My Favorite Books of September

September is kind of a weird month. 

Oklahoma couldn’t decide if it was summer or fall, so I read in the pool and covered up with a blanket on the sofa while it was cold and raining. 

Since I’m a summer lover, I guess I should be grateful that summer kept reappearing all month. 

It looks like fall will arrive in October, and I’ll officially be stuck inside. At least then, I’ll probably do a lot more reading.

Until then, let me tell you about my two favorite books of September.

My Favorite Books of September 2023

I read 14 books in September. Of those, I gave two books perfect grades — one fiction and one nonfiction.

Soundtracks

Jon Acuff’s book, Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking, was my favorite nonfiction book in September. 

Jon is funny. His sense of humor comes across well in his books and the examples he uses to back up his points. 

Maybe the fact that he’s funny is one reason this book is such a great read. You really don’t expect Jon to be an overthinker, but apparently he is. So much so that it results in indecision and inaction. 

I loved the way Jon framed “soundtracks,” or what I would call “mantras,” as a way to move out of negative thinking or overthinking cycles. I already do this some, and I want to do it more. Thankfully, Jon’s book provides some advice for applying what you learn immediately. 

FYI, I also loved Jon’s books Do Over and Quitter. They both made my list of favorite nonfiction books in 2015.

I’m Not Done With You Yet

My favorite fiction book in September was I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto. 

The book reminded me a lot of Yellowface, which was one of my favorite books of June.

I’m Not Done With You Yet is about Jane, a mediocre writer living a boring life. She’s a writer, but not successfully. She’s married, but not happily. You get the drift.

Then Jane sees an opportunity to reconnect with Thalia, her college best friend, who she was essentially obsessed with but hasn’t been able to find for more than a decade. Oh, did I mention that Thalia is now a successful author? 

When Jane shows up at a book convention for a surprise meet-up with Thalia, the results are anything but expected.

Happy Reading!

There they are — my favorite books of September. I hope you read and love one or both of them. 

I never do this, but I encourage you to look at my list of books I read this month. I gave a lot of books Bs. That means they were good, just not life-changing. But I can tell you that I already recommended one of them to a friend who I know will enjoy it. You might find something there you love too.

As always, happy reading!