September Reads

 

For the six books I read this month, I was still enjoying as much outside reading as possible! Here's a cameo from our dog, Biscuit, and that one time I got to enjoy a bath this month!

Sex & Vanity, by: Kevin Kwan

After reading (and loving) his Crazy Rich Asians trilogy (and loving the movie), I was so excited to rent Kevin's latest book from the library. It certainly entailed the same amount of amazing detailed location and luxury apparel descriptions, but the story fell a bit flat for me. The book is divided into two parts. The first is a wedding in Capri, Italy and the second is years later in East Hampton. Similar to the theme of his trilogy, the main character falls for someone who would not be accepted by her family. In the second half she is engaged to quite the eligible bachelor but has the courage to end the relationship to follow her heart. Enjoyable, but just not as good as Kevin's previous work.

Are We Nearly There Yet, by: Lucy Vine 

I borrowed this from a friend...... At age 30, Alice feels like she is on a downward spiral. Her destructive behavior (getting thrown out of clubs, getting fired) might have something to do with seeing all of her friends start getting married and having babies. She decides to go on a worldwide adventure and blog about it. I felt like this was a younger version of Eat, Pray, Love and I couldn't really get into the first half of the book. As it went on though, I loved seeing this character work through her issues and start to deal with her family and friends in a more mature way.

Nantucket Nights, by: Elin Hilderbrand

As Elin would agree, it's still Summer until September 21st! So I continued my recent Elin kick this month, and my Mom gave me Nantucket Nights as she is now an Elin fan and we swap books. This story focuses on the unlikely friendship of 3 very different women who first met as newcomers to the island in their early 20's. Every Labor Day, they have their secret "night swimmers" meeting at midnight where they eat, drink and swim in the ocean and confide their deepest secrets. This year, one of them doesn't come back to shore. As the investigation ensues, the island is deep in scandal, suspects, and secrets. As the story continues to unfold, there is a big twist at the end.

Summerland, by: Elin Hilderbrand

I got this paperback copy at Meijer. Four friends, on the cusp of their Senior year, attend a beach graduation party that ends in an accident that kills one of them. Penny dies and her twin brother is in a coma. Her boyfriend Jake and friend Demeter are unharmed. The close knit group of parents mourn all Summer and try to find answers of what exactly happened, while also dealing with their own issues and secrets. So many issues covered here - single motherhood, teen pregnancy, teen alcoholism, losing children not only to SIDS but also tragedy..... heartfelt Elin reading!

Beautiful Day, by: Elin Hilderbrand

 I rec'd this copy from a book swap page. What's better than a Nantucket wedding? As two families come together on the island, the bride abides by the wishes her deceased mother wrote in a notebook for her daughters big day. As with any Elin book, there is drama, heartbreak and healing with all the supporting characters leading up to and including the celebratory weekend!

Untamed, by: Glennon Doyle

I borrowed this book from a friend, but now that I have read it I think I will purchase my own copy to refer back to when I need it. This has been a buzz worthy book, and I've had friends telling me I have to read this. Now I wonder why I waited so long! The summary is so good (and powerful), I couldn't explain it better myself: 

There is a voice of longing inside each woman. We strive so mightily to be good: good partners, daughters, mothers, employees, and friends. We hope all this striving will make us feel alive. Instead, it leaves us feeling weary, stuck, overwhelmed, and underwhelmed. We look at our lives and wonder: Wasn’t it all supposed to be more beautiful than this? We quickly silence that question, telling ourselves to be grateful, hiding our discontent - even from ourselves.

I have a lot of thoughts as I work though this read, learning how to apply it to MY best life. But it was validating to hear these same thoughts that my friends and I talk about. Women are so focused on ensuring their partners needs are met, their childrens needs are met, making everything look good to others. And then what we might think of as "self care" isn't as fulfilling or authentic as it should be. I really love Glennon's confirmation that our society is geared toward "not feeling"...... we are looking for that magic pill, drinking, drugs - anything to distract from dealing with our feelings. Being human and living life is hard - it was never meant to be easy - so it's all in how we choose to deal with it.