Today’s post covers the second half of the books I read in September 2023. I shared what I read in the first half of the month here. I shared my five star reads here. (I do have two more 5 star reads to share today!) The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: The Modern Jewish Girl’s Guide To Guilt
Author: Ruth Andrew Ellison (ed.)
Genre: Non Fiction Essays
Publisher: Dutton, 8/18/05
Source: Book Club Book Swap
Why I Read It: Waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 4 Stars
Over Rosh Hashanah, I read what was definitely the oldest book on my TBR shelf based on publication date – The Modern Jewish Girl’s Guide to Guilt was published in 2005! I only owned it since 2019, but its almost 20 year old publication date did make some of the essays feel a bit dated.
“Twenty-eight of today’s top Jewish women writers tell the truth about all the things their rabbis warned them never to discuss in public in this hilarious and provocative collection.
Includes original essays on:
• Finding (and Divorcing) the Perfect Jewish Man
• Not Calling Your Mother
• Marrying a German
• Failing to Supply Enough Grandchildren
• Learning to RSVP No
• And many other guilty pleasures…
Includes pieces by:
Elisa Albert, Aimee Bender, Jennifer Bleyer, Kera Bolonik, Rabbi Sharon Brous, Baz Dreisinger, Pearl Gluck, Rebecca Goldstein, Lori Gottlieb, Lauren Grodstein, Dara Horn, Molly Jong-Fast, Rachel Kadish, Jenna Kalinsky, Cynthia Kaplan, Binnie Kirshenbaum, Amy Klein, Daphne Merkin, Tova Mirvis, Gina Nahai, Katie Rophie, Francesca Segré, Wendy Shanker, Laurie Gwen Shapiro, Susan Shapiro, Ayelet Waldman, Rebecca Walker, Sheryl Zohn.”
This book of essays features much younger now more well known writers such as Dara Horn and Lori Gottleib on the concept of guilt and more specifically Jewish guilt. This made me think about what causes someone to feel guilty, and I think it comes down to feeling caught between two worlds or identities or what you want and what someone you love wants for you. It was interesting to me for that reason, though some of the essays were more entertaining to me than others.
Title: The Wolf Hunt
Author: Ayelet Gundar-Goshen
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Hachette Audio, 8/15/23
Source: Audio Publisher
Why I Read It: Had previously read a book by this author
My Rating: 4 Stars
The Wolf Hunt is about an Israeli family living in Silicon Valley. Lilach, the mother, narrates the story, which consists of a series of difficult events in the community and surrounding her son, Adam.
“Lilach has it all: a beautiful home in the heart of Silicon Valley, a successful husband and stable marriage, and a teenage son, Adam, with whom she has always felt a particular closeness. Israeli immigrants, the family has now lived in the U.S. long enough that they consider it home. But after a brutal attack on a local synagogue shakes their sense of safety, Adam enrolls in a self-defense class taught by a former Israeli Special Forces officer. There, for the first time, he finds a sense of confidence and belonging. Then, tragedy strikes again when an African American boy dies at a house party, apparently from a drug overdose. Though he was a high school classmate, Adam claims not to know him. Yet rumors begin to circulate that the death was not accidental, and that Adam and his new friends had a history with Jamal. As more details surface and racial tensions in the community are ignited, Lilach begins to question everything she thought she knew about her son. Could her worst fears be possible? Could her quiet, reclusive child have had something to do with Jamal’s death?”
The self defense instructor gets involved in the family’s life in a strange sort of way and I thought the ending of the book was a big strange as well. This did keep me listening and interested and I thought the audio narrator did a good job. This book contains difficult topics including stillbirth, infidelity, racism, antisemitism, and the death of a dog.
Title: She Started It
Author: Sian Gilbert
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: William Morrow, 6/13/23
Source: Book Club Girl
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This is what I’d call a locked island mystery, as 4 women are invited by Poppy on an all expenses paid trip to a private and remote island. The catch is that the women aren’t friends with Poppy, and in fact bullied her in school 10 years ago. There are secrets that each woman is hiding and alliances that form between them as it begins to seem they won’t make it off the island alive.
“Annabel, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe are best friends—or were, as children. Despite drifting apart in adulthood, shared secrets have kept them bonded for better or worse, even as their childhood dreams haven’t quite turned out as they’d hoped. Then one day they receive a wholly unexpected—but not entirely unwelcome—invitation from another old friend. Poppy Greer has invited them all to her extravagant bachelorette party: a first-class plane ticket to three days of white sand, cocktails, and relaxation on a luxe private island in the Bahamas. None of them has spoken to Poppy in years. But Poppy’s Instagram pics shows that the girl they used to consider the weakest link in their group has definitely made good—and made money. Curiosity gets the better of them. Besides, who can turn down a posh all-expenses-paid vacation on a Caribbean island? The first-class flight and the island’s accommodations are just as opulent as expected…even if the scenic island proves more remote than they’d anticipated. Quite remote, in fact, with no cell service, and no other guests. The women quickly discover they’ve underestimated Poppy, and each other. As their darkest secrets are revealed, the tropical adventure morphs into a terrifying nightmare.”
I was kind of proud of myself when I predicted the ultimate twist towards the end of this one, but from reading other reviews it seems I wasn’t the only one – some have even called it predictable. At the same time, I couldn’t put the book down and I found myself torn between agreeing that revenge was warranted and thinking that the bullying happened 10 years ago and she should get over it already. As this is a debut, I think this author will write even better thrillers in the future! There is some difficult content in this one so be careful if you are sensitive!
Title: The Stranger Upstairs
Author: Lisa M. Matlin
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Bantam, 9/12/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3 Stars
I thought I’d seen only good reviews for this one but now I realize they are more mixed. I wasn’t a huge fan myself! Sarah and her husband buy a house where a murder took place. They plan to fix it up and resell it. But right away things are weird and there is opposition to their plans. Sarah herself is an unreliable narrator due to mental health issues which are only alluded to.
“A therapist and self-help writer with all the answers, Sarah Slade has just bought a gorgeous Victorian in the community of her dreams. Turns out, you can get a killer deal on a house where someone was murdered. Plus, renovating Black Wood House makes for great blog content and a decent distraction from her failing marriage. Good thing nobody knows that her past is just as filthy as the bloodstain on her bedroom floor. But the renovations are fast becoming a nightmare. Sarah imagined custom avocado wallpaper, massive profits, and an appreciative husband who wants to share her bed again. Instead, the neighbors hate her guts and her husband still sleeps on the couch. And though the builders attempt to cover up Black Wood’s horrifying past, a series of bizarre accidents, threatening notes, and unexplained footsteps in the attic only confirms for Sarah what the rest of the town already knew: Something is very wrong in that house. With every passing moment, Sarah’s life spirals further out of control—and with it, her sense of reality. But as she peels back the curling wallpaper and discovers the house’s secrets, she realizes that the deadly legacy of Black Wood House has only just begun.”
I dislike when women characters are questioned or made to seem “crazy” as a plot point so that was a minus for the book right away. I also had a lot of questions about the neighbors and the secrecy around the house that I don’t think were answered in the end. At least it was a quick read!
Title: Bright Young Women
Author: Jessica Knoll
Genre: Thriller / Literary
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio, 9/19/23
Source: Audio Publisher
Why I Read It: Everyone was reading it
My Rating: 4 Stars
Bright Young Women is the story of the victims of a “celebrity” serial killer. It looks at their lives and what was cut short, as well as providing social commentary on the patriarchy, misogyny, and homophobia of the time period (late 70s).
“Masterfully blending elements of psychological suspense and true crime, Jessica Knoll—author of the bestselling novel Luckiest Girl Alive and the writer behind the Netflix adaption starring Mila Kunis—delivers a new and exhilarating thriller in Bright Young Women. The book opens on a Saturday night in 1978, hours before a soon-to-be-infamous murderer descends upon a Florida sorority house with deadly results. The lives of those who survive, including sorority president and key witness, Pamela Schumacher, are forever changed. Across the country, Tina Cannon is convinced her missing friend was targeted by the man papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer—and that he’s struck again. Determined to find justice, the two join forces as their search for answers leads to a final, shocking confrontation.”
The story is well written and interesting and the audio was well done with Sutton Foster and Imani Jade Powers narrating. However, knowing this was based on the murders of Ted Bundy, I kept getting pulled from the story and distracted by his Wikipedia page, in which you could match up the fictional victims with his real life crimes, down to exactly how and where they happened. With the victims’ names and stories being fictionalized, maybe the real life details and crimes should have been fictionalized too.
Title: Thank You For Sharing
Author: Rachel Runya Katz
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin, 9/12/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (Rounded up to 4)
This is a rom com that centers Jewish biracial characters and has LGBTQ rep as well. When Liyah and Daniel meet on a plane, they actually already know each other – from summer camp when they were kids. So while this could be considered a second chance romance, they also have never been together as adults. When they end up working together to market membership to the Field Museum, where Liyah works, they become friends. And then friends with benefits.
“Daniel Rosenberg and Liyah Cohen-Jackson’s last conversation―fourteen years ago at summer camp―ended their friendship. Until they find themselves seated next to each other on a plane, and bitterly pick up right where they left off. At least they can go their separate ways again after landing…That is, until Daniel’s marketing firm gets hired by the Chicago museum where Liyah works as a junior curator, and they’re forced to collaborate with potential career changing promotions on the line. With every meeting and post-work social gathering with colleagues, the tension (and chemistry) between Daniel and Liyah builds until they’re forced to confront why they broke apart years ago at camp. But as they find comfort in their shared experiences as Jews of color and fumble towards friendship, can they ignore their growing feelings for each other?”
I liked the inclusion of Jewish mourning traditions such as Yizkor and Yahrzeit, as Daniel is dealing with the loss of his father. I loved the friend group formed between the characters. I did find some of the story a bit drawn out. This book also contains reference to a past sexual assault and racism.
Title: Witch of Wild Things
Author: Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 9/12/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I loved this witchy, magical rom com in which Sage is reunited with her high school crush, Tenn, who she messaged on AIM as a teen, but he never knew her true identity. Now, Sage and Tenn are working together to search for plant specimens, which is a gift that Sage has in her ability to communicate with them.
“Sage Flores has been running from her family—and their ‘gifts’—ever since her younger sister Sky died. Eight years later, Sage reluctantly returns to her hometown. Like slipping into an old, comforting sweater, Sage takes back her job at Cranberry Rose Company and uses her ability to communicate with plants to discover unusual heritage specimens in the surrounding lands. What should be a simple task is complicated by her partner in botany sleuthing: Tennessee Reyes. He broke her heart in high school, and she never fully recovered. Working together is reminding her of all their past tender, genuine moments—and new feelings for this mature sexy man are starting to take root in her heart. With rare plants to find, a dead sister who keeps bringing her coffee, and another sister whose anger fills the sky with lightning, Sage doesn’t have time for romance. But being with Tenn is like standing in the middle of a field on the cusp of a summer thunderstorm—supercharged and inevitable.”
While this is a type of second chance romance, it also involves family issues between Sage and her sister Teal, their aunt, and their other family members. The magical realism enhanced the story for me. I also enjoyed the Cuban and Mexican heritage elements and the concept of breaking open before blooming – both for plants and for the people in this story.
Title: All You Have To Do Is Call
Author: Kerri Maher
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Berkley, 9/19/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
My last book of the month was also my 200th book of the year! I am happy that it was another one that I loved. This is a fictionalized version of the Jane network that was established by women to help other women have safe abortions before they were legalized.
“The best-known secret in the city, Jane is an underground women’s health organization composed entirely of women helping women, empowering them to live lives free from the expectations of society by offering reproductive counseling and safe, illegal abortions. Veronica, Jane’s founder, prides herself on the services she has provided to thousands of women, yet the price of others’ freedom is that she leads a double life. When she’s not at Jane, Veronica plays the role of a conventional housewife—which becomes even more difficult during her own high-risk pregnancy. Two more women in Veronica’s neighborhood are grappling with similar disconnects. Margaret, a young professor at the University of Chicago, secretly volunteers at Jane as she falls in love with a man whose attitude toward his ex-wife increasingly disturbs her. Patty, who’s long been content as a devoted wife and mother, has begun to sense that something essential is missing from her life. When her runaway younger sister Eliza shows up unexpectedly, Patty is forced to come to terms with what it really means to love and support a sister. In this historic moment when the personal was nothing if not political, when television, movies, and commercials told women they’d ‘come a long way, baby,’ Veronica, Margaret, and Patty must make choices that will change the course of their lives forever.”
Having previously read and loved Looking For Jane earlier this year, this book was another look at the same history, while that one was centered in Canada and this one takes place in Chicago. It is told from the viewpoints of three women, Veronica, the pregnant leader and founder of the network, Patty, who is not pro abortion herself, and Margaret, a young professor who is dealing with misogyny in the workplace and is dating a controlling man. I loved how the book was overall about women claiming their places in a world otherwise dominated by men.
There you have it, the rest of my September reading! This post included 8 of the books I read in September. Of these books, 6 were print and 2 were audio books. Genres included non fiction essays, thriller, rom com, and historical fiction.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?