September 2022 Reads

Rebounding from my August funk with a strong reading month, thanks to YOUR page-turner recommendations!

“Joan is Okay” by Weike Wang was a bit of a tricky read for me. Wang paints the picture of Joan in spare yet telling strokes, but I struggled to feel the humor that others have described this book as holding. The internal struggles around cultural identity, male dominance, and a woman in a science path hit close to home.

"Blood Sugar" by Sascha Rothchild was a major page turner! I devoured the 326 pages in less than a day and a half! Rothchild crafts an incredible central character for whom empathy for others is a motivator for murder and the narrative drive is so strong.

“True Biz” by Sara Novic offers an incredible, illuminating window into the lived experience and history of the deaf community. In addition to skillful plot and character development, Novic also intersperses ASL lessons that tie to the plot + vignettes about deaf culture. All of us bear a responsibility to continue to learn and understand the full range of human experience and this book is a must read.

I loved “Meant To Be” by Emily Giffin! Inspired by threads of real life (the burdens of legacy a la the Kennedys) but incorporating its own characters, this book of course made me think about the tragic path for JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and also the issues around family burdens, class, and how trauma and shame impacts, well, everything. I stayed up late finishing this book by flashlight!

It feels like it has been a long time since I sunk into and delighted in a romance. "The Dead Romantics" by Ashley Poston felt so fresh, both in its ghostly premise and positioning of the joyful reverence that can occur in death. I read the twist while sitting in the airport and nearly squealed out loud. What a gem!

I have mixed feelings about “One Italian Summer” by Rebecca Serle. I finished this compact novel quickly but I didn’t love it, mostly because I could not suspend my disbelief to buy into the premise. The descriptions of Italy were beautiful, though.