September is supposed to signal the beginning of fall. We had one nice week of weather that felt that way and now it’s shot back up to the 90s! In October! That’s crazy hot for where we live this late in the year. I’m hoping that soon I can enjoy cool mornings again with a blanket, a book, and a hot beverage.
Personally September has been a stressful month and my reading life has suffered a little bit. I read seven books this month. I was able to incorporate more romance into my book choices, a trend I hope to continue. Also I began a new mystery series I can’t wait to continue.
Here’s a glance into my reading life this September:
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Vol. 2: Cosmic Cooties written by Amy Reeder
I previously discussed Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Vol. 2: Cosmic Cooties in my September Quick Lit post. I adore this new to me comic series by Amy Reeder.
Lunella Lafayette is a 9-year-old genius dealing with a lot, most recently her inhuman transformation. After all her worrying it winds up being a power she never saw coming. Add to that the attentions of a mysterious new classmate, interference from grown up Marvel superheros, an important Lego engineering competition at school and Lunella is a little overwhelmed.
I enjoyed the second volume of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and look forward to reading more of this series.
Still Life by Louise Penny
This long standing mystery series by Louise Penny comes highly recommended. It has popped up on every book resources I trust. After reading the first book, Still Life, I can understand why!
I enjoyed the town of Three Pines, the autumn atmosphere, and the characters so much, I didn’t want the story to end. The mystery kept me guessing up until the very end. I loved Penny’s subtle observations on human nature, life, and loss.
The book starts out slow but because I was so fascinated by the villagers and the investigation team being introduced, I didn’t mind. I can’t wait for the next in the series to be available through my library so I can unravel these characters and this setting more. I loved Penny’s atmosphere so much I included Still Life in my books to read with a fall atmosphere list.
“Three Pines wasn’t on any tourist map, being too far off any main or even secondary road. Like Narnia, it was generally found unexpectedly and with a degree of surprise that such an elderly village should have been hiding in this valley all along. Anyone fortunate enough to find it once usually found their way back.”
This Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
After reading The Bromance Book Club series last month by Lyssa Kay Adams, I fell back in love with the romance genre. Since then I’ve been eager to escape into more happy endings. So I was very excited to pick up Helen Hoang’s debut romance, The Kiss Quotient.
This book has popped up as a best romance on so many lists since it was published in 2018. After reading it, I totally understand why! I fell hard for the sexy Michael and adorable Stella.
In this gender switch version of Pretty Woman, successful math genius Stella decides she’s ready for a relationship. The only issue is she believes she’s bad at intimacy due to her Asperger’s. Wanting practice, she hires professional escort, Michael, to give her sex lessons. The resulting story is steamy, hilarious, honest, and heart warming.
Surfside Girls: The Secret of Danger Point by Kim Dwinell
Surfside Girls: The Secret of Danger Point by Kim Dwinell follows two best friends, Sam and Jade, who live in a small beach town and navigate surfing, first crushes, and a paranormal mystery over the summer.
During one of their ocean adventures, Sam discovers a secret underwater cave leading to Danger Point, a property recently under construction for a new resort. She sees several ghosts, one who tells her she’s the one with the power to save them all. After Jade decides to believe in Sam’s visions, the two work together to uncover the history of their town and unravel the mystery of Danger Point.
This story provided a comforting escape for my reading life. I admired Jade and Sam’s friendship and really loved the art. It’s peaceful. The underwater scenes in the ocean were my favorite.
The Calhouns: Catherine & Amanda by Nora Roberts
My mom passed this series along to me after discovering it is set in Bar Harbor, Maine. I was lucky enough to live and work there for a few tourist seasons after college. It’s a very special town and the beauty of Mount Desert Island is indescribable.
The Calhouns by Nora Roberts follows the four Calhoun sisters still living in their old family home and desperately trying to find a way to keep the costly estate from being sold for taxes. This first book contains two sisters’ stories.
Courting Catherine introduces C.C., the youngest sister, a strong willed mechanic who owns the auto shop in town. When Trenton St. James III, a hotel magnate, winds up in her shop on his way to discuss purchasing her family home, they immediately clash. This is an insta love story that didn’t really work for me. It was also interesting to see how C.C.’s complete innocence feels a little dated now as does the heavy handedness of the hero. Still I enjoyed the interaction among the family, the setting, and the mysterious legend surrounding their great grandmother that I continued reading the series.
A Man for Amanda opens with the oldest Calhoun sister, Amanda, colliding with Sloan O’Riley, an architect with a Western drawl who’s helping renovate the family estate. I enjoyed this second story more than the first. Amanda and Sloan’s chemistry was great and I loved reading their banter.
The Calhouns: Lilah & Suzanna by Nora Roberts
The Calhouns series by Nora Roberts gets better with each story as readers learn more about the sisters and the family lore. In For the Love of Lilah, free spirit nature loving Lilah rescues Max Quartermain, a history professor who accidentally gets mixed up with jewel thieves, when he washes up near the family estate. Acadia National Park features more in this story since Lilah is a naturalist and I enjoyed the mysticism surrounding this sister and her connection to the past.
Suzanna’s Surrender seems to conclude The Calhoun series. I believe there’s one last story that follows a side character but this book tied things up nicely. This romance follows Suzanna, a divorced mother of two who’s determined to succeed all on her own, and Holt, an ex-cop who grew up in Bar Harbor with the Calhouns. Research into family legacy soon uncovers that these two have more in common than a high school crush.
I enjoyed getting to know these characters’ with their complicated pasts. This book references Bar Island several times, an island that you can walk to during low tide in the harbor. I used to have a view of it from my apartment so that was a nice addition to the atmosphere. The final story wrapped up the family legacy and mystery in a satisfying conclusion.
Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane
I picked this book solely based on the title. My husband and I text each other the lyrics to Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds whenever the song comes on the radio so I couldn’t pass this book up. The story doesn’t have anything to do with the song, but I’m still happy I was introduced to McFarlane’s writing through this novel.
Some reviews state Don’t You Forget About Me is more chick lit than romance. Both are genres I enjoy, but I’m glad I saw that so I could set my expectations appropriately. I agree this book is more women’s fiction than a romance novel. The second chance romance between Georgina and Lucas is only a subplot. The book centers on Georgina as her past and present collide and she’s forced to figure out her life while working through family issues, career questions, and experiences she’s buried for years.
The book covers some very serious topics like loss of a loved one, stalking, and sexual assault. Somehow it stayed incredibly light in tone. Georgina was hilarious, though I was occasionally lost in all the British slang. After a laugh out loud beginning, the middle dragged a little bit for me. I’m really glad I stuck with it because the story builds momentum again through to a powerful ending.
What books did you read in September?
