Hello and happy Wednesday, book friends! As things settle into a busy but manageable pattern at work, I’m amazed at how quickly time passes by. The mornings have a bit of a chill to them more often than not, and I’ve even gotten to slip into a hoodie for a few of them. 

As much as I adore the warmth of spring and summer, there’s just something cozy I welcome about the fall season, particularly in my reading life. This morning, I felt so comfortable snuggled up on the couch in my sweatshirt, under a blanket with Azula tucked next to me and a book in hand. 

The winter slow down usually means an uptick in my reading, and I’m counting on it to catch up to my sadly neglected goal of reading 100 books this year. Last I checked, I was 16 books behind schedule! 

Lofty goals aside, let’s check in on what my reading looked like over this past week. 

(Full disclosure(s): This post uses Bookshop.org affiliate links. Books noted with an asterisk were receievd as complimentary review copies). 

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Recent Reads

I did it, friends. I finally finished Thank You For Listening by Julia Wheelan, which I’ve been listening to (and struggling with) for several weeks. This is the first book I’ve read from this author, and all the hype gave me high expectations. I’m sorry to say that, for me, this book didn’t meet them. 

I like the way that Wheelan played around with structure and romance tropes in the chapter titles, and I can appreciate the writing itself. But something about this book just didn’t land with me on a personal level. 

I think the main issue was that I found it a bit predictable, particularly with the romance and “plot twist” that came along with it. I don’t think it was supposed to be a surprise, necessarily, but I found it hard to stay invested when it was so obvious to me what was going to happen. 

I haven’t written a full review of this one because I can’t quite pinpoint why I had such a hard time finishing it. It just didn’t connect with me or keep me invested, and it’s no fault of the book itself so much as that it isn’t the book for me. 

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Current Reads

In the mornings, I read American Detox by Kerry Kelli. It’s a fascinating look at the inequities and issues within the health and wellness industry. So far, I can’t say much of what I’ve read is particularly new information to me, but it’s very well researched and well-stated with some nice personal narrative to illustrate points. I’m a little less than halfway through, so I’m hoping as she keeps building upon this foundation I will learn some new things. 

My evening read remains Liz Parker’s The Family Compound. I’m really engaged in this story and the alternating perpsectives of the different family members as they navigate their shared inheritance of a property that’s costly to maintain. I’m curious to see how things wind up for everyone by the end. 

Since I finished Thank You For Listening, I got to pick a new audio listen. As a former iCarly fan, I couldn’t resist going for Jeanette McCurdy’s memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died. The buzz around this book has been intense, but I’ve mostly tried to avoid reading too much about the book because I knew I’d read it eventually. I love a celebrity memoir, particularly one that grapples with big issues and/or explores a world I’m not that familiar with, and this one is definitely doing both. 

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Up Next & On to You

I’ll probably be reading American Detox for a while, as it’s a heavy read. When I finish The Family Compound, I’m going to dive into something from my hefty back catalog of anticipated romance reads before Witchtober begins in a few weeks. 

What about you, book friends? What are you reading this week, and how is it treating you? 

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