Another month, another wrap-up of the previous month. At the beginning of the month I sped through 5 books, all of which were 4-star reads or higher. Then a reading slump/mental slump hit and I only read two more books for the rest of the month. The last two books I read – The Book of Not and Transcendent Kingdom – both disappointed me in some ways, but were still overall enjoyable reads for me. Reviews for those will be up in a week or so.
Books read:
- Bright-Sided by Barbara Ehrenreich – 4 stars out of 5
- Paradise Cove by Jenny Holiday – 4 stars out of 5
- Chemistry by Weike Wang – 4.5 stars out of 5
- Love and Other Thought Experiments by Sophie Ward – 5 stars out of 5
- Dear Ijeawele by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – 4 stars out of 5
- The Book of Not by Tsitsi Dangarembga – 3 stars out of 5
- Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi – 3.5 stars out of 5
Books in progress/October TBR:
I’m currently finishing up We Want Our Bodies Back by Jessica Care Moore and Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall. I had wanted to finish these by the end of September…but my reading slump made that goal pretty unattainable.
I’m not sure if it’s realistic to finish 8 books on top of the two that I’m currently wrapping up – we will see. The books that I want to read this month are:
- This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga. I have been working through the Nervous Conditions series in anticipation of this novel, and am really looking forward to it! I’ve heard good things about this one so far, and am encouraged by the fact that it advanced to the Booker Prize short list.
- Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam. This seems like a perfect spooky read for October. I get scared REALLY EASILY, but this novel just sounds too good to pass up.
- The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante. I’ve heard wonderful things about this coming-of-age novel, and am really looking forward to it.
- Luster by Raven Leilani. This is one of my most anticipated reads of 2020, and while the reviews I’ve read so far would suggest that this book didn’t quite live up to its hype…it’s still a must-read for me.
- Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi. I don’t know too much about this book, but based on the title it seems like a perfect audiobook/commuting-read for me.
- The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste. One of my Booker Prize reads! I love historical fiction that shows history from a non-whitewashed point of view, so I’m hopeful that I’ll enjoy this Booker-shortlisted novel.
- Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler. Also reading this one because of the Booker Prize, even though it didn’t advance to the shortlist. Because my October TBR is unrealistically ambitious, there is a good chance that I actually won’t end up reading this one.
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab. This has been on my TBR for SO LONG and it also seems like a great Halloween read. So excited about this one!!
Some blog posts I enjoyed:
- Stargazer’s latest post in their “literary locations” series – this one focused on desert locations.
- Emily’s Booker Prize shortlist reaction post (her feelings about the shortlist are remarkably similar to my own!)
- Naty’s anti-TBR! I just love the concept of an anti-TBR – it reminds me that part of the point of reading is to enjoy it and read the things we want!
- Book Club Mom’s National Punctuation Day reading list. I did not know National Punctuation Day was a thing, but I am into it!
- Diana’s Japanese literature recommendations for each Zodiac sign. My recommendation was Yoko Ogawa’s The Housekeeper and the Professor, which I immediately added to my TBR.
September photos:
I hope your slump doesn’t last too much longer. xo
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My book club recently read Notes from a Young Black Chef, and I found the early parts intriguing, but as we got near the end, it started to read more like a celebrity memoir — more on the attack to prove why other people have done him wrong and he’s not as guilty/unlikable as the situation looks. Many people in my club enjoyed it, but I’m a suspicious weirdo, lol.
I love your photos. The image of the pond instantly made me feel calmer and less warm (I’m wearing a mask and breathing all over myself at this current moment). Can you tell me more about the pond?
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I want to read The Transcendent Kingdom. What did you not like about it?
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My reading month was exactly the same as yours: a great start followed by a slump! Here’s hoping we both hit our reading stride again in October! 📚😊
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Ah, I also have Hood Feminism & This Mournable Body on my TBR for this month! I’m eager to get my hands on Transcendent Kingdom because Homegoing was so well-accomplished and moving, but really interested to read what you think of it & any shortcomings.
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Oh, I’m sorry to hear that Transcendent Kingdom didn’t live up to expectations. From what I’ve read, I should get along really well with this novel, so I look forward to hear what you liked and didn’t like about it. Thanks for mentioning my Literary Locations post! 😀
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Nice blog
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Great list here. I am always trying to have a decent TBR pile that includes both fiction and nonfiction books. Recently I’ve been on a spirituality kick and I’ve even tried some visionary/metaphysical fiction. I want to recommend a book I just finished called “Journey: A Novel” by Andrew Zimmerman. It’s a fictional book that seems to have an “Eat Pray Love” feel because it’s about a guy, Paul, who travels to Glastonbury, England to visit friends and finds himself in the ultimate spiritual awakening. Prior to this he is an unhappy corporate drone that neglects his family. The trip makes him confront his true inner self and makes it clear that climbing up the corporate ladder is not his life’s purpose. This is an inspiring book that I really enjoyed. You can check out the book here – http://andrewzimmermanbooks.com/ Really hope you will give it a change! Thanks again for the variety of books!
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Finished the Nervous Conditions trilogy and am in awe of it. Very difficult to write about, but I was helped by attending an online interview via the London Review Bookshop. Really interested to see how it fares. I thought it a stronger contender than The Shadow King, which I felt difficulty engaging with, due to the style.
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