BOOKS I FINISHED - SEPTEMBER 2026

 

The Book of Lost Friends, written by Lisa Wingate and narrated by Sophie Amos, Lisa Flanagan, Dominic Hoffman, Sullivan Jones, Robin Miles, and Bahni Turpin, with author's note narrated by Lisa Wingate

I enjoyed this "skip the line" option, the first of Wingate's many novels that I've ever read. (In 2024 I read Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society, a nonfiction book she co-wrote with Judy Christie.) This story is set in Louisiana and Texas, alternating between 1875 and 1987. The earlier time period focuses on three girls, two half sisters and a freed slave, on their dangerous journey to find family members. The later is centered on a new teacher in a poor community who's trying desperately to connect with her students, but finding poverty and small town politics making her work difficult. 

8:25:56, "It's history," I pointed out. "I'm trying to impress upon my students that everyone has history. Just because we're not always happy with what's true doesn't mean we shouldn't know it. It's how we learn. It's how we do better in the future."

9:46:35, "We encourage vigorous debate. Civil debate is a healthy and democratic process. If one can not make one's point without yelling, name-calling, or insulting others, one should develop a stronger argument before speaking further."

Books for Living: Some Thoughts on Reading, Reflecting, and Embracing Life, written by Will Schwalbe

I liked reading The End of Your Life Book Club, another book by Schwalbe, last year, so this one piqued my interest when I saw it on a free shelf. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific book that he finds valuable to the general population, books with some some sort of applicable life lesson for everyone. They're not necessarily his favorite books or the ones he'd deem the best ever, but each has something to teach the reader. Combining information about the twenty-six books with stories from his own life, it felt like both a memoir and a way to add titles to my TBR. As one who likes books about books and enjoys hearing what others think about books, I'm glad this one crossed my path.

p. 14, Books are uniquely suited to helping us change our relationship to the rhythms and habits of daily life in this world of endless connectivity. We can't interrupt them; we can only interrupt ourselves while reading them. They are the expression of an individual or a group of individuals, not of a hive mind or collective consciousness. They speak to us, thoughtfully, one at a time. They demand our attention. And they demand that we briefly put aside our own beliefs and prejudices and listen to someone else's.

p. 17, "What are you reading?" isn't a simple question when asked with genuine curiosity; it's really a way of asking, "Who are you now and who are you becoming?"

p. 59, When you embrace mediocrity, you embrace humility - you learn to see that no matter how good you are at something, the world probably has people who are more talented at it than you. 

p. 67, Reading and naps, two of life's greatest pleasures, go especially well together.

p. 256, And reading all different kinds of books is not simply reading all different kinds of books; it's a way of becoming more fully human and more humane.

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore, written by Evan Friss and narrated by Jay Myers

I learned about this book from a 12/5/24 Modern Mrs. Darcy post, Giftable cookbooks, memoirs and narrative nonfiction and initially tried reading the print version. Struggling to stay focused as I read, I realized it's a kind of book I generally enjoy in audio format and made the switch. Starting back with Benjamin Franklin and moving to present day (the book was published in 2024), it chronicles the evolution of bookshops in general, talks in depth about some specific shops and the people who either own or work in them, and describes the connections shops have to activism, discrimination, enterprise, and their communities. It's a look back in time, as well as a reminder that these businesses are still important.

Gilead, written by Marilynne Robinson and narrated by Tim Jerome

I recently put this on my TBR after learning about it from Shelf Awareness, then it came up as a "skip the line" option on Libby. It's told from the perspective of an elderly man who knows his life will end soon and is writing down an autobiography of sorts for his young son. Set in 1950s Iowa, it chronicles multiple generations of a family and aspects of American history while also covering themes of father-son relationships and friendship, faith and religion, forgiveness and grace. It's an epistolary novel, which is a format I like, but it was a very slow book. I don't mind a novel that's more about character development than having a propulsive plot, but this one felt like it just went on and on. 

4:30:52, "There is no earthly solution to the problems that confront me. But I can add to my problems, as I believe I have done, by dwelling on them. So, no more of that."

The Gown, written by Jennifer Robson and narrated by Marisa Calin, including an excerpt of a podcast interview with Robson on Book Club Girl Podcast

Alternating between London in 1947 and Toronto in 2016, this novel centers on the creating of Princess (at the time) Elizabeth's wedding dress, two of the women tasked with its embroidery, and one of their descendants who discovers a mysterious collection of embroidery samples many decades later. Close female friendship, kind employers, respectful royalty, people determined to rise above bad experiences, and work being appropriately recognized as art were all at play in the story. I discovered this book from a friend's monthly book list and enjoyed it, especially the 1947 part. The interview at the end was nice, as I always think it's interesting to hear an author speak about a particular book's development. Content warning that there's an instance of sexual assault. 

The Record Keeper, written by Charles Martin and narrated by Jonathan K. Riggs

This third novel in a series about a man who rescues people who have been sexually trafficked centers on the pursuit of the man who's captured his mentor and close friend of decades. Like the other stories in the series, it's about the horrific world of people who sell and buy human flesh, the impact on the survivors of that abuse, and the sacrifices made by those determined to rescue those who need to be saved. These stories always demonstrate love in action, but do so in the midst of high stakes chases and some violent interactions. I'm not usually a series reader, but I just discovered a fourth book was published earlier this year and I'll be sure to read it.

Rescue Story: Faith, Freedom, and Finding a Way Home, written by Zach Williams with Robert Noland 

Recommended by a friend, this memoir is about a man who grew up in a Christian home, spent decades avoiding church while abusing drugs and alcohol, and eventually found salvation and a changed life by the love of Jesus when he was pushing forty years old. It's a story of broken dreams, looking for worth in the wrong places, and a strained marriage, but also of people who walk through the messy parts of life with us, humbly choosing to avoid situations that aren't healthy for us, and how God uses broken people. I enjoyed reading little snippets from his wife about her perspective throughout the book and the afterword from his parents. Heads up for those who, like myself, who tend to balk when they see the words "faith" and "freedom" used in the same sentence, this book has nothing to do with politics. 

The Unforgettable Mailman, written by April Howells

It's 1966 and the Chicago Post Office is severely backlogged, so an elderly man with dementia decides to break in with a friend, steal a bunch of mail, and deliver it himself. While his theft and subsequent road trip of deliveries are purely fictional, details surrounding that specific post office are historically accurate. Incidentally, this is the second book I've read recently that talks about the implementation of ZIP codes. (ZIP stands for zone improvement plan, in case you're like me and didn't know.) This novel, which I learned about from a friend, had the potential to be one I loved, but I just liked it. Which is fine.

p. 225, "Not every line needs to be written. You have a duty, as a reader, to keep the story going. To write the next line yourself."

Roger turned to face him. "What do you mean?"

"An author can only take a story so far. It's up to those who read it, who fall so far into the story they can't escape, to keep it alive."

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop, written by Hwang Bo-Reum, translated from Korean by Shanna Tan, and narrated by Rosa Escoda

I enjoy stories about books, friendship, and personal growth, all of which this novel has. Every character is dealing with something hard - societal pressures, questions about their future, difficult relationships, employment struggles - and has to make a choice about whether to continue as they have been or make big changes. Whether or not one agrees with each choice made, the conversations about the value of pursuing, fulfilling, or abandoning dreams and whether happiness comes from doing what you're good at versus what you enjoy are worth pondering. Chosen as a "skip the line" option, I didn't realize until after finishing it that I read a nonfiction book about reading by the same author earlier this year. 

1:01:29, "Reading makes you deviate further from the textbook definition of success because books don't make us go ahead of or above anyone else; they guide us to stand alongside others."

7:50:47, Gradually she became convinced the bestsellers were the reason the publishing industry had lost its diversity. Standing in front of the bestseller section in major bookshops felt like looking at the state of the publishing industry, highly skewed towards a few titles. Whose fault was it? Nobody's. It was simply a reflection of a society which doesn't read.