I knew going into September that it wasn’t going to be a big reading month. There’s so much going on in my life at the moment that I was honestly surprised that I managed to eke out two books in the end!

First up was The Paris Seamstress, by Natasha Lester. I bought this book back in mid-summer and somehow managed to leave it in the trunk of my car for about five weeks before actually reading it. I initially purchased it because it seemed like the exact thing I should be reading: Paris, sewing and a book about World War II (for some reason I tend to really like books that take place during WWII). I also initially had some trouble getting into it, but I picked it up again at the end of the summer and ended up enjoying it. Much of it was extremely predictable, but it was overall a good story with a little bit of a mystery to keep me reading.

Next up was If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman, one of my recent Book of the Month Club reads (I am SO behind on those at the moment). This book was a little different from my usual picks, but I chose it because of the slight mystery element. A dying mother wants nothing more than to see her two daughters have a close relationship again after years of not speaking to each other. Just why they are not speaking is what is at the root of this family drama. Overall I enjoyed the story and waiting for the full mystery to unfold kept me reading, but I was completely apathetic to one of the main characters and not totally interested in the stories of the other two. Even so, the book was interesting enough.

Nine months into the school year, I have managed to read thirty-five of the fifty books I pledged to read at the beginning of the year. Whether I will be able to read fifteen more in the three months left of the year remains to be seen, but I certainly will make a valiant attempt and see how far I get!