Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
I love September. Fall slowly begins its arrival, school resumes, I light my apple-scented candles, and my cardigans find their way back into my closet. This September had all of that plus some great reading. Here’s what I read and loved this past month.
What I Read
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Format: Print
Poppy and Alex have been best friends since college. Once a year, they take a vacation together until something happens during one trip that drives the two apart. They reconnect after two years, and Poppy is desperate to rekindle her friendship with Alex. She plans one last trip and asks Alex to come along. He says yes, and the two are forced to confront what went wrong and how to move forward.
People We Meet on Vacation is such a sweet, feel-good love story without being too sweet. The characters are well developed, something that’s essential to my literary happiness, no matter how good a plot might be. I liked spending time with Poppy and Alex and feel eager to pick up another book by Emily Henry.
Hacking School Libraries: 10 Ways to Incorporate Library Media Centers into Your Learning Community by Kristina A. Holzweiss and Stony Evans
Format: Print
This book is a quick read that offers many ideas for school library staff to market their collection, further literacy in their building, and increase their number of library patrons. I appreciated how many of the authors’ ideas were attainable. I’ve read many articles and essays over the years that offer great suggestions that just so happen to cost a whole lot of money. Hacking School Libraries provides more straightforward and cost-effective ideas that still increase student and staff engagement.
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Format: Print
Sally Rooney’s latest novel concerns itself with four friends: Alice, Eileen, Felix, and Simon. They’re a group of Dubliners around 30 who are still trying to figure out their lives. Some chapters are letters between best friends Alice and Eileen, while others explore the relationships between the women and men. There’s not much plot in this novel, but Rooney’s prose and characterizations are so lovely that I’m just fine with that. This novel beautifully explores themes of friendship, sex, religion, and adulthood.
I’d been looking forward to this book for months, and it didn’t disappoint. Beautiful World, Where Are You isn’t for everyone, but give this one a chance if you like beautiful writing and don’t mind stories with a slow burn. (Plus, that cover is so pretty!)
Goldenrod by Maggie Smith
Format: Print
I don’t usually rush to the bookstore for poetry releases, but I made my way to my local indie to pick up Goldenrod the week it was released. I’ve liked Maggie Smith’s work since her poem “Good Bones” went viral a few years ago. Goldenrod is filled with more poems that pack as much punch as that one does, exploring themes of marriage and motherhood.
One of my favorite poetry-reading experiences is when I read a line or two that are like a gut punch. I love it when a poet can string words and images together in a way that makes me pause and shake my head. I had several of those moments reading Smith’s newest book.
Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
Format: eBook
Marin and Derek are attractive, successful, and wealthy. Their lives seem perfect until the day their little boy is kidnapped. Unbeknownst to her husband, Marin hires a private investigator to help find the boy after the FBI turns up zero leads. The investigator calls Marin with news one day, but it’s about Derek, not her son. Derek is having an affair, and Marin must stop it.
I’ve mentioned before on this site that @things.i.bought.and.liked is one of my favorite Instagram follows because of her exceptional beauty, home, and lifestyle recommendations. It turns out she also has good taste in reading. She recommended this book, and I’m so glad she did. Little Secrets is packed full of twists and turns, making this a thriller I couldn’t put down.
What I Loved
TELEVISION: Only Murders in the Building
Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building is an absolute delight. This smart, funny, and suspenseful show is about a trio of misfits who live in the Arconia, a beautiful NYC apartment building. They come together over their shared love of a popular podcast and decide to start their own when one of their neighbors is murdered.
I’ve loved Steve Martin and Martin Short for a long time, so I knew I’d like this show, but it surpassed my expectations. Selena Gomez rounds out the cast perfectly with her wit and dry humor.
TELEVISION: The Chair
The Chair is about an English department at a struggling liberal arts college. Sandra Oh has just become the new department chair and wants to change the school’s culture. As with any TV show, things don’t go according to plan. Jay Duplass is fantastic as Oh’s fellow professor, friend, and love interest. Holland Taylor should be handed her Emmy right now for her excellent portrayal of a Chaucer scholar whose office has just been moved underneath the gym. The Chair is immensely entertaining, but it also has important things to say about gender, cancel culture, and academia.
What I Wrote
- What I Read and Loved in August 2021
- Ten Books for Back-to-School Season
- A Day in the Life of a High School Library Clerk
- My Favorite Sources for Book Recommendations
That’s all for me! What did you read and love in September?
Andrea Is Reading 