What I’ve Been Reading: September Edition

Welcome to the September edition of Quick Lit, where we share short and sweet reviews of what we’ve been reading lately. Brought to you by Anne at Modern Mrs. Darcy, we link up on her blog to see what others are reading!

 

School is in full swing and my commute is back with a vengeance. On average, my travel time to and from work is three hours. What do I do with myself for that chunk of time? Listen to audio books, of course!

So, even though getting back to work might seem like it would result in less reading time, the opposite is true for me. The five books listed below are my favorites since my last What I’ve Been Reading post. Out of those five, I listened to three of them. Thank goodness for my library’s audio book collection and for Audible!

What I’ve Been Reading in September:

Emma in the Night, by Wendy Walker

This was my Book of the Month pick for September and it was a good, solid psychological suspense novel. It’s the story of two sisters, Cass and Emma, who disappear mysteriously in the night. A few years later, Cass shows up back home, but Emma does not. Cass is desperate for the police to find Emma, but some things just aren’t adding up. Throw in a completely dysfunctional family and the stage is set. I’d never read a book with characters with narcissistic personality disorder before, so that was enlightening. And even though I predicted the twist at the end, it was still a satisfying read.

 

 

I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons, by Kevin Hart

I read this one for my Worth the Read series. Check it out here!

 

 

 

 

 

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, by Winifred Watson

I’d seen the movie but had heard from multiple sources that the book was worth reading, and it was perfectly delectable. The writing was a bit more old-fashioned than I’d expected, but that’s my own ignorance going into it. The book was written in 1938 for Pete’s sake! Once I got into the book, the tale of a down-on-her-luck nanny experiencing a whirlwind day of extravagance, men, and booze, then ultimately finding her voice and the bravery to change her life, lifted my spirits and left a smile on my face.

 

Mistborn: The Final Empire, by Brandon Sanderson

Mistborn was my first Brandon Sanderson (I like fantasy, but don’t read too much of it) but it definitely will not be my last. Even after reading just one of his books, I am convinced that he is one of the most masterful world-builders out there. The intricacies of Sanderson’s Mistborn reality are incredibly rich and wildly creative. It also doesn’t hurt that the protagonist in Mistborn is a kick-ass girl with kick-ass powers!

 

 

Our Souls at Night, by Kent Haruf

Our Souls at Night may be only 193 pages, but it has an emotional poignancy I haven’t encountered in a book in a long time. It grabs you from the very start. A woman in her golden years visits her next door neighbor and asks him if he’d come over at night and sleep with her. Not that kind of sleep-with-her, but to chat, get to know each other, and have someone to sleep next to. From this premise builds a story that explores aging, human connection, second chances, family, friendship, and more. Do yourself a favor: read this book!

 

 

What are have you read lately? Share in the comments below!