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Books Read in September 2025

September turned out to be quite a reading month, and I'm actually in the middle of various books of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry--books are my oldest and surest source of comfort and I've been needing a lot of that. High holidays are also a great time for reading after services since I try not to write or use technology on those days. 

 Books Read in September 2025

  1. My Life With the Walter Boys by Ali Novak--The TV show has been a guilty pleasure so finally checked out the source material--very similar and lives up to the show.
  2. Lavender House (Evander Mills #1) by Lev A.C. Rosen--I enjoyed The Bell in the Fog so much that I went back and read the first book and intend to read the rest--so glad when book club turns me onto a book or series I enjoy that I might not otherwise have read!
  3. American Journal: Fifty Poems for Our Time, edited by Tracy K. Smith--Book of poems I got awhile ago but didn't really jibe with--I finished reading them all this month, and while I enjoyed some, I passed the collection on to someone who will appreciate it more.
  4. The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston (Book club)--I actually hated this heartwarming story 😛where an older man gets mistaken for another in a nursing home. I found the mistreatment of the patients extremely upsetting, and while Fred is a lovely character, it's all just too saccharine and unbelievable for me.
  5. The Fox and the Nightingale by Laurie Sanford (LibraryThing review)--Extremely beautiful prose for a romance set in the Wild West--I found the contrast of the writing and content a bit distracting, but if you're looking for a Wild West romance, it's a fun and beautifully written story.
  6. Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life by Maggie Smith--I love Smith's writing advice; her way of breaking down diction and syntax just works for me. I received her newsletter for a while, and it's wonderful to have her tips and exercises in book form.
  7. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas--I didn't care for the power imbalance in ACOTAR and didn't continue the series, but a friend gave me this one to try and I really enjoyed it. Best of all, the potential love interests are age-appropriate 😉. We'll see how the rest of the series goes!
  8. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Book club)--We needed a novella for a quick turnaround time, and this is indeed short--I think I finished it in just over an hour! It's a thoughtful and well-written story. Not my cup of tea necessarily, but I enjoyed it enough and look forward to discussing it. 

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