I’m happy to share my thoughts on the books I read in September!  While I read some really great books, I feel like it was a pretty slow month for me. I just haven’t taken the time to just sit and read very much. But I was still able to finish 8 books this month, and I’m on track to reach my goal of reading 100 books this year (I’m currently sitting at 77 completed)!


I didn’t realize until I was writing this post that this was a very heavy non-fiction month for me.  I wonder if that’s why it felt slower?

The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth

This was a good, clean thriller. It’s hard to find thrillers without much swearing, too much violence or sex.  It’s a definite page turner and I loved seeing the story from multiple perspectives.

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Read this for the #2020classics challenge. It was pretty hard to read at times due to violence. Honestly, I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it.  Glad I read it, but it’s not my favorite.

Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink

This was said a really difficult read, but one in so glad I finally got to.  It covers the impossible decisions of health care workers after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.  So horrifying that I found myself talking about it all the time, trying to figure out what I would have done in those circumstances.




Daily Rituals: Women at Work by Mason Currey

I read Mason’s first book in this series, Artists at Work and loved it, but did feel the lack of female representation.  I am so glad he wrote a follow-up that was entirely filled with female creatives.  I loved learning about how those women balanced all of their responsibilities, because (generally speaking) women throughout history have had more roles to manage than men.




Present over Perfect by Shauna Niequest

I don’t generally re-read books very often, but reading this again was just what I needed in this season of life.  A lovely reminder that our worth is not correct contingent upon our to do lists.










Insights from a Prophet’s Life by Sheri Dew


I loved how this book was constructed: each short chapter tells a different story from Russell M. Nelson’s life.  I loved seeing a glimpse of the outstanding life he’s lived. His example of hard work and determination is inspiring.



Ghost Boy by Martin Pistorius

This book tells the true story of a previously healthy boy (Martin) who comes down with a debilitating unknown disease. It takes away his ability to communicate and control his body.  He lives for years in this condition before someone realizes that his mind is completely intact. There is a short section that describes some pretty horrifying acts that were committed against Martin. 

The book is not extremely well written, and toward the end it definitely dragged for me, but still very worth the read.

The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny

I have been slowly working my way through this series. I’ve heard that the series is a slow build and that it takes four or five books to really hit its stride.  That’s quite a commitment, especially for me, since I rarely read a full series.  While I enjoyed the first four books, I was not racing to get my hands on the next book.  But after finishing book five I am completely converted.  I can’t wait to read more! Wonderfully well-written and completely engrossing.  I loved it!

What have you been reading lately?