Best Books of September

As I say every month, I’m shamelessly stealing this idea from Jessica Lahey. She has a recurring monthly date where she reviews all the books she reads that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better at doing this.

So. I’m going to review them here and also online, but I’m going to do it a little differently. I’m only going to review the stuff I really liked. I don’t see a reason to spend my time writing about something I didn’t love; it’s just using up more of my energy. So only positive reviews.

These are the books I liked (or mostly liked) from September.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (Rachel Joyce): I saved this book to read when I needed a book exactly like this. So it was the right book for me at the right time. It was a book that may make you feel a little better if you’re also sad that life and time only move in one direction. Very beautiful, and I felt like I crossed England as I read it.

Knife Skills for Beginners (Orlando Murrin): This book is coming out in the US in December (though was already out for sale in Canada, where I picked it up) and totally worth getting. A mostly lighthearted cozy mystery, set in a cooking school, with plenty of cooking tips and recipes woven through the murder. I liked the voice, and while it sometimes got a little convoluted and convenient, it was still a very enjoyable read. Definitely putting his next book on my to-read list.

The Trust (M.H. Eccleston): So much fun. Yes, there are some inconsistencies, and every once in a while, I had to question some of the stated facts, BUT I liked every character. And rooted for them to win. And left the book immediately wanting to read the next one. This was a great purchase.

The Examiner (Janice Hallett): Janice Hallett can literally do no wrong. She is a gift to the literary world. Brilliant brilliant fun. Like all Hallett books, you’re quickly sucked into the story. She has a gift for making characters stand apart, so you always know who is speaking (messaging) before you look at the name. And I loved that it ended with a little bit of ambiguity. This one will have people talking for days afterward. It’s great for a book club.

A Death in the Parish (Richard Coles): I adore his writing, and while his mysteries are not traditional mysteries in the sense that the rector in the book doesn’t investigate in so much as have clues fall into his lap, it was the perfect book to get me through a time when I felt sad and quiet and needed the right book to fit the mood.

What did you read last month?