I haven’t done a reading recap post in a long time, and I almost didn’t write one this month. A blog post about a (seemingly random) assortment of books isn’t very searchable or Pinterest-friendly, after all. (No, that’s not all that matters of course.) But I thought about some of my favorite blog posts to read and podcast episodes to listen to, and it turns out I love a recap.
For all the other recap-lovers out there, here are the books I read in September. It’s mostly fiction, with a couple of memoirs thrown in for good measure.
Dark and twisty historical fiction:
Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian. Set in 1662, Mary Deerfield is 24 and married to a successful, well-respected man with a cruel, violent side that only Mary sees. One night, he stabs her in the hand with a fork (or “the devil’s tines” as many call the unfamiliar piece of cutlery in their town). After that, Mary vows to fight and appeals to the town magistrates to issue her a divorce. As you might suspect, when an intelligent and pretty young woman goes after a beloved, prominent man in the community in the 17th century, things don’t go well. Although long, I found this story to be gripping and well-paced. I loved it. My rating: 4/5 stars.
Funny YA with serious themes:
Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles. If you’re looking for something more firmly rooted in today, I highly recommend this YA novel about Del, a Black teenage boy living in a small town. Del has had a crush on Kiera for pretty much his whole life, but she seems to always have a boyfriend. When he learns that she is finally single, he daydreams about all the ways he can convince her to go out with him—and his daydreaming, while in church, leads him to accidentally sign up to be part of a purity pledge. Giles manages to tackle tough topics like teen sexuality, toxic masculinity, and religion with humor and thoughtfulness. This was a great read (and I loved it on audio). My rating: 4/5 stars.
Atmospheric and haunting YA:
Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour. Mila has just aged out of the foster system, and after graduation she agrees to take a job at a farm in a remote coastal town. The setting is idyllic, and she adores the boy she’s been assigned to help teach. However, she wasn’t prepared for the ghosts—the ones everyone at the farm sees as well as the ones that haunt only her through her memories. This melancholy, atmospheric novel was beautiful and sad, yet not without hope. I loved this one too. My rating: 4/5 stars.
Heartbreaking historical fiction:
Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie. This is a heartbreaking novel about a woman who spent her life fighting for the right to simply exist. Nori’s mother is from a prominent Japanese family, but she is cast aside for disgracing her family’s name by having an affair and a child with a Black American soldier. Nori is sent to live with her grandmother, who hides her away in the attic, beats her, and forces her to take bleach-filled baths to try to lighten her skin. It turns out that’s only the beginning of what Nori must endure because of who she is and where she came from. This was difficult to read at times, but I am glad I read it. My rating: 4/5 stars.
Quirky quarter-life crisis story:
Chemistry by Weike Wang. If you’ve experienced that mid-twenties, post-college, what the heck am I doing with my life existential crisis, you might just appreciate Chemistry. The writing is sparse and witty, and Wang tackles real issues with humor and relatability. This book is definitely different, so don’t go in expecting a traditional narrative. However, if you’re in the mood for something a little off the beaten path and can relate to the subject matter (the quarter life crisis, not necessarily the chemistry), I recommend giving this one a try. My rating: 3.5/5 stars.
Clever, slow-burn historical romance:
The Devil Comes Courting by Courtney Milan. Last month when I was in the mood for romance, I picked up this one by a romance writer I keep hearing good things about. It’s a historical romance about a Chinese woman, raised by white missionaries, who doesn’t want to admit that she can’t stand the men her adopted mother keeps trying to marry her off to. She meets Captain Grayson Hunter because he is looking for a mysterious genius who can help him create a Chinese telegraph code, and it turns out the genius is her. This was a slow burn but a fun read. My rating: 3.5/5 stars.
Literary fiction with relationship drama:
Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney. After years of being married and raising their now college-aged daughter, Flora questions everything she knows about her relationship with her husband Julian when she finds his wedding ring buried in an envelope in their filing cabinet. Sweeney had a way with making the relationships feel so real, yet still so interesting, and it was easy to get lost in the characters’ lives. Yet what made this one a “really like” rather than a “love” for me was that I just couldn’t fully connect with any of the characters. I’m still glad I read it though. My rating: 3.5/5 stars.
Insightful memoir from an often overlooked perspective:
Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig. As someone who makes an effort to read diversely, the fact that until now it didn’t cross my mind to include the voices of people with disabilities in my reading is pretty shameful. But Taussig’s fascinating, funny, and eye-opening memoir helped me realize how important that perspective is. I recommend this book to any human with a body. Also, Taussig is from Kansas City, which I think is so cool—I love supporting local writers! My rating: 4/5 stars.
Funny stories about marriage:
The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle. I was in the mood to listen to some nonfiction on audio, so I downloaded this marriage-themed memoir. Unfortunately I went in expecting something a bit different, and so while some of Shankle’s stories made me laugh, I just didn’t get a lot out of this one. My rating: 3/5 stars.
I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading lately too!
