Tomorrow is Spooktober! So excited for spooky season.

I read a whopping 7 books in September — two work trips really helped accomplish that!

Here’s what I read this month:

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

One of my favorite books this year — and definitely among my top books ever. I have yet to read The Kite Runner, so I plan to read that in October or November. This book was absolutely stunning; captivating from the start, and a true testament to sisterhood. This book will break your heart.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

I’ve heard about this book for a long time — many people loved it. But I was not part of the “love it” train. I honestly had to refresh my memory to remind myself what it was about. And I got disappointed all over again.

I think this book had a lot of potential to be impactful, but the main character was so flat. No connection to her or likability at all. There were too many “alternate realities” — if the author stuck to 2 or 3, then maybe I would have stayed interested.

Zero Days by Ruth Ware

Oh, Ruth. This book was absolutely awful. The main character was insufferable and so stupid that it was laughable how many mistakes she made. Literally her job to be on the run and she stunk at it. There were no twists — everything was obvious. I wished for more. The ending was so silly and predictable. I just couldn’t with this one. Stick with the gothics, Ruth.

A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales

Finally — after two flops, I read this book by Julia Seales. This book was so fun! It was satirical, entertaining, hilarious, a true whodunnit with a twist that I didn’t really see coming because I was too busy enjoying myself to think too hard about it. An amazing debut and I can’t wait to read her other books.

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore

Goodness! This book was so heartwarming and sweet. There’s very little romance; it’s all about friendship. Friendship with the most unexpected people. Friendship among people who are different from you, from cultures to lifestyle to age. And this friendship circled around a love of reading and togetherness. It just made my heart swell. Loved every page!

Home Body by Rupi Kaur

I’ve seen Rupi Kaur’s poems all across social media, but never really stopped to read. What a talented and brave and smart and impressive poet.

Going There by Katie Couric

Katie Couric came to a work event back in June, so I got her memoir for free. I was never really a fan (I didn’t dislike her; I just knew nothing about her). And after reading her memoir … I am not that impressed? She said a lot of things that I felt were pretty tone deaf and while she was a trailblazer as a woman in the field that I work in, she had a lot of privilege and help along the way because of her race and her looks. Just wasn’t impressed by her story (though her husband’s death was truly heartbreaking). The memoir was wayyyyyy too long, which, in my opinion, speaks to her outlook on herself.

What did you read in September? Share in the comments below!

Here’s what I’ve read so far in 2023 (which is rapidly coming to a close!):

January Wrap-Up

February Wrap-Up

March Wrap-Up

April Wrap-Up

June and July Wrap-Up (Didn’t finish a book in May!)

August Wrap-Up