Welcome to Quick Lit, where we share short and sweet reviews of what we’ve been reading lately on the 15th of the month. (Or, when the 15th falls on a weekend, near the 15th of the month.)
My print reading time has been diminished lately, perhaps because the fall breaks of our four kids all happen at different times, and we’ve been taking a lot of time for college visits and family movie nights. But I’m continuing to enjoy abundant audiobook listening time, thanks to driving those kids all over and a regular morning walking routine (in addition to the regular dishes and laundry, of course).
All of this has added up to a pretty great reading month, especially considering the weekend I spent sick on the couch and finished four novels! Now that our Fall Book Preview is firmly in the rearview, I’ve been reading a nice mix of new, old, and forthcoming titles (because Spring Book Preview feels like it’s right around the corner, and would you believe I’m already eying Summer Reading Guide possibilities?). In today’s round-up you’ll see fiction and nonfiction, serious and breezy, literary and decidedly not, moody fall vibes and anytime reads, even a middle grade novel.
As always, I’m tracking my reading in the My Reading Life book journal, which makes it easy to see and share what I’ve been reading lately.
I hope you find something that looks intriguing for your TBR on this list (and in these comments!), and I look forward to browsing your recent reads below. Thanks in advance for sharing your short and sweet book reviews with us here!
Welcome to October Quick Lit
Chemistry
The Cheat Sheet
Remember Us
How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing
Florence Adler Swims Forever
The Cloisters
North Woods
The Rachel Incident
What have YOU been reading lately? Tell us about your recent reads—or share the link to a blog or instagram post about them—in comments.
54 comments
I’m next up at my library for The Rachel Incident and can’t wait to read, especially with your comparison to This Must Be the Place (it’s one of my all-time favorites as well). I also read Chemistry this month and loved it, and agree it’s a perfect book club book!
Over all, my reading this month was a mixed bag. I enjoyed some quirky literary fiction, insightful middle grade, and short fiction with a bookish setting. I’m also continuing to work through Anne Tyler’s backlist and adored A Spool of Blue Thread. I had less success with a feel-good novel others are loving that wasn’t for me, and with a middle grade fantasy series that didn’t hold the same appeal for my kids as it has for others.
https://kendranicole.net/quick-lit-october-2023/
Don’t miss out on these mini reviews of a variety of novels, including a few holiday New releases and a popular romance I didn’t love!
https://neverenoughnovels.com/2023/10/15/october-2023-mini-book-reviews/
Books 56-66 of this year.
https://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2023/10/reading-update.html
The Cheat Sheet looks right up my alley! I’m in my sweet rom-com era and I’m not sad 😊
Here’s what I’ve been reading:
https://readeatrepeat.net/2023/10/15/what-ive-been-reading-october-2023/
In my October BOOKBAG!
+ An update on the Little Log Cabin Road Library
+ Revisiting literary friends
* a novel by John Grisham
* a memoir by Lori Gottlieb
* a faith-builder by Chuck Swindoll
+ Ramping up my devotional life with these two simple practices
http://www.lindastoll.net/2023/10/revisiting-old-friends-on-my-shelves.html
The book How to Clean House while Drowning keeps coming up for me. I guess that means I need to read it. My month was consumed with one book . Check out what I read this month https://myviewofthehoneypot.blogspot.com/2023/10/what-i-read-october.html
I LOVED Florence Adler Swims Forever, it may have been my favorite book of 2020.
Adding Cheat Sheet to my list!
September was my most prolific reading month of the year! Got through a few chapter books with my kids as well!
September Reading Recap
Ditto! Florence Adler was a breath of fresh air.
Among other things, I went on a reading spree of one really amazing writer!
https://cocoonofbooks.blogspot.com/2023/10/what-ive-been-reading-lately-quick-lit.html
I enjoyed reading about your reading spree!
I’ve been listening to more audiobooks this year myself. But I did I read some important nonfiction books this month on climate change, Native Americans, etc., and a fascinating novel, The Golden Couple!
Here are 6 books I recommend from what I recently finished reading:
https://lisanotes.com/books-i-recommend-september-2023/
In October, so far I’ve read:
The Abyss: Nuclear Crisis 1962, Max Hastings, nonfiction
Forty Rooms, Olga Grushin, novel
Back Channel, Stephen Carter, historical fiction (re-reading)
We Have Always Been Here, Lena Nguyen, science fiction
The Kind Worth Saving, Peter Swanson, novel
The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, Chros McDougall, nonfiction
And I’ve started three novels:
Children of God, Mary Doria Russell (sequel to The Sparrow)
The Lincoln Highway, Amor Towles
Kidnapped, Ludmila Petrushevskaya (Russian comic novel)
Sounds like a great month!
My main focus has been nonfiction recently, but I threw in some fun fiction genres outside my comfort zone as well. It was a great month of very diverse reading for me.
https://avikinginla.com/2023/10/what-ive-been-reading-lately-september-2023/
One of my book friends said The North Woods was her favorite of the year so far. I really want to read it soon.
My September reads feel like a million years ago mostly because it was 100 degrees when I read them and now a month later it’s 40. Good reads though.
http://www.allthebooksihaventread.com/blog-1/2023/10/15/show-us-your-books-october-2023
Just finished The Other Black Girl and Into the Drowning Deep and now am kind of feeling pulled toward classics; never read Fall of the House of Usher and am going to do that instead of watch the show. On deck: Cloud Cuckoo Land (!) and Stefan Zweig’s novella Burning Secret. Recently I was gifted: Windswept (walking the paths of trailblazing women) and my friend Teri’s innovative personal development book Write Yourself Into Your Dreams.
I loved Chemistry and How to Keep House While Drowning. I’m glad to see a review of Florence Adler after randomly grabbing it at a library book sale—I may have to bump it up in the queue.
This past month’s reading included a lot of variety and a number of 4 and 5-star books. Here’s what I read: https://www.mindjoggle.com/september-2023-book-reviews/
I’m glad the timing was right for the Florence Adler review!
Currently reading: Lessons in Chemistry and The Maid by Nita Prose. Recently finished: When Breath Becomes Air and The House in the Cerulean Sea. Up next on my bedside table stack: Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs, and I Must Betray You by Rita Sepetys.
I recently listened to Matilda narrated by Kate Winslet because I got a free 30 day trial for Audible. Her voices were spectacular, and I really enjoyed the book. Since I’ve got a few weeks left in the trial, I’m listening to as many of the Audible exclusives that are included for free. Right now, I’m listening to Anne of Green Gables. I never read it as a kid, and I am absolutely LOVING it. What other childhood classics do I make sure I don’t miss?!
Kate Winslet is a RAD audiobook narrator! I loved listening to her read Matilda. Anne of Green Gables is one of my go-to comfort reads. Don’t miss The Secret Garden, The Chronicles of Narnia, or Charlotte’s Web.
One children’s classic that I didn’t read until I was an adult is The Wind in the Willows. It’s kind of slow and meandering, but the writing is gorgeous. Also, as an adult, I’ve loved reading anything by Kate DiCamillo. Her stories are always elegant and emotional. Another author I didn’t read till adulthood is Elizabeth George Speare.
I didn’t read The Wind in the Willows until I was an adult, either!
I have put ‘Florence…’ on my Libby list. I have been tearing through two series 1.) Ronald H Balson (legal/ex CIA couple) and 2.) Patrick Taylor (wholesome mid 20th century northern Irish doctors). I am listening to Project Hail Mary and I am pleasantly surprised how much I love the book.
I read Project Hail Mary in print, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about the audio version. So glad you’re enjoying it!
How to Clean House While Drowning is great on audio. Her philosophy and methods are so simple – works for everyone. I am teaching my teen boys her 5 step plan and they get!
Currently I am reading an indie sci-fi novel that has been hard to put down! A young woman (set in a domed city in future) is caught up in gov’t intrigue and finds herself along the way. Quite surprised that I love it, plan to read more indie books now. Ariya Kai: The Secret of Colony Life by F. Z. Zach (find it on Amazon).
Just finished: Stoker’s Dracula. Read it!!
Next up: The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff. Beckoning me from my coffee table.
Am I the only one who thought the advice in How to Keep House While Drowning went a little too far in the direction of giving up on keeping a reasonably clean, organized home and trying to do your small part for the environment? Example: hundreds of disposable pre-pasted toothbrushes because the effort of squeezing toothpaste onto your brush each day may just be too much? The philosophy that your home should serve you and not the other way around is a good one. I just thought some of the examples were extreme.
I saw her speak at the Iowa Library Conference last week and she addressed the paper plate thing. She acknowledged that many people wouldn’t like that, but if you are in a position to be depressed or overwhelmed by your circumstances and using a paper plate helps you, that is okay. No depressed person is going to be able to save the rain forest by using a washable plate – so take care of yourself.
Florence Adler looks so interesting! My recent reads are:
* If You Only Knew by Jamie Ivey – 4 stars. I found her story to be so compelling and authentic.
* Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu – 5 stars. Fascinating story about a young Chinese mother and her son, who escape to Taiwan in the midst of the rise of the Communist Party in China. The story spans generations, and is a fantastic debut in historical fiction.
* The It Girl (audiobook) by Ruth Ware – 5 stars. I think this is my favorite of her novels, and the narration by Imogen Church was fantastic.
Currently reading Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner, and Tom Lake by Anne Patchett (audiobook)
Happy Reading!
Sounds like a great month!
I attended the Iowa Library Association conference last week and one of the keynote speakers was KC Davis. She talked about her book How to Keep House While Drowning and how it came about. She was a good speaker – although she said she doesn’t accept a lot of speaking engagements. I am sure some people in the audience cringed at some of the advice, but it really resonated with others. I haven’t read the book yet but I will take a look at it.
Loved The Unsettled by Anya Mathis (blurbed by Marilynne & Oprah); Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed – nonfiction, must read for everyone – lots of food for thought discussion questions relevant to all ages; and This Land is Not Empty: Following Jesus in Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery. by Sarah Augustine – not just for people of faith.
Thanks to you, I am working my way through Home Comforts. Interestingly I had picked it up before and felt overwhelmed, as a chronically messy person. This time I’m reading it about a year after reading how to keep house while drowning (I’m more of *that* person). I think the author’s ideas about letting go of the shoulds and morality around keeping a clean house paradoxically have led me to now be a person who has found other reasons for wanting to be cleaner and tidier (including getting more steps and having cover for hovering around my teenage son. 🙂 )
“The author’s ideas” = Davis
Liz, that’s so interesting! Thanks for sharing your insights.
I immediately checked to see if my Libby had Florence Adler on audio and it does! I am looking forward to listening to that one.
This month’s reads include Anne’s recommended book from a mini-personalized book-matching on Patreon, HELLO, BEAUTIFUL. I also loved another character-driven novel, PINEAPPLE STREET. Then I read 2 historical fiction including the classic OUR TOWN and THE SAINTS OF SWALLOW HILL.
https://www.sincerelystacie.com/2023/10/quick-lit-october-2023-edition/
Uhmmm, excuse me, but I think telling us that Florence drowns was a bit of a spoiler. Really?? So, I am recovering from that still. I will read these posts with caution from now on. I had done the same; picked up the book after reading The House Is On Fire, but had not gotten around to reading it. Now I probably will not.
Currently reading a backlist book by Houston native, Attica Locke: Bluebird Bluebird, Highway 59 #1. There will be a third book in the series, expected publication September 5, 2024.
Back in July, I picked up her book The Cutting Season after a trip to St. Francisville, Louisiana and their haunted Myrtles plantation and the River Road. I’d read it long ago, but enjoyed rereading it so much. I had meant to read Bluebird Bluebird forever.
Need to belatedly read Crying In H Mart for book club.
The best thing I have read this year is Dennis Lehane’s Small Mercies.
Did anyone else find Jessica Knoll’s Bright Young Women to be confusing?
I ended up posting a few questions on Goodreads. Very helpful and cleared things up for me.
In case some of you are not familiar, the feature is way down the title page on Goodreads. Other readers will answer your questions promptly. Authors can answer as well, but when I looked Jessica was not taking questions at this time.
The book was good, but it told in past and present and by two different characters.
The Cheat Sheet is the definition of light, cute romance. It felt like a movie in my head.
This month, I re-read Northanger Abbey because it had been too long. It’s not my favorite Austen novel, but I’d forgotten how FUNNY it is! I also gulped down a 96-page book by Mystie Winkler about using a planner as a busy mom (super niche, I know). It was so refreshing to read something short, inspiring, and actionable. I’ve already implemented a lot of the strategies with good results.
https://bookdevotions.com/book-reviews-september-2023/
I know, isn’t Northanger Abbey hysterical??
Yay! I’m so glad you picked up the Rachael incident! Such a good book. Here’s what I’ve been reading lately: https://www.instagram.com/p/CyOyb_USIo-/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
The first time (I think!) my list is only audiobooks (and very different ones at that).
https://carolinestarrrose.com/quick-lit-what-ive-been-reading-lately-29/
Florence drowns at the beginning of the book, and the drowning is a catalyst for the story. It really isn’t a spoiler since the bulk of the book deals with the aftermath and how it affects other characters. This is a fantastic book, one of my all-time favorites.
Thanks, I may need to pick it back up. I had been unaware of Florence drowning. I’ve just remembered I have a copy of Liliana’s Invincible Summer by Cristina Rivera Garza. A non fiction, also relating to a drowning.
I have found myself reaching for older titles lately. The above id new though.
Some of the new releases have just not worked for me.
Wellness was one of those. I did not not like it, but it is a long one.
I am excited to read the new William Kent Krueger. I’ve never read him before and this is a stand alone.
I see lots of people on here reading older titles. Going for the new ones is a hard habit to break though!
If you want to stay on the kick of reading older titles, I definitely recommend that you read William Kent Krueger’s older novel, Ordinary Grace, first! Oh, it’s soooo excellent!
I just picked up The Rachel Incident on e-book same yesterday and I’m so excited to get to it. Just 100 pages left of The Many Lives of Mama Love which is a memoir I can’t recommend enough!
Just finished The Bee Sting. 650 pages read like 350. I did not want it to end.
Hope it wins the Booker.
Margaret – I have not heard anything about this book! Reading the description, it sounds similar in concept to Wrong Place Wrong Time. Thanks for recommending it here!
Happy Reading!
Whoa, 650 pages feeling like 350 is high praise indeed!
Just started The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner. Good read so far.
September reading wrap up
https://readingladies.com/2023/09/29/september-2023-reading-wrap-up-septemberreadingwrapup-booktwitter-bookworm-amreading-bookblogger/
In Sept and Oct, I meant to read SO mindfully, books I had looked forward to, authors I liked, etc, but what ended up happening was all about convenience! I needed books I could read digitally in the dark so as not to disturb my husband at night. I took what came up on my library holds. So, let’s see:
I’m still listening to (and loving) Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver! Not much time in the car, so it’s slow, but I’m savoring every minute of it.
When Will There Be Good News? Jackson Brodie #3–not sure where Brodie comes into it, but Kate Atkinson is so funny and delightful! I enjoyed it very much, and went on to read the first one, Case Histories. Brodie is still a minor character. Rather grisly crimes.
The Soulmate, by Sally Hepworth. Not the BEST best thriller, but still a good read. Kept me going.
Foreign Affairs, by Alison Lurie, a 1985 Pulitzer Prize winner. Not what I expected, and yes, the writing was good, but the story was not my thing. Foreign Affairs meant having affairs in a foreign country, not politics or spying!
The Door to Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn, translated from German. It was good, but a bit choppy, though heartwarming.
Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Zhang. Again, not for me. Based on a true story about an orphan Chinese girl kidnapped and brought to America, and I guess I didn’t like how real life went! Nor the writing.
Finally, Paris Was the Place, by Susan Conley. I have read 2 others by Conley, and liked them, and I liked this, too—but it read like a memoir (and she has one of those about living in China) instead of the novel it professed to be. ??
I won Someone Else’s Bucket List by Amy Matthews, from Goodreads, so I’m reading that now—good, but too wordy and slow….and I’m listening to The Secret Book of Flora Lea, by Patti Callahan Henry, which is very good.
Recent reading highlights:
How to Keep House While Drowning – such a helpful book for anyone dealing with ongoing health or emotional challenges, or just someone dealing with a hard season of life.
How the Light Gets In -Louise Penney blends plot, well-developed characters, and atmosphere for a great read
Nothing But Miracles is a middle-grade novel by Kate Albus, featuring siblings whose widowed father is fighting in WWII, as they struggle to stay together with help from neighbors, set in Manhattan’s lower east side
The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn was a lovely book about an elderly bookseller who is befriended by spunky young girl.
Watch Us Shine by Marisa de Los Santos is another related book to Love Walked In, but can easily be read on its own. Past and present are woven together in lovely story of family.
I am currently reading Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.
On a reading roll lately — I listened to Tom Lake by Ann Prachett narrated by Meryl Streep and greatly enjoyed it. I think it was your mention that you hadn’t read Our Town (the play) by Thorton Wilder but other than the first chapter or two when there are try outs for the parts, it isn’t all that relevant to the story… I absolutely hated and stoped at 200 pages The Last Chair Lift by John Irving which was a super disappointment for me having loved Cider House Rules and The World According to Garp and was annoyed I had used an audible credit to purchase it. I read in hardback A Happy Place and liked it, and I don’t usually read romance. I also finished The Book Spy a Historical Fiction book about librarians who were recruited during WW2 and sent to neutral countries to collect and microfilm Axis documents. Not a Kate Quinn but a decent read.
Amazing YA- murder mystery, spooky vibes and lots of charm too… Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson- it’s everything I wanted for the perfect October read!!