My Reading Life: September 2025
I’m going for a re-brand of the posts I use to look back at the month just ended. “Reading Wrap Up” was such a dull and uninspiring title I was bored even just writing it into WordPress. So I’m kicking it into touch. Henceforth these monthly (well monthly assuming I remember to write them) will be called “My Reading Life” — I hope the personal touch will make it feel a little less yawn-inducing.
What can I tell you about September?
It was one of those frustrating months. The kind where you start reading something that sounded promising but then it loses its appeal after only a few chapters. I had several false starts simply because I couldn’t find anything to suit my mood.
Eventually I settled on one of the novels shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2023. Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris was inspired by the real-life experiences of the author’s family during the siege of Sarajevo in 1992. This was a powerful story about resilience, love and hope in the midst of conflict between differing ethnic groups.
I also read:
A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee, a crime novel set against the background of tension in India in 1920, between the princely leaders and the British colonial rulers. My review is here.
French Braid by Anne Tyler. Tyler has legions of loyal fans but I’m struggling to see what they find so appealing about her books. I thought this was a very disappointing family saga. My review is here.
Force of Nature by Jane Harper. This is a tightly-plotted follow up to Harper’s best selling novel The Dry and featuring her police detective Aaron Falk. In this tale, Falk is called in when a woman goes missing during a team-building event in the Australian bush.
My tally has gone down but only fractionally. I had a purchasing spree in a second hand bookshop so overall, the TBR at the end of September was one less than at the start of the month. I didn’t really need to buy any more books but who can resist a bargain? Not me for sure!!
Here’s what I bought:
The Testimony of Taliesin Jones is the debut novel of the Welsh author Rhidian Brook whose later novel The Aftermath was one of the best books I read for Reading Wales Month ’25. I didn’t notice until I got home that this edition contains this hand written note by Rhidian. I wonder who “Ian” is — will I recognise him in the story??
Casting Off is the final novel in the Cazalet Chronicles. I haven’t read books two and three mind you but as winter approaches it would be good to read something completely immersive. Anyway this only cost 50p so really it would have been foolish to ignore this opportunity for a bargain.
Saraband by Eliot Bliss is a shot in the dark since I know nothing about this author. The back cover tells me she was born in Jamaica, was friends with Dorothy Richardson and Jean Rhys and wrote two autobiographical novels. I bought this purely because it was published by Virago as a modern classic.
And finally, there is Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout. I’m coming to the end of the current books in the “Lucy Barton” series so this will help stave off withdrawal symptoms until (hopefully) Strout writes another episode.
Future Plans??
As you all know by now, I don’t like to make reading plans. If I can find something suitable and interesting, I’ll try and join in with the #1925Club, co-hosted by Karen (KaggsysBookishRamblings) and Simon (StuckinaBook).
I’m much more confident about Novellas in November hosted by BookishBeck and 746books since I have a stack of novellas in my TBR. I might gather them in one spot and — gasp — make a shortlist. More on this later in the month. Until then, happy readiing everyone.
WordsAndPeace
September was not my best either:
https://wordsandpeace.com/2025/10/01/2025-september-wrap-up/
I wish you a much better October and November, with so many nice events
Calmgrove
Yes, ‘wrap-up’ sounds quite negative in a way, almost dismissive, while life is altogether more positive – good decision!
I’ve got a copy of the Taliesen Jones title waiting for next year’s Dewithon; like you I got a lot out of Aftermath, and we’ve recorded the film to watch in due course (I think it’s still on BBC iPlayer). As for you “I didn’t really need to buy any more books but” lament, I think that’s just the cross we bibliophiles have to bear, isn’t it?
BookerTalk
I hadn’t thought of the negativity associated with “wrap up” but now you mention it, it does sound downbeat.
Brona
Obviously I love the new title for these posts 🙂
I also cannot leave a Virago green spine on the shelf anytime I wander into a secondhand shop. They are not as easy to find as they used to be and I haven’t read a bad one yet!
BookerTalk
You must have been sending me subliminal messages when I was trying to think of a name for the post!
I can find Virago here but in the charity shops and second hand bookshops they are four times the price that I paid for them in the National Trust second hand bookshop. I’m lucky that I volunteer at one of the Trust’s heritage properties so I can pop in regularly to find anything new.
kaggsysbookishramblings
I hate it when I can’t get into anything and start book after book, so I sympathise. Hope you can find something to interest you for 1925 but if not, I hope what you read is a success!
BookerTalk
I’m noodling with doing a re-read of To the Lighthouse..
kaggsysbookishramblings
Woolf is always a great idea, though I think Lighthouse was released in 1927? Mrs Dalloway was her 1925 title.
BookerTalk
Oh drat, I got them mixed up. I re-read Mrs Dalloway only a few years ago so am not ready for another re-read. It will have to be the Christie or the Painted Veil – it depends what I can get from the libary (I’m determined not to buy anything new this month!)
Cathy746books
Love the new title for your post. I quite enjoyed The Dry so the follow up appeals. Look forward to seeing your novellas pile – mine will be unveiled on Monday!
BookerTalk
Force of Nature is constructed in a really interesting way.
A Life in Books
You’re in for a treat with Olive, Again.
BookerTalk
I’ll finish Tell Me Everything first, then take a short break from Lucy Barton before tackling Olive.
TravellinPenguin
I read Olive again. It seems funny as Olive moves on after the characters in her first book were so important but I enjoyed it. However the first Olive will always be my favourite. Happy reading. 🌻
BookerTalk
I’m reading Tell Me Everything at the moment where Olive makes an appearance so it will seem a bit odd to go back in time with Olive Again.
TravellinPenguin
I know. I kind of hope she is done with Olive in books. I think none of them will be as good as the first one.
BookerTalk
I can’t see she can go much further with Olive – in the last Lucy book, Olive is 90+
TravellinPenguin
I know. Unless they do a ghost in the forest book with her. Lol
BookerTalk
Oh dear, I do hope not
Fanda Classiclit
How exciting it is to find such a handwritten note by the author, it would make you wondering throughout the book, for sure.
I haven’t read any of the titles you mentioned, but I’ve just read Olive Kitteridge. Olive, Again, I assume, is its sequel?
BookerTalk
I’ll be scrutinising all the characters with particular care now, trying to work out who that mystery “mate” of the dedication could be.
Yes, Olive Again picks up the story from the Olive Kitteridge book I believe