September was a fun reading month for me. I finished three lighter reads and started some other biographical/spiritual books, which I’m still working on and hope to finish in October!
Also Amazon sent me an email today to remind me that I have to tell you the links below are affiliate links. (After about a year at this rate I should have enough for a small drip coffee at my local shop!)
Here’s what I read this month:
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
This is my second month in a row reading Alcott! I finished a Rose in Bloom last month, which was delightful, and I fully intended to read the prequel Eight Cousins, but it was lying around in some other part of the house one evening when I was already tucked into bed and I was too lazy to get up for it. So I reached for An Old Fashioned Girl but couldn’t pause the story once I got a few chapters in.
Some reviews I read said they thought this book was preachy, but I thought it was lovely and full of beauty and good virtue. I love to read Louisa May Alcott because she was writing from a time in American culture when women, especially those considered less fortunate, were just beginning to have the possibility of some upward mobility and independence. This book follows Polly, the daughter of a poor minister, as she models kindness, contentment and integrity to her cousins, the wealthy and spoiled (yet warm and loving) Shaw family of Boston. Her old-fashioned ways and clothing stand in stark contrast to her cousin Fanny, already “out in society” flirting with young men and obsessing over hair and wardrobe. Her humble influence transforms a family, turns tragedy into triumph, and in due time brings her a romance of her own. This book was incredibly satisfying to read because though I’m no Polly Milton, in many ways I can relate to being “the old-fashioned girl” myself!
Ready for Anything by Kathi Lipp
I found this book through a podcast for moms that I listen to regularly (Elevating Motherhood). Emergency preparation can be such a depressing topic. You can quickly find yourself down an overwhelming rabbit hole of doomsday scenarios. That is not where this book will take you; in fact, it was such a pleasant read! And I think after 2020, we are all feeling a little less weird-ed out about the idea, you know? I personally felt inspired and envisioned to finally take care of some of the emergency prep that I’ve been avoiding. This book is really about being ready for basic emergencies that might come your way, which is what most of us really need! (No bunkers, I promise.) We are actually doing better than I thought because my husband is the natural prepper type, but I really do need to work on some go-bags.
The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi
I had to get this book on Kindle because I just couldn’t wait for the library hold (24th in line) to come around. I’ve been following Kendra for a couple of years now on Instagram and I go back to her Instagram stories and blog posts over and over when I need to tackle menu planning. She breaks it down in such a fun way, I immediately feel energized to “plan my hot dogs” (that’s one of her mantras.) The Lazy Genius way is all about how to be a genius about the things that matter (to you) and lazy about the things that don’t. You will love her thirteen Lazy Genius Principals which cover everything from routines to rest. I think my favorite LG mantra is “what can I do now to make tomorrow easier?” I just find myself using it all the time.
I hope you have a wonderful October and find a quiet moment for a PSL (I recommend the pumpkin cream cold brew) and to nestle into one of these lovely books!
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For an archive of I’ve read through the years, you can go here. To see all of the curated book lists on my blog in one place, click here.
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