Reading Wrap-Up: September 2024
A bit about the 14 books I read in September, plus my favorite fiction + nonfiction of the month (both surprises to me!).
Thanks to multiple airplane rides and out-of-state car trips - plus so many library and audiobook holds coming in at once (oh, the pressure!) - I was able to read 14 books in the month of September. Here are a few of my thoughts on each, in no particular order, except for my favorite fiction + nonfiction picks of the month highlighted at the end.
The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella
I’ve read several books by Kinsella over the years (though oddly, never the Shopaholic series, for which she is probably most well known!) and have enjoyed them all. She has perhaps become a ‘comfort author’ for me, in the sense that I know her books will lift my spirits and make me smile. The Burnout was no exception, with delightful characters, funny inner dialogue (probably one of my favorite parts of her books in general), and just enough emotional depth to feel drawn in but not overwhelmed. I started this one on paper and finished with the audio, and Bessie Carter’s narration was fantastic.
10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan & Benjamin Hardy
The crux of this business / personal development book travels the ‘go big or go home’ path, with the authors sharing strategies for exponential growth with your goals. The transformative viewpoint they take really resonated with me - essentially, how increasing your goals incrementally may simply lead to twice the work / effort / exhaustion with little to show, whereas massively expanding your goals requires you to change your mindset, eliminate the excess, and take bold + different actions. I struggled with some of the examples given, but I walked away with some excellent nuggets, too. And I definitely recommend their earlier book, The Gap & The Gain - I refer back to that concept frequently.
Passing by Nella Larsen
The rhythm of classic novels sometimes takes me a while to connect with, but Larsen’s eloquent-yet-straightforward writing allowed me to flow right in to Passing - and I finished it within two days. Published in 1929, Larsen offers a thought-provoking look into race, relationships, class, jealousy, and how we decide what’s best for our lives and families, among other topics. I felt myriad emotions while traveling this brief journey with Irene, Clare, and the others, and I bristled at the callousness and language they at times endured, even from those closest to them. The direction the story ended up taking caught me off-guard; I actually had to reread a few pages once I finished. (A literary double-take, so to speak!)
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
I have seen this book everywhere since it came out a few months ago, and ultimately I couldn’t resist its unique concept of historical figures time-traveling into the present day. The story quickly drew me in and I thought Bradley’s writing was incredibly engaging - clever, creative, and with subtle humor in the least-expected places. I also found some really poignant insights wrapped up in a single sentence here and there, such as this observation of time travel in general: “You talk about changing history, but you’re trying to change the future.” ‘Thought-provoking’ seems to be my top description for many of my reads this month, and it certainly applies to this book as well.
The Connection Cure by Julia Hotz
A really insightful look at ‘social prescriptions,’ defined early on page 2 as a “nonmedical resource or activity that aims to improve a person’s health and strengthen their community connections.” Hotz narrows in on five such modalities - movement, nature, art, service, and belonging - and how they fuel our need for joy, meaning, and relationships. I loved the examples shared throughout the book, coming from medical professionals to community leaders to individuals living their lives; I also appreciated the different perspectives Hotz encountered as she traveled to various parts of the globe exploring how social prescriptions were utilized (and within different healthcare systems, too). I took lots of notes and plan to write a dedicated review for this one soon.
Pink Glass Houses by Ashley Elias
I heard this book described as a page-turner - which is often the type of book I’ll seek out for a flight - so when I spotted its pink cover on the library shelves a day or so before a fair amount of airplane travel, I grabbed it. I then followed this rural, small-town family as they moved to an incredibly privileged, showy, quite-self-centered community in Florida, and all the drama that ensued. I don’t know that I’ve read anything in the ‘PTA Parents Behaving Badly’ genre before (I’m sure it’s a genre, right?), but this one kept my attention throughout my travel day.
The Second Mountain by David Brooks
Brooks has quite a repertoire of publications to his name, and in The Second Mountain, he proposes an interesting way (and perhaps a helpful metaphor) in which to view life: We approach different ‘mountains’ at different times, often starting with a self-focus (getting the great job, climbing the ladder, etc) and moving towards an increased focus on others, community, and serving the greater good. I first discovered Brooks through his ‘eulogy vs resume’ TED Talk years ago, and I appreciate his continued desire to help us focus on what matters most and to be intentional through all of our ‘mountains.’ I am apparently reading his books in reverse order: One of my first books of the year was his newest release, How To Know A Person, which I gave 5 stars and still think about often; I’ve just finished The Second Mountain (published in 2019); and I have The Road To Character (published 2015) on deck, possibly for next month. (A mood reader makes no promises. :-))
Agatha Raisin - #21-25 in the series - by M.C. Beaton
After arriving late to the Inspector Gamache books by Louise Penny, whipping through the entire series (thus far), then wondering what could fill my apparent newfound need for mystery, a friend introduced me to Agatha Raisin. Apparently this series has been around since the 1990s but I had never heard of it! The books are typically entertaining, fairly quick reads (usually 6-7 hours on audio), and I love the British narration in the audio format. When I last checked, there were 35 books in the series (!) so I still have a fair amount to go, though I do think I’ll spread them out a bit more than I did this month.
Favorite Nonfiction of the Month:
This slim memoir packed a powerful punch. I loved Crosley’s writing style overall, but particularly on the sentence level - something about her keen observations and word choices just really worked for me. The subject matter, as the title might suggest, is heartbreaking, and some lines resonated so deeply, such as this one: “He is my favorite person, the one who somehow sees me both as I want to be seen and as I actually am,” and this one: “Heavy is the enchantment of places you know you will never see again.” Along with periodically drying my eyes, I found myself chuckling more than I expected, too. The wit and wry humor, side by side with the poignancy and depth, made this such an engaging read.
Favorite Fiction of the Month:
I admittedly wasn’t super intrigued by the concept when I first heard about Shark Heart - essentially, a young married man slowly turning into a great white shark - so never in a million years did I expect this story to captivate me the way it did. It is beautiful, funny, odd, touching, and - when pondered metaphorically - unexpectedly deep. One of the things I loved most about the writing style was how the author so clearly trusts the reader to put pieces together - she doesn’t info-dump or even describe this ‘world’ in detail, just does a fantastic job of immersing us in it (showing vs. telling). I jotted down several quotes from this one and I actually have tears in my eyes as I reread them now. A really unique and memorable debut novel!
Have you read any of these? What was your favorite book from September?
* Note: Several of these books touch on topics that may be sensitive or difficult for some. Please search content info as needed and take good care, dear readers.