I used to share short reviews of every book I read. Generally, I read about 4-8 books a month, so that task wasn't greatly daunting.
And then the C-word hit in March 2020. The first few months, I floundered when it came to reading. Anxiety kept me from being able to focus. My mind raced all the time. And the small people were home almost every second for most of 6 months.
My reading has changed a lot in the last 18 months. Around July 2020, I went from those 4-8 books to a month to reading anywhere from 12 to 17 books a month since then. Why?
- I'm escaping real life through books. This equals reading more.
- I've read a lot more YA and romance, which are much quicker reads.
- Around November 2019, I figured out how to fit audiobooks in my life more. About a third of my reading is now via audiobook. Sometimes this means I don't listen to podcasts as much, but that's OK with me.
All that said, I hope to share about reading here again, but it's definitely going to be the highlights. I'm always happy to talk about every book I read, though, in comments or by email.
Favorite Book of the Month
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes - ON AUDIO - If you grew up on The Princess Bride, this book is for you and you should go RUN to listen to it right now. Sure, you could read it on paper, but why would you do that when Westley himself will read it to you, with the help of other actors and directors from the film? I loved every second and had to go watch the movie right after I was done.
(My beloved author Jenny B. Jones commented on my Instagram about As You Wish that the audiobook is absolutely the best audio ever created and is unrivaled. So listen to her if you won't listen to me.)
Favorite Romance of the Month
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun is a sweet debut novel taking place in a Bachelor-esque reality show. Producer Dev is pretty newly out of a long-term relationship that almost burst his fairy-tale-loving bubble. Charlie, the new star of the show, is trying to rehab his image and make it through the weeks of filming. Both struggle with mental health, and the novel deals with that in such a lovely way. When Charlie finds himself more attracted to Dev than any of the women trying to win his heart, it's more than a little complicated.
Favorite YA
What I Carry by Jennifer Longo not only has an insanely gorgeous cover it also contains a pretty fantastic and heartfelt story. Muir is 17 and has bounced from house to house to house in the foster system. With less than a year left, she finds herself at the home of Francine, a single, retired woman, on an island outside of Portland, Oregon. Muir has so many walls up and knows what she wants: to walk outside, often, and to just make it out of the foster system.
Slowly throughout the novel her walls are pushed by Francine, new friend Kira, and Sean, the boy who is just a little too perfect for her. (This is my one complaint about the novel - truly, he's just too perfect.) It's a beautiful story inspired by Longo's own daughter.
Here are the other books I finished in September!
- Cookoff: Recipe Fever in America by Amy Sutherland [from my shelves, hardback] (4 stars)
- Flash Fire by TJ Klune [audiobook] (4.5 stars - this is the *third* time I've read this book ... I ADORE this series and wanted to listen on audio because Michael Lesley, the narrator, is so fantastic)
- Truth or Beard by Penny Reid [digital via Hoopla] (3 stars)
- Love, Jacaranda by Alex Flinn [audiobook] (3 stars)
- Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase [from my shelves, paperback] (4 stars)
- Float Plan by Trish Doller [Kindle via library] (3 stars)
- Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk [read aloud] (2 stars)
- Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner [audiobook] (4 stars)
- Fault Lines by Emily Itami [paper via library] (3.5 stars)
- Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher [digital ARC via Netgalley] (4 stars)
What was your favorite book you read in September?
