Below are all the books I read in September. Lots of great reads and a lot that I would recommend. If you’re interested in purchasing any, you can click on my Bookshop affiliate link to support this blog.
Enjoy and I hope you find something new to try!
True Biz by Sara Nović
This was such a well written and engaging book! Set at River Valley School for the Deaf, this book is told from the perspective of two teenagers at the school, Charlie and Austin, and their headmistress, February. Charlie is deaf and coming to this new environment from a childhood where she was never taught ASL and never met a deaf person before. Austin, the school’s golden boy, comes from a long line of deaf ancestors but his family dynamic is shaken when his new baby sister is born hearing. And then there’s February, a child of deaf adults and dedicated school headmistress, who is struggling to keep the school and her marriage afloat.
Ultimately, I loved the characters so much-even when they were being frustrating teenagers or ridiculous adults- and although the plot was a little unfulfilling for me at times, I still did not want this book to end! Throughout the book February is subbing for a history class and ends up teaching the students about key moments in deaf history, so you see bits of the lesson plan as well as ASL signs and those were for sure my favorite parts. Definitely worth the read!
Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson 🎧
I love Kevin Wilson and I featured this book in my post about my most anticipated fall reads . Sometimes anticipated reads fall flat, but this one did not disappoint. I felt transported to being a teen and those feelings of everything mattering so much. It felt so reminiscent of side projects I would do with my friends in college when we felt like we could do anything (where did that optimism go?). I know I’m not giving you much of the plot, but it’s Kevin Wilson at his finest and weirdest- there’s a beautiful friendship dynamic and hilarious moments that will make you laugh out loud. If you loved Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, I think you should try this one next!
The Three of Us by Ore Agbaje-Williams- Out in May 2023
Goodreads | Not available Yet
I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this one. It was short and I read it fairly quickly, but the stakes of the book never became super clear to me and the book left me feeling underwhelmed. The book takes place throughout one single day as tensions escalate between a husband, his wife, and her bestfriend. I found some of the ideas explored interesting-how do we merge the person we were with the person we are becoming, is it okay to act differently with different people, and how to we manage others expectations? Still, I think the characters and the plot lacked depth. I’m curious to see what others think when it comes out.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno Garcia 🎧
Set in 19th Century Mexico, this book reimagines H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau. This was the perfect mix of sci-fi, drama and historical fiction to dive into before my first time visiting Mexico City. Set in the secluded estate of Doctor Moreau on the Yucatan Peninsula, information is slowly revealed about his life’s work and the secrets he’s kept from his daughter Carlota. This book is feminist, anti-colonial and so well written! Highly, highly recommend and I really enjoyed it on audio!
The Heart that Bleeds: Latin America Now by Alma Guillermoprieto
My friend had me read two essays from this collection when I was visiting her in Mexico City and now that I’m back I’d love to finish the collection! I read the two essays about Mexico City- and it was such an interesting and nuanced exploration of politics and culture. I was completely ignorant about NAFTA and the concerns Mexican citizens had before it was signed. Guillermoprieto’s writing and the way she develops a story is just amazing. If this one is not on your radar you should check it out!
Scandalized by Ivy Owens
This was so fun and so sexy. Canceled flights, childhood friends reconnecting (more specifically the hot older brother of your childhood best friend), one hotel room left, normal person-famous person romance, and more. I loved everything about this book, even the occasional corny bits. This is definitely an ‘open door’ romance, meaning that the reader gets to ‘see’ what’s happening in the bedroom. Overall, I loved how layered this book was, I enjoyed the relationships both friendship and romantic, and I found the storyline to be super engaging.
Also, I appreciated that there were trigger warnings noted at the beginning of the text by the author, specifically that our main character Georgia is investigating a series of sexual assaults’ at a club in London, so there are descriptions of sexual assault throughout the book.
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride 🎧
I read this one for the Fiction Matters book club and I’m so happy I did! I don’t think I would have picked it up otherwise, and now I’m a big fan of James McBride and I’m debating watching the miniseries they made from the book. The book is told from the perspective of “Little Onion” a young boy born a slave who gets caught up in John Brown’s anti-slavery crusade and his attack on Harper’s Ferry.
This book feels like an adventure story, where you’re sort of pulled along through the plot by a storyteller. I don’t usually read books like that but, again, I’m glad I tried this one! If you’re going to pick it up I highly recommend the audio. I found the narrator super engaging and a lot of other book club members seemed to have a similar experience.
We talked a lot in book club about whether John Brown was a lunatic or a hero, and I think the book does a good job of exploring the nuances of him as a person. There were a lot of ways in which what he did was selfish and shortsighted and didn’t seem to take into account the very people he hoped to help. But at the same time, there were so many anti-slavery advocated at that time who didn’t have the courage to actually do something about slavery, and John Brown did. Overall, it was such a fascinating book that explored serious topics while also being laugh out loud funny. One of my new favorites!
This Months Faves :
Sarah's Shelf 
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