September Reading Report
eerie mysteries, popular fantasy, and farm animals
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September passed by in a flash, but it was full of good books, lots of library time, and long walks. Today I’m sharing seven books that stood out from my September reading log, four picture books my toddler adored, and five books I hope to read next month—plus a collection of bookish links from around the web. Let’s get right to the book reviews, shall we?
September Reading Report
September’s literary highlights include finding a signed first edition of The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff at my local bookstore, hearing my son say “library book” for the first time, and launching our fall semester of public scholarship on the podcast.
The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong. Ruby Vaughn, a former heiress, orphan, and WWI nurse, works in a rare bookstore with her elderly employer/housemate. Her life is cozy, but she yearns for an adrenaline rush—not a simple errand delivering books to the Cornish countryside. After the delivery, Ruby stops to visit her friend Tamsyn at Penryth Hall, a sprawling manor owned by Tamsyn’s terrible husband Sir Edward. When Sir Edward winds up dead the morning after Ruby’s visit, she finds herself in the middle of a mystery involving the entire countryside. Whispers of a curse infiltrate her logical mind, and she teams up with the town Pellar to uncover the truth. For fans of Maisie Dobbs and Rebecca.
Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch. When I saw this romance billed as “Bringing Up Baby meets Jane Austen,” it leaped to the top of my fall TBR list. I LOVE Cary Grant’s screwball comedies and couldn’t wait to see how they translated to a Regency romance. This isn’t a direct retelling, but it is a fun spin on the 1938 film. Michael Blumley, Duke of Loriton would much rather focus on his scientific experiments than socialize with his wealthy peers, but when his aunt’s prized poodle Galahad is accidentally swapped and stolen, Michael must work with another poodle owner: Elizabeth (Bitsy) Dockering to bring the dognappers to justice. Of course, these misunderstood characters fall in love—but there’s nothing spicy in these pages, just a perfectly charming, closed door romp through London. For fans of Mr. Malcolm’s List or 1930s comedies.
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow. I’m not a big fantasy reader, but I enjoy Harrow’s well-plotted, magical stories set in the real world. With trippy dream sequences, a haunted mansion, and a run down rural town, this novel, set to release October 3rd, satisfied all my eerie autumn cravings. Opal hates her small town of Eden, Kentucky, but she can’t imagine living anywhere else. Cramped in a tiny motel room with her younger brother and the memory of their mother, Opal decides to accept a job as housekeeper for the spooky Starling House. The reclusive caretaker Arthur Starling (saved in Opal’s phone as Heathcliff) is clearly hiding something. Provoked by corporate investigators and her own curiosity, Opal finds herself caught in a tangled web of secrets, love, and sinister magic. For fans of The Whispering House and Jane Eyre.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. No matter how many times I read this gothic novel, I find something new to enjoy—the true mark of a classic! For this reading, I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Anna Massey, and I’m so glad I did. Her performance enhanced the creepiness of Mrs. Danvers and the youthfulness of the unnamed narrator. In our Novel Pairings episode and book club discussion, we focused on the unreliable narrator and untrustworthy characters, imposter syndrome, Manderley as a symbol for the mind, Postmodern subjectivity, and Rebecca’s true nature. If any of these topics sound appealing, whether you’ve read the novel recently or years ago, you should listen to the episode. For fans of The Bloody Chamber and Gone Girl.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. This breakout hit lingered on my TBR list until my local bookstore announced a new romance book club (yay!). Our first meeting was lovely; it was so nice to get out of the house past 6 pm, chat with fellow romance readers, and discuss a frothy, fun read. I liked Alex and Henry, swooned over their love letters, and relished in any scene with their friend group. Since so many readers cite this as a total escapist read, I found myself surprised with a lot of anxiety around the political elements. Even though McQuiston rewrites history, it was slightly traumatizing to revisit a 2016-inspired America. I haven’t watched the movie, but I hope to soon! For fans of Pride and Prejudice and Heartstopper.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. It took me almost 170 pages to get hooked on this book, and normally I’d quit sooner—but I stuck with it because of the buzz. I’m glad I did because once the dragons showed up, this was a fun ride! The writing made me roll my eyes in the first few chapters, I was never sold on the romance, and I have some questions about major plot holes, but my criticisms eased up with each twist and turn in the second half. Will this make my best books of the year list? Probably not. Will I read the next one? I think so. Although this novel isn’t YA, it was fun to feel like a teen reading Twilight again, mostly sucked in and willing to stay up late to finish. For fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Divergent.
Dearborn by Ghassan Zeinedinne. All ten stories in this debut collection take place in Dearborn, Michigan, home to a multigenerational Arab American community. Zeinedinne explores xenophobia, immigration, trauma, sexuality, and everyday life in character-driven vignettes set across decades. I enjoyed the balance of humor and tragedy in this collection, and the audiobook was excellent, featuring multiple narrators. For fans of The Erotic Stories of Punjabi Widows.
Picture Books
Now that he’s developing clear interests, I’m excited to track which books my son loves and asks for again and again each month—especially the titles we reserve from the library. He currently adores books with farm animals, frogs, dogs, and bears. Crane Jane! is an outlier because we checked out a bunch of construction books from the library, but none of the others kept his interest.
A Home in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown. Beautifully illustrated, extremely cozy.
Teeny Tiny Toady by Jill Esbaum. Too cute.
Bear is a Bear by Jonathan Stutzman. File under: picture books that make adults cry.
Crane Jane! by Andrea Zimmerman. Fabulous illustrations and rhymes.
October TBR Stack
After exclusively reading romance novels in the spring and summer—first for previewing and then for getting through a tough time—I’m craving literary fiction, mystery, and short story collections for fall.
Tomb Sweeping Alexandra Chang
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
Light Skin Gone to Waste by Toni Ann Johnson
Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz
All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue
Eclectic Links
Enduring Epics: Emily Wilson and Madeline Miller on breathing new life into ancient classics (Lit Hub)
The 15 must-read small press books of fall (Electric Lit)
Booksellers stock up on genre fiction (Publisher’s Weekly)
Goldilocks picks her next book to read (The Guardian)
TikTok is changing the way books are recommended and sold (The Economist)
These 183,000 books are fueling the biggest fight in publishing and tech (The Atlantic) & AI narrates 5,000 audiobooks for Project Gutenberg (Freethink)
Beth Nguyen on Taylor Swift, Edith Wharton, and creating a double perspective (Lit Hub)
Octavia Butler’s advice on writing (The Marginalian)
What was the best book you read in September?
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To find out more about my current reads, favorite things, and life updates follow me on Instagram. If you’re interested in reading classic literature with accessible guidance and a cozy community, check out the Novel Pairings podcast and Patreon.
One of my favorite reads in September was Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson. A fantasy book with a few ale lead, fantastic world building, and a little bit of a love story. Read in print or digital because there are some fantastic illustrations.
The best book I read was The Bee Sting and the best one I re-read was Rebecca (thanks to Novel Pairings and reading it - finally! - through the eyes of an unreliable narrator)! Also, loved the Beth Nguyen article; memoir is my favorite kind of non-fiction and it works best for me when the author has the perspective of years to give meaning to the events they're sharing (I'm going to be re-reading Crying in H Mart next month for a bookclub and will be paying attention to that) - thank you for sharing!