- THE MAN IN THE CORDUROY. Just when I was ready to DNF the book, it started to get interesting. I was 50% through the book so decided to keep going. I should not have. in October, I’m excited about reading SAME AS IT ALWAYS WAS. I read a lor of articles with regard to the election and news in general. I also listened to FICTION MATTERS nd bteS podcast in September. another book that I did not finish was YELLOW WIFE. It is because the books sounded very familiar to me and I was pretty sure that I had already read it. I was going to read it for the backlist challenge for October. Instead I ended up choosing THE MUSIC OF BEE’S. Since I’m leaving to go to New York in a week, I decided to read it and get it out-of-the-way before my trip.
According to The Storygraph emotional is my top reading mood so far this year so I’m here for all the emotional recs! I know you liked Missy Carmichael, did you like HOW TO READ A BOOK?
I did like HOW TO READ A BOOK. It was not a 5 star book. It is not one of those books that you say, “you have to read this book”. It is not a THE COVENANT OF WATER. If you are interested in African parrots, there’s a lot of information in the story about these birds. I meant to mention that fall is the time of year when I enjoy chunky books. I am not in the spooky books so much as I like sitting down and getting involved with a long novel. I would like to tackle a long classic. I downloaded the Forsyte saga and I’m tempted to start that soon.
Y’all I used to read Stephen King in the 80’s when I was pregnant. Go figure. Used to love getting scared. My favorite of his is still The Body. He became a little too formula for me. I may need to revisit.
Happy Saturday!
My favorite books of September were THE WEDDING PEOPLE and PERRIS, CALIFORNIA.
My reading month was not as good quantity wise because I read Long Island Compromise and it took me awhile to finish. I have mixed feelings on this one as far as star rating goes. Has anyone read this and have thoughts? There is quite a bit to unpack here.
For October I am going to focus on reading easy and entertaining books as this is my favorite month of the year. I love all things fall and spooky 👻 I don’t want to read anything that takes itself too seriously. If anyone has any good spooky books to recommend bring them on.
I am planning to read THE SEPTEMBER HOUSE since I didn’t get to it yet this month. I also want to read I AM THINKING OF ENDING THINGS since it has been on my list for forever. I also ordered the HIGHWAY THIRTEEN story collection.
Book club books that I need to get to are HERE ONE MOMENT and BLESS YOUR HEART.
HERE ONE MOMENT is my book for the weekend.
I watched The Night Stalker documentary on Netflix which was super creepy and scary and rewatched Sideways. My husband and I are headed to that area for wine tasting for his 50th this weekend and I love that movie! It truly stands the test of time! I love Paul Giamatti.
Also just to throw in a loving lately I just ordered 2 new rugs from Ruggable that are machine washable and love them both! Great option when you have pets.
Not much reading this month as we took fly/ drive week on the North Shore of Lake Superior. It was a new part of US to thoroughly enjoy. I’ve read all of ELIZABETH STROUT’s books and looking for similar novels that revisit former characters. Any suggestions?
My favorite September book was DISAPPEARING EARTH by Julia Phillips. I am currently reading and listening to HORSE by Geraldine Brooks. I am finding it rather tedious but at 35%, things are getting better, and the audio is quite good. Historical fiction is not my favorite genre, so I am sure that is part of the problem.
For October, I am looking forward to reading TELL ME EVERYTHING by Elizabeth Strout and THE SEQUEL by Jean Hanff Korelitz. I would also like to read more books from my shelves that need my attention.
Always on my reading mind is reading reviews, listening to podcasts, and adding books to my TBR!
Fave Sept reads (So far) : House of Glass, Birdie and Harlow, Blue Sisters, Middle of the Night, and Someone in the Attic
I had so many DNF's: I was very much looking forward to Pink Glass Houses but just found it annoying, and I was anticipating Entitlement, and still think i may revisit but right now it was a DNF
Quality was great! I am very happy!!!
Other content: I love bookish podcasts (Currently reading, Book talk, etc, Bad on Paper to name a few) And I love substacks/blogs including Grace Atwood and Magpie fashion
I plan on spooky and scary thrills! Currently finishing up The Night Guest and Little Rabbit, enjoying both SO Much, as well as Intermezzo, I have started but it is LONG, So Thirsty, By and Other Name
Currently reading Intermezzo, Little Rabbit, and The Night Guest