Happy October! Here to report back on my September reading which has been a disappointing (in quantity, but not quality) month in a disappointing year of my reading. I'm reading less AND running less this year but maybe spending more time on family adventures so I guess that's something! Still got some reading in and hoping for more as my running ramps down for the winter!
I'm very active on Goodreads here, somewhat active on Instagram here, and linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy on the 15th!
Other book posts in the past month:
Just Another Love Song by Kerry Winfrey
This was a delight of a book that I have fond memories of reading the second half of, in the desk chair in the bathroom nook while at a hotel for our nephew's wedding over Labor Day weekend (I finished it AFTER their open bar wedding...which is saying something). (Also, that desk chair/bathroom nook set-up was surprisingly not uncomfortable AND kept the light away from sleeping kids.) Kerry Winfrey writes rom-com-esque books so well. This was just enjoyable from start to finish. Small town high school sweethearts. They break up in college, he goes onto to be a well known musician. She stays in their small town and runs a garden center. Then their lives collide again years later. Charming, sweet, and characters you could root for. 4.25 Stars
28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
This was my third time through this one, it's become a Labor Day weekend tradition! A pair of friends set-up a "same time next year" arrangement where, no matter what else they have going on, they come together at her beach house on Nantucket for one Labor Day weekend of perfect romance before they don't speak again for another 362 days. The book covers their weekends, what was happening in the world over those 28 summers, and a bit of their lives outside of those weekends. It sad and beautiful. 4.75 Stars
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This was astounding, just like I've come to expect from Taylor Jenkins Reid. I care very little about tennis. I know very little about it except that love means zero and there are sets and games...it was briefly explained here but I still don't understand how many things you have to win to actually win. BUT...it's about a former tennis star, most grand slams, men or women. Then that claim to fame is tied and she knows, even though she's years out of the sport, that she has to get back into the game, make a comeback. An actual comeback. She reunited with her father, her former coach, and they set out to make her great again. Not just great, but the best. It was a page turner and made me care about tennis, at least in the book form. 4.25 Stars
From the Jump by Lacie Waldon
Romance about a group of friends and two of them that begin a relationship on a group trip. The characters didn't feel very fleshed out and some of the happenings just didn't feel earned enough. I read 300 pages and still didn't feel like I knew them all real well. 2.75 Stars
Don't be Trashy: A Practical Guide to Living with Less Waste and More Joy: A Minimalism Book by Tara McKenna
I've read many zero waste books at this point and am not really looking for new tips but just books to revitalize my motivation to keep making changes, especially when they usually start out with some difficulties before new routines are absorbed. This was that and I appreciated it for that. I have some ideas of changes we could make and things we could. Also appreciate new motivation! 3.5 Stars
The Codebreaker's Secret by Sara Ackerman
This is World War II novel set in Hawaii following a woman who worked on the war effort in some capacity. All of her books have had this but they've been on some different islands and covering different jobs women had in Hawaii at that time. There was a reveal in here that surprised me; I hadn't seen that coming! Not my favorite of hers but I still enjoyed it. When can we go back?? 3.25 Stars
The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe by Angela Kelly
I put this on hold shortly after the Queen died and it was interesting a little bittersweet to read about all the work that went into her wardrobe. FASCINATING (and I say that sincerely). Angela Kelly worked for the Queen for many decades and became a trusted confident and friend to Her Majesty (and had permission to write this book). Just really interesting what it took to make the wardrobe of one of the most famous women in the world. 4 Stars
Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean
The first of two adoption themed novels I read this most, unintentionally. This was about Mika who put her daughter up for adoption 16 years ago and now that daughter has found her. Mika is struggling with aspects of her life, just lost her job, hasn't done what she thought she would have done. So she makes certain points of her life sound better than they happen to be. Which makes the daughter happy, Mika too...until the daughter schedules a visit. And now Mika has to try to create this fake life. But it doesn't stop there, their relationship continues as they navigate this birth mother/gave up for adoption daughter relationship. There are a few things in here that seemed very...odd. It would be considered spoilers but...some people made some bad decisions maybe. But otherwise, I appreciated seeing how this adoption was portrayed. 3.75 Stars
A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin
This is the book I read on a recent camping trip and it was much more in the tone of Jane Austen (which I struggled to get through the one book of hers I've read) than I was expecting. I have not watched Bridgerton but maybe it would appeal more to fans of that time period too? It was fine, similar a bit to Pride & Prejudice in that an oldest daughter is seeking a rich husband, in this case because other wise the sisters will lose their family home and be forced to work? Or something equally horrifying for the time. So she goes fortune hunting in London during "the season" and makes a deal with a very rich...nobleman? It was fine, cover is great! 3 Stars
Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
This was surprising in how much I enjoyed it! I had recently heard her on What Should I Read Next? podcast and, even though I listen to very few (almost none) audio books, I was intrigued enough to add it to the list. And it was a pretty delightful romance story! About an audio book narrator and how she's co-narrating a romance book with a man using a fake name too. THINGS HAPPEN. There is snow in Vegas. It was a little less steamy than Emily Henry, if that helps. I was mostly charmed by the story and, even though I don't listen to them, loved all the behind the scenes details of being an audio book narrator! I finished this when recovering from a stomach bug (it's been a very sick fall for us) and it was nice and light which is what I needed then! 3.75 Stars
Any Other Family by Eleanor Brown
This was, accidentally, the second adoption themed novel I read this month. Both our boys are adopted and so it's a topic that interests me but it doesn't come up super often as a central topic of a novel so a little odd that I ended up with two this month! This one centered around a family by choice who have all adopted children from the same birth parents. There are 3 families that have branched from this couple and they all get together very regularly so the kids can have relationships with their biological siblings. The three moms are all very different and I found myself relating to each of them at times (although some more than others). It made me both wish we had more a relationship with either of our birth moms and also that we aren't looped into a third family (with either boys' biological siblings) on top of the big ones we already have. Anyways, page-turning and fascinating. 3.75 Stars
What have YOU been reading lately?
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