What did you read in ~~ Sept. 2025

[Alias Reader]

Here is the Folder and thread to tell us what your monthly reads for September 2025 were.

Please provide:

~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

[John]

Here are mine - not a bad month!

⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[madrano]

I'm pleased with my reading month.

The Eagle Catcher--Margaret Coel. This is the first in a long series, set on & near the Wyoming Wind River Reservation. I liked it but one can see "romance" ahead. Unrequited, one presumes, because the male member is a priest. The mystery seemed solid to me.

Excellent Women--Barbara Pym. This was for my '50s Challenge. It's a humorous novel, wherein a number of single women's lives are mentioned. I'd read more by her,

I Am the Messenger--Markus Zusak. An engaging bildungsroman, wherein the main character seems directed as playing cards are sent to him with names or addresses are on them. He must figure out what it means & what he needs to do. I really liked this one.

The Drowned World--J.G. Ballard. Planet Earth's lands are being submerged as the Arctic & Antarctic ice melts. This book i set in London, where scientists are measuring the changes in temperature (110 days are the norm), as well as flora & fauna. Interesting ideas are covered, despite the fact it was written over 60 years ago.

Thinking In Numbers: On Life, Love, Meaning, and Math--Daniel Tammet. Ostensibly about math, as the author sees it. However, when he began throwing in poetry & literature, i was more engaged. LOL, that's me, though.

The Museum Detective--Maha Khan Phillips. Set in Pakistan, this was an interesting mystery with an archeologist as the main character. For me, you can't go wrong when that is the case.

The Woman in the Library--Sulari Gentill. A very good mystery with elements of a book within a book to it.

[John]

madrano wrote: "I'm pleased with my reading month.

The Eagle Catcher--Margaret Coel. This is the first in a long series, set on & near the Wyoming Wind River Reservation. I liked it ..."


Wow! A female Pakistani archeologist!

[Alias Reader]

John wrote: "Here are mine - not a bad month!

You had a solid 3 star month, John.

I enjoyed reading your reviews. I like how you balance the good with the bad in your reviews.

I've read about the Mitford family and saw the first season of Outrageous on Brit Box. I would watch the second season if there is one. The family certainly was eccentric to say the least. Though their infatuation with Nazi Germany is a bridge too far.

I am not a huge fan of historical fiction. However I did enjoy
The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict which I gave 4/5 stars.

I've not read any of Nancy's books. Since the one you read is heavy on the romance I think I'll pass. Jessica's book, The American Way of Death Revisited on the funeral business might be intersting though dated now.

[Alias Reader]

madrano wrote: "I'm pleased with my reading month.

The Eagle Catcher--Margaret Coel. This is the first in a long series, set on & near the Wyoming Wind River Reservation. I liked it ..."

A very nice reading month, Deb.

I've put I Am the Messenger in my TBR notebook.

[Barbara]

madrano wrote: "I'm pleased with my reading month.

[The Drowned World--J.G. Ballard. Planet Earth's lands are being submerged as the Arctic & Antarctic ice melts.....Interesting ideas are covered, despite the fact it was written over 60 years ago..."

It's sad that some people still don't believe this disaster could happen.

[Alias Reader]

Here are my September reads.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Format: eBook
Fiction
Rated 3/5 good
This book was was shortlisted for the Booker prize. The main protagonist is Isabel. She lives a small, solitary repressed life after her mother passes away. Her brother Lewis has to go away on business. His latest girlfriend, Eva, ends up staying with Isabel at the family home, much to Isabel's annoyance. I thought the writing style was very good. Particularly the use of diary entries in the later half. The novel may not be for everyone as it does have a chapter or so of graphic lesbian sex. For me, it went on a bit too long. I would have preferred more history and less romance.

How to Meditate by Lawrence Leshan (1-Sep-1999) Paperback by Lawrence LeShan
Format: eBook
Non Fiction
Rated: 2/5
This book was published 1974. Unfortunately, for me, the book doesn't live up to the title. There was a "how" to meditate chapter. Really the only take away I got was that you have to mediate on a consistent basis, much like one needs to go to the gym and workout on a regular basis to see results. The other chapters explore psychology, mysticism and the paranormal. I was not looking for a book on these topics.

John Quincy Adams by Harlow Giles Unger
Non fiction
Rate: 5/5
Format: Trade paperback and audiobook
I did an immersive reading. That is I read the text as I listened to the audio. The audiobook was well done by Johnny Heller.
John Quincy is the son of John Adams, who is the second president of the United States. After serving as the first Vice President under President George Washington, John Quincy became the sixth president of the United States. He served one term, from 1825 to 1829. I thought this biography was well written. It begins when John Quincy is just a young boy and takes the reader right up to his passing at age eighty. John Quincy was a very accomplished man and his life makes for intersting reading.

Hope: The Autobiography -Pope Francis
Non Fiction
I started listening to the audiobook and listened to about 60% when my library loan ran out . So I requested the eBook which had a shorter wait. I thought the audiobook was well done by Peter Ganim. The book was translated from Italian to English by Richard Dixon. Pope Francis's grandparents and their only son, Mario, who would become Jorge Mario Bergoglio's father, set sail in 1929 for Argentina after missing the doomed SS Principessa Mafalda, which sank off the coast of Brazil. In this autobiography we follow Pope Francis from his childhood through his papacy. He passed away 21 April 2025 at the age of 88. I think Catholics, and lapsed Catholics will find the book inspirational. Others may find parts towards the end a bit sermon like. Still, I think it is a good read and would appeal to many.

The Life of Chuck by Stephen King
Format: eBook
Fiction
Rated: 3/5 good
This story is told in three acts. What can be a bit confusing as this thoughtful story is told backwards. The plot ultimately centers around the Walt Whitman poem, Song of Myself. It contains the line, "I am large, I contain multitudes." Stephen King writes in the intro, What if it isn't a library that burns when a man dies? What if it's a whole world? His world?" This was recently made into a movie. I would like to see it when it's streaming.

The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
Fiction
Format: eBook & audiobook
Rate: 4/5
I read the eBook and followed along with the audio book. The audio was done exceptionally well by Raphael Corkhill . He added a lot to my enjoyment. Elderly German bookseller Carl Kollhoff delivers books to special customers in the evening hours after closing time. Working in his friends bookstore has been his whole life. Along the way a spunky ten year old girl decided she is going to accompany him. The book is heart warming tale about books and friendship. Is the book totally improbably? Yes. Still, I was moved by this feel good book and looked forward to reading it.

Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
Fiction
Format: eBook
Rate 4/5
This short novella was written in 1938. The story is a epistolary novel. It is told in an exchange of letters between Jewish art dealer Max Eisenstein, who lives in San Francisco, and his friend and business partner, Martin Schulse. Martin has decided to returned to Germany to raise his family. The time is November 1932, just as Hitler is coming to power. It is well written and packs a punch.

[Hailey]

Hello everyone, I read four books for the month of September.

First up for September was The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas. If you're interested, you can read my whole review on it here.

Basically, the plot of this one involves a girl named Monica trying to figure out what really happened to her sister Jen and Jen's friends.

I'll admit. This is actually one of the better YA Mysteries I've read thus far, especially compared to stuff like Pretty Dead Queens and One of Us is Lying. However, it's not exactly what I would call fantastic.

Now, credit where credit is due, there were quite a few things that were genuinely great. For example, the way that Monica was determined to get to the bottom of things, but was afraid of getting in trouble or being judged acted as a believable flaw, a believable way to not get all the information she needed, and as a great jumping off point for character growth. Also, Ginny was absolutely a standout, retaining a heart of gold despite her less than stellar family and basically giving off more lighthearted and hopeful energy to balance out the darker elements. I also liked that there was a good but not overwhelming variety of plausible suspects too. Oh and I have to give a shout out to the big reveal. I'm not gonna spoil the exact details here, but essentially, it cleverly utilizes previously established information to create a twist that's mind-blowing in the moment, but logical in hindsight.

However, there are also quite a few things that just got on my nerves. For one thing, the chapters told from Jen's point of view completely disrupt the flow and don't reveal much of anything that we couldn't have already gotten from Monica's chapters. It's as if the book doesn't trust the reader or Monica to put two and two together, which is made especially worse by the fact that crucial information is either revealed right when Monica and the reader are discovering it or right before. Also, the worldbuilding, especially when it comes to Monica's hometown of Sunnybrook, is atrociously inconsistent. To quote my review, "In short, if you were explaining what a "Show, Don't Tell" violation was to someone, this would be a prime example to use." But even when the book does try showing and not telling, its attempts are flimsier than wet cardboard covered in bullet holes. On the subject of inconsistency, there are moments where the book just seems to bungle Monica's character. Like, there's a moment where Monica says something super judgemental despite the fact that she was still afraid of getting judged and still wouldn't make sense even if she had no fear of getting judged and, for whatever reason, the book also just seems to forget Monica's post-abortion struggles despite the fact that they were a major obstacle for her.

Rating: C+

Book number two for September was I Need You to Read This by Jessica Maxwell. Full review here.

An advice columnist named Francis is brutally murdered and after a lady named Alex applies to be her replacement, Alex finds that not everything seems quite right and decides to seek out the truth of what happened to Francis.

I really, really did not like this one.

Now, to be fair, there were some things I enjoyed. Like, the prologue was awesome! Great buildup, fantastic and horrifying payoff, and just all around a master class in how to hook the reader. I also think the way Alex decided to apply for the job out of curiosity and how the pro and cons of the job itself were explored, as well as why the company would even provide such a cushy job package to Alex, were very clever and very well thought out.

Sadly, that was about the extent of the good stuff. Now onto the bad.

First off, it completely screws up its handling of its "Powerful Men Can be Bad" theme. At best, the book acts like the reader isn't smart enough to understand it without near back to back reminders and at worst, actively turns the theme into a complete waste of time that opens up a can of plot holes and takes no time to explore how damaging knowingly false accusations can be for both survivors of this stuff and the falsely accused in the quest to achieve a shocking plot twist. Like, what the hell? Oh and don't even get me started on how most of the male characters are either too perfect, abhorrent, or just don't get enough time to shine. There's also this infuriating character-related plot twist that literally had zero set up, yet the book has the balls to insist that it was something that should've been obvious to Alex and reader. I also really hated how the murder mystery plot was forced to fight with the "settling into a new job" plot for page time and how there were very, very few plausible suspects.

Rating: F+

Another book I read for September was Magician by David Kempf. You can check out my full thoughts on it here.

Now technically this is more of a short story than an actual book, but I'll just call it a book for now. Anyway, I wrote a blurb for Magician and I'll post it here: "A struggling magician discovers a peculiar cloth. But when his attempt to use it to save his failing career results in the seemingly irreversible disappearance of his assistant, the magician must put aside his fear and self-pity to try and rescue her."

To me, Magician really excels at creating fun and intriguing characters and really knows how to be subtle without being incomprehensible.

Honestly, my only real problem with it was the occasional grammatical error.

Rating: A

My final September book was Weird Massachusetts: Your Travel Guide to Massachusetts' Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets by Jeff Belanger. My review can be found here.

It's a book that shares some weird, funny, and macabre stuff about Massachusetts.

Highly recommend this one! It's got some great humor, doesn't waste your time with gimmicks or filler, and isn't afraid to include regular people's stories along with stories from experts and the author himself, which in turn, gives the book a communal feel. Though, some of the text placement could've been handled just a little better as to not disrupt and confuse the reader.

Rating: A

Overall, I think it's safe to say that September was kind of a mixed bag for me.

[Denise]

My September reads:

4+ stars (not quite 5s)
The Full Moon Coffee Shop: an easy to read "cozy" Japanese novel about a coffee shop run by cats that shows up when needed to help people think through problems they've been having, usually involving gaming decisions. My favorite customer learned that she likes comforting homes and would be happier if she tried to fix up her new, "downgraded" apartment . The weakest was advice on asking out a co-worker who may or may not be gay

Sandwich: a realistic slice of life about the week in the life of a new England family on their annual summer trip, featuring a raging hormonal mom, dad, 2 young adult kids, and a set of grandparents. They all have secrets that are revealed during the trip.

4 stars:
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List: The best part of this book is the wide variety of genres he covers, including children's, essay collections, history, science, poetry, plays. I was not happy with the number of religious texts and the the way they were "pushed"

Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material World: I loved the parts of the book that were actually about fabric. It was prevented from being a 5 by the interspersions of the author's working through her grief over her parents' deaths and the last, bizarre chapter that all about her mom's death and not fabric

3 stars:
Atmosphere: I thought the first half was a little boring and the astrophysics was a little too simplistically explained. Characters were in depth. I did like that the book lived top to its subtitle: it is a love story without being a romance, and the love story is between two women without hitting you over the head about it except in the disapproval of the 1980's society they lived in

Snowdrops in Spring: A Tale of the Sleeping Beauty: a retelling of sleeping beauty featuring a feisty princess, a huntsman she teaches to read, and the embittered son of the king's former fiancee who enchants the king and poses as a prince to take the kingdom he believes should be his. The twist is the princess pricks her own finger and her true love that can awake her is the huntsman not a prince.

[Patricia]

Happy October, readers! September has been a good month for me, and I really enjoy some of the books I chose. Last month was pretty busy for me, but still, I've had time balancing my studies and reading at the same time. Today, I'm going to share with you the books I read last month!🥳

MY SEPTEMBER READS
• The Housemaid Is Watching by Freida McFadden - 5 stars/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎀This is the last book in the Housemaid's series, and this series never failed me. I love how it is still solving crimes and mysteries. I love Freida McFadden's writing style, and I've been binge-reading her books lately. So, I didn't disappoint on this one.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

• Key Player by Kelly Yang - 5 stars/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻Key Player by Kelly Yang is the 4th book in the Front Desk Series. I still remember when I read the first book in the series, and I immediately loved it. Although I love the series, it's just really how this book captures my interest. I would love to read the next book immediately!
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

• Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly - 4 stars/⭐⭐⭐⭐
💌Another middle grade book I read this month, and I want to read more middle grade because it's bringing back nostalgia to me. It reminds me of my childhood memories and how I loved reading for the first time. This book captures my heart and interest, although it sometimes lack of depth on some parts. But this book is so interesting that I've learned something new.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alias Reader]

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone, I read four books for the month of September.

First up for September was The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas. If you're interested, you can read my whole review on it here.,..."

I hope October is a better reading month for you, Hailey.

[Alias Reader]

Denise wrote: "My September reads:

4+ stars (not quite 5s)
The Full Moon Coffee Shop: an easy to read "cozy" Japanese novel about a coffee shop run by cats that shows up when needed to help peop..."

Overall a very nice month for you, Denise. Thanks for sharing these titles with us.

[Alias Reader]

Patricia wrote: "Happy October, readers! September has been a good month for me, and I really enjoy some of the books I chose. Last month was pretty busy for me, but still, I've had time balancing my studies and re..."

Happy October to you, too, Patricia. I'm glad to see you were able to fit in some very good reads.

[madrano]

John wrote: "Here are mine - not a bad month!

⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review..."

John, my opinion of That Affair is similar to yours. I read it because this was the first female detective novel. I'm glad i read it but nothing about it led me to want to read another by Green.

I enjoy reading older novels, so appreciate your comments on those you read. I must admit that sometimes it's the old-fashioned covers which draw me to the older books. Like you, the little Mitford i've read left me with no desire to read more.

Thanks for sharing your reviews here.

[madrano]

John wrote: "Wow! A female Pakistani archeologist!..."

Yes, totally unexpected. It's funny how i search for novels about archeologists, then one falls into sight. I didn't know the MC was in that field until i began the book. lol

[madrano]

Barbara wrote: "It's sad that some people still don't believe this disaster could happen..."

I wish more people would read this one. To read about it toward the end of the complete covering of the Earth's cities and nations is to look at things differently.

The author goes a step further & suggests that as the world flooded & more old flora & fauna were restored, thanks to the heat & humidity, human minds would change as well. I felt that was a curious component to the story, as well. Actually, i gave that almost as much thought as the drowning planet.

Thanks for your comments. Alias, thanks to you, as well.

[madrano]

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my September reads.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Format: eBook
Fiction
Rated 3/5 good
This book was was shortlis..."

Alias, i appreciate that you offer us a recap of your month's reading, even though you've already shared them earlier. It really helps me when i want to locate a title/review.

You had a pretty decent month of reading, woman!

[madrano]

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone, I read four books for the month of September.

First up for September was The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas. If you're interested, you can read my whole review on it here.

Basically,..."

I love the way you began your first review, the longer version. "Well... it could've been worse." Too funny! Your comments sound on-target, though, and i agree. I haven't read enough YA mysteries to compare but appreciate your observations, Hailey.

You gave very good reasons for the F rated Maxwell novel. Thanks for that.

I'm glad you month ended with two winners. I'm adding the Massachusetts book to my TBR, as we like the state & would enjoy learning more.

Thanks for sharing here, Hailey.

[madrano]

Denise wrote: "My September reads:

4+ stars (not quite 5s)
The Full Moon Coffee Shop: an easy to read "cozy" Japanese novel about a coffee shop run by cats that shows up when needed to help peop..."

Thanks for sharing your comments here, Denise. I recall your full reviews in the Book Salon, but it's good to see them here. The way you've organized it allows us to see what sort of star month you had, too.

[madrano]

Patricia wrote: "Happy October, readers! September has been a good month for me, and I really enjoy some of the books I chose. Last month was pretty busy for me, but still, I've had time balancing my studies and re..."

Thank you for the nice wrap-up of your September books, Patricia. It's great to see your enthusiasm for Kelly Yang books. Lucky for you, she is still producing, too.

I really liked the quotes you shared at the end of your review about Song for a Whale. Particularly, "A lot of people think that Blue 55 is lonely. But I wonder, do we believe that because we’re the ones who are lonely?" I often feel this way when i read books about animals, that we project our loneliness onto them. Thanks for sharing that.

You had a nice month of reading, Patricia. I hope October is as rewarding!

[John]

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my September reads.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Format: eBook
Fiction
Rated 3/5 good
This book was was shortlis..."

Great assortment of books! I was a bit underwhelmed by The Safekeep myself, but would read more from the author. Glad you liked the Adams bio, I've spent a lot of time in the Boston area, but not made it to the historic site. I read of bio of JQ's wife which mentioned she was close to JQ's father, but a bit intimidated by his mother.

[Alias Reader]

#22 John wrote:

Great assortment of books! .."

Thanks, John.

The Adams family certainly was very important and also make for very interesting reading.

I'm now reading Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

In it, Adams tell Jefferson why Jefferson should be the one to write the Declaration of Independence.

Adams can be quite the character. :) You can't say he wasn't self aware. LOL

"Reason first, you are a Virginian, and a Virginian ought to appear at the head of this business. Reason second, I am obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular. You are very much otherwise. Reason third, you can write ten times better than I can."