Best Books of September
The best books of any month should be five-star reads. And this month they are!
Some months I read a few GREAT books and many other months I struggle to rate books above 3 stars. The books are good but to me five stars mean perfection.
It’s hard to find that kind of book.
I read 10 books this month and three of them are perfect. Take a look at my best books of September!
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Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes
This book was fabulous! I read it in a few days and could not put it down.
It’s a story of many mishaps that change the lives of 5 women.
Definitely a best book of September!
Nisha, an extremely wealthy woman, married to Carl, works out one morning at a local gym. She discovers as she is dressing to leave that her gym bag is missing. In it were her clothes and a pair of very expensive Christina Louboutin shoes. Someone else has picked up her bag.
Also at the gym that morning was Sam, who accidentally leaves with Nisha’s bag. Imagine her surprise when she opens it to find her comfortable work shoes are not there, but 5-inch heels are.
In the meantime, Nisha receives some startling news from her husband and she ends up trusting Jasmine, a maid at the hotel they live in.
Andrea, Sam’s best friend, is struggling through chemo and the worry of her prognosis.
Juliana, a former friend of Nisha’s, comes to the rescue as the story of these women plays out.
And what a story it is. Why are those fancy shoes so important to Nisha and Carl? What is it with Sam’s husband Phil who suffers from depression? How many jobs does Jasmine have? Does Andrea get better? How does Juliana fit into all these mishaps? There is more but you need to read this book!
I loved it! 5 stars!
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
This book turned out to be one of the best of this year.
I tried to read it several years ago and gave up and I am SO GLAD I went back and tried again.
This is the story of two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, living in France as WWII begins. One stays in their home and takes care of her child and neighbors, while the other becomes a courier for the resistance.
Their home is procured by the invading Germans and a commander takes up one of the bedrooms while Vianne continues to struggle to feed her child and herself. Isabelle joins with a group that carries secrets to others and eventually leads downed airmen to freedom over the mountains into Spain.
These two unlikely women show diligence and perseverance which is part of war. This book focuses on the women left behind. The endless standing in line to get the daily ration of food, only to find out nothing is left or all that is left is a dreadful piece of meat. Giving up space in your house to strangers who question your every move. The fear that your dear neighbor, who is Jewish, will be taken away. Seeing your neighbors grabbed and sent off on a train. Hearing about the atrocities Germans are afflicting on those that have been taken.
Worrying about people you love.
Don’t read any other reviews before you try this book. I did and that is why I gave up on it years ago. I am so glad I read it again! 5 stars!
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Sally Milz is a writer for TNO. The television show is a total copycat of Saturday Night Live only called “The Night Owls”.
Sally is a thirty-something woman, divorced, and totally in love with her job.
She’s also very funny. Her one-liners are sprinkled throughout the book and are usually quite witty.
Sally tells her story of one particular week in 2018.
The host for TNO this week is also the musical guest Noah Brewster. He is the latest pop-music darling and is scheduled to host, perform comedy sketches, and sing a couple of songs.
In the meantime, Sally tells the detailed story of how the show is scheduled, practiced, re-written, and how sketches are chosen for the Saturday evening live show. It is amazing and so fun to read.
And, right in the middle of all this hustle and bustle, Noah comes to see Sally to get help writing a sketch. They spend quite a bit of time writing and talking and…
Then a misunderstanding and COVID happen. Sally is holed up in Kansas with her stepfather and her TNO friends are scattered around in quarantine with the rest of the world.
Out of the blue, Sally gets an email…
That is all I’m telling you! I LOVED this book! It was funny, entertaining, a little silly, and quite believable all at the same time. I give it 4 stars!
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
To be honest, I tried reading this book years ago and gave up. Like another book I mentioned in this post, I am so glad I tried again.
The book is perfection.
It’s the story of a small town whose main and only love is hockey. The community is in dire need of something to pin hopes on and this rests on the shoulders of teenage boys on the junior hockey team.
The teens are heroes in their community and revered by all. They hope to take this fame right into a hockey career. Nothing, it seems, is more important than hockey. In fact, the whole premise of this book is the junior championship game that this team could possibly win.
And then a tragedy occurs that changes everything. Rumors, misunderstandings, outright hostile reactions, and the unjust treatment of someone creates a ripple effect across the town.
But before all that happens you meet the townspeople.
David and Sune, the coaches have different styles and beliefs about their team, but David believes hockey is their refuge, the one place their dreams can come true.
Kevin is the star player, a natural talent, whose wealthy parents support the team financially.
Benji, Kevin’s best friend, whose own father committed suicide when he was young, sleeps with his hockey stick every night.
Peter, the manager of the team, and his wife, Kira, who lost a son at a young age now have 2 living children, Leo and 15-year-old Maya. Maya’s friend Ana is also part of the story.
Amat, the fastest player on the team, living with a single mother, is constantly made fun of because of where he lives.
You will learn the names quickly as you delve into this heart-breaking book. I listened to it and suggest you do as well. The narrator is amazing.
The stories of these main characters all weave together, an interlocking story that will leave you in tears. The best books always do! 5 stars!
Three 5-star books in one month and a few that were borderline! A great month of reading!
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