Hey friends! Happy new month! It feels strange to say, but I’m actually looking forward to the colder months. When I first moved to Canada, I used to dread the “ember” months and winter, but now I’m ready to embrace cozy season. It only took two years, haha! In this post, I’ll be sharing the six books I read in September.
In no particular order
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue
My Rating – 4.5 STARS
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. As someone who loves reading about the dynamics of relationships and friendships—both the good and the bad—this definitely delivered. You can find my full review here.
The wedding People by Alison Espach
My rating : 3.5 STARS
I enjoyed reading this, but it didn’t quite blow me away. I’ve realized I’m pretty picky with romance novels and tend to disconnect from the story easily. While a lot of people seem to love it, I just couldn’t connect with the characters or the plot. The premise drew me in, but it didn’t quite deliver. The Wedding People follows Phoebe, who’s hit rock bottom and decides to end it all at a fancy hotel. Once there, she discovers the hotel is booked for a wedding, and she’s the only one not part of the celebration. She ends up bonding with the bride-to-be and becomes something of an unofficial therapist for the bride, her mother, the groom, his daughter, and his sister. After a while, this setup grew tiresome. There are some lessons here, but overall, it wasn’t a gripping read. I was honestly relieved when it was over.
Broken: Not a halal love story by Fatima Bala
My rating: 3 STARS
This was, unfortunately, my most disappointing read of the month. I had such high hopes, especially since so many people enjoyed it, and I’ve been wanting to explore more Nigerian romance novels. Sadly, this one didn’t deliver. While I liked the premise, I quickly grew tired of the writing style. It felt amateurish, and it was clear that very little editing had been done. The excessive descriptions of outfits, places, and unnecessary details became frustrating, as they didn’t add anything to the story. It also dragged on, and for me, when a romance novel feels long, that’s a sign it’s not working. On the plus side, I appreciated the insight it offered into the lives, culture, and religion of Muslim northern Nigerians.
The paper palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
MY RATING: 4.5 STARS
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A friend sent me a copy in 2021 and insisted I read it, but at the time, I was in the middle of moving to Canada, so I didn’t get to it. Three years later, I finally picked it up, and my only regret is not reading it sooner. The storytelling is brilliant—the author paints such a vivid picture of the setting that I felt like I was right there with the characters. It was incredibly engaging, and I was hooked from the very first page. The book explores powerful themes like family, motherhood, love, childhood trauma, and sexual abuse.
Bitter and Sweet by Rhonda McKnight
My rating: 4.5 STARS
This is my first time reading a book by this author and I was so impressed by it. I will definitely be reading more books by Rhonda McKnight. I wrote a review here.
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
My rating : 3.75 STARS
I read this for bookclub in September and it was also my first time reading a book by this author. We had an amazing bookclub discussion and I shared my thoughts on this here.
I have a long list of books to read in October and will be sharing my TBR soon, especially since I’ve added quite a few new titles to my shelf. Wishing everyone reading this a wonderful month!
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