Reading list: September

Time for another reading update, though it’s a short one. I only finished 10 books since my nearly end-of-August update. It’s funny; cooler weather usually means more reading time, but this is my busy season. Between a full calendar and an overflowing todo list, there’s less time for sitting and reading for a chunk of time.

Some books I can read a page at a time, others need a full chapter before I can put them down. It’s the same with audiobooks, some I can pause while others I’ll lose my mental spot and need to listen to the entire chapter again. Right now my days are fragmented enough that most reading happens at night on the couch after dinner. Those extra pockets of time I usually find throughout the day? They’ve vanished.

I have a few short story collections I’m working my way through, but there’s something about the continuity in a longer story that helps me with all the disruptions. My Libby audiobook queue is ready for those longer stretches of time while I’m cooking or cleaning; there are books scattered everywhere (and on my devices) for when I find some downtime.

The Numbers

*Mystery includes Historical Mystery, Mystery, Thrillers & Crime

Do you find these stats interesting? I’m always interested in the trends in my reading.

I’m more likely to read a book that’s part of a series, as opposed to a standalone title. Series make up nearly 80% of my selections! While I love big books, only about 20% of what I’ve read were over 400 pages so far this year. A statistic that makes sense, I feel a bit crunched for time and want more instant gratification, shorter titles provide that.

I’m still in the middle of rereading The Power Broker, I hope to focus on it this month and finally finish it. I’m definitely a different NYer than I was when I first read it in 1999. I’m also fascinated that based on my fictional reading about Regency England, I decided to finally jump in and learn more of the history and sociology of that time period. I’ve also always meant to learn more about how the Napoleanic Wars fit into global perspective so I’m working on that too.

I’m still reading more mystery than anything else. Last month, I also dipped into psychology, writing craft, and folklore/fairy tales. I completed two more reviews (with one title reviewed for both NetGalley and LibraryThing).

What I’ve Been Reading

Below is a selection from the list; it’s not exhaustive, but representative. Series tend to be grouped together. I’ve skipped over books I didn’t enjoy enough to recommend. If I can’t find a reason why someone else might like it, I’d rather stay quiet. As a reminder, a ★ means I received a copy of the title with the hope that I’d write a review.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Series by Louise Penny, Mystery
The Cruelest Month (book #3, 2008, 310 pages)
I think when I started this series, I couldn’t find this title or there was a hold list, so I set the entire series aside and read other things. It layers the story a bit differently than my other mysteries. Enjoying it so far, and I’ll keep going with the series.

Harry Hole Series by Jo Nesbø, Don Bartlett (translator), Mystery
The Bat (book #1, 1997, 369 pages), Cockroaches (book #2, 1998, 368 pages)
I bought two of his other books at a library book sale last month and figured I should start with book 1. Wow, I inhaled The Bat. It was fascinating and in some ways reminded me of Van der Valk. Cockroaches was a slower burn but still good.

★Why We Write About Ourselves by Meredith Maran (Editor) (2016), 254 pages, Writing
Some memoirists were more interesting than others, naturally. While there’s much that’s now dated in the book, overall it’s a fascinating read. I’m very happy to finally cross this off my TBR list. I’d requested the review copy ages ago, then borrowed it from the library to actually read and write the review. See my full review.

Phases by Elizabeth Moon (1997), 374 pages, Science Fiction; Short Stories
Not the worst short story collection, and a bit dated in some ways in a retro scfi kind of way. I’d picked this up at a library book sale ages ago and it’s one of those books I’ve kept for when I am in the mood for something short. It made me very nostalgic for paperbacks.

★Anointed: The Extraordinary Effects of Social Status in a Winner-Take-Most World by Toby Stuart (2025), 288 pages, Psychology
This explores how status-based advantages compound over time in ways we often don’t recognize. Stuart looks at how being anointed—getting that first big break, the prestigious credential, the influential mentor—creates a self-reinforcing cycle, and how it’s not as easy to pin down because it’s based social not real capital. The book examines a range of areas showing how initial advantages can snowball to advantages. It’s both fascinating and a little depressing to see how inequality is baked in. See my full review for more.

Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance: The Forgotten Founding Mothers of the Fairy Tale and the Stories That They Spun by Jane Harrington, Khoa Le (illustrator) (2025), 240 pages, Folklore; Fairy Tales
The included stories are great reads, and Le’s illustrations are stunning. There’s not much information here, which is no surprise—I’m no stranger to the gaps in women’s archives. It left me feeling a bit disappointed in a way I’m still trying to define, and that’s not the author’s fault. I was looking for something more scholarly or for the original French to be included. I don’t know what I expected it to be, it’s still a worthwhile read.

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel (2020), 388 pages, Historical Fiction, Holocaust
A story about a young woman forging documents to help Jewish children escape Nazi-occupied France, encoding their real names in a hidden book so their identities won’t be lost forever. It explores grief, the bonds between parents and children, and the work people did to prevent erasure. More hopeful than many Holocaust novels, though some plot points felt a bit farfetched. This was our sisterhood book club pick for September and we had a nice discussion on the book.

Lady Arianna Regency Mystery Series by Andrea Penrose, Historical Mystery
The Cocoa Conspiracy (book #1, 2011, 324 pages), Recipe for Treason (book #2, 2012, 336 pages)
Interesting for some of the characters, and it’s a fascinating time period. Maybe that’s why I keep reading about it regardless of the book quality.

My life is still extra disjointed until after mid-October when this year’s cycle of Jewish holidays ends. I’m slowly making my way through The Power Broker reread. I don’t have much left, but finding chunks of time for it is tricky. I’d also like to finish Ian McEwan’s What We Can Know and Rabbi Greenberg’s The Triumph of Life when I can carve out the space.

Have you read any of the books I recently finished? What are your thoughts? Do you have titles you think I might enjoy? Please let me know.

My Now page is being kept mostly current, though I’ve not yet figured out the sanest way to list the books I’m devouring; those that I’m savoring are easier. I have a backlog of reviews I want to write up; they can be found at pennyshima.com/book-reviews.