September Reads

Read:
Bravey by Alexi Pappa (★★★★★) - LOVED this book.  It was weird going from Deena Kastor's more wholesome book about marathoning to Alexi's more gritty book.  The story told about Alexi's life from losing her mom young to suicide and how it impacted her life, to her ups and downs with running and depression.

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt (★★★★☆) - Long read and like any book on these topics, there are parts that resonated with me and parts that didn't so much.  It pulled from research in some areas that were interesting.  I especially was intrigued the part/research about people wanting to belong in groups to be huge drivers in their activites/beliefs, but when you get people on an individual basis they seem to be able to agree on more things.  I clearly cannot articulate the points well :) One of the items that was most interesting was the studies they've done that people will still stick with their 'gut feeling' not matter how much data you present them.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** by Mark Manson (★★★★☆) - This was a really good book that definitely was needed right now for me.  I was a little bummed that he didn’t go through more detail of how to not give a F.  The ending also left a little to be desired. I appreciated the part where he talked about accepting a negative situation is more positive than trying to make a situation positive.  “The desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience. And, paradoxically, the acceptance of one’s negative experience is itself a positive experience.” Another good point was always seeking to be better, happier, etc. can end up hurting your experiences.

This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay (★★★★★) - This book followed a doctor's stories of different patients he saw through his career as a doctor.  He worked at different hospitals as an OBGYN in Europe.  It was stories about not having a personal life, amusing stories and interactions with coworkers and patients, and tragic stories he saw working as a doctor. I didn't want to put this book down and was very sad at the ending

To Raise a Boy: Classrooms, Locker Rooms, Bedrooms, and the Hidden Struggles of American Boyhood by Emma Brown (★★★★★) - OOOOFT, this was a hard read. It detailed the struggles of trying to raise a boy in a world full of opportunities for sexual assault.  The part about boys being sexually assaulted as a form of hazing was just gut wrenching to me.  I think the biggest take away is talking about consent when the kids are young, in age appropriate ways... both for consenting to touching and getting touched. 

While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillery (★★★★☆) - I really like this series, they're always a nice break from what I'm reading.  A movie star meets an ad campaign manager, they hit it off, they fake data to get her attention, they fall in love - very predictable, still very entertaining. 

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger (★★☆☆☆) - This is definitely one of those books that the movie was better.  I just didn’t like any of the characters in the book, however, I did like the boyfriend better in the book than in the movie

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner (★★★★☆) - I really enjoyed this book.  It’s about an overweight influencer that connects back with one of her bully best friends from her past.  Her friend ends up getting murdered on her wedding day and Daphne tries to help figure out who did it.

In Process:

What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Audrey Gordon

The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny

Up Next:

Limitless by Mallory Weggemann

Dottir by Katrin Davidsdottir

Beach Read by Emily Henry

The Whole Brained Child by Daniel J. Seigel

The Heart by Maylis De Kerangal

Confident Moms, Confident Daughters by Maria Furlough