So, September didn’t go well at all.
I unfortunately only managed to read a total of three (yes, three!) books this month.
Perhaps it could have been something to do with moving to a new city, but isn’t that something I’ve been doing every month for the last six months?
More-so I think it’s been because I’ve been catching up with so many friends in London and returning to somewhat of a normal social life. Plus, none of my handbags were big enough to fit a book to read on the tube, but that issue has now been resolved so I can get back to making book progress during commutes to and from the city.
Anyhow, these are the three books I read during the month of September – three great ones might I add. Hopefully October sees me back into the old swing of things – I’m hoping for six books in October!
Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
Six responsible adults. Three cute kids. One small dog. It’s just a normal weekend. What could possibly go wrong? Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit, busy life: they have two little girls, Sam has just started a new dream job, and Clementine, a cellist, is busy preparing for the audition of a lifetime. If there’s anything they can count on, it’s each other. Clementine and Erika are each other’s oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbors, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don’t hesitate. Having Tiffany and Vid’s larger than life personalities there will be a welcome respite. Two months later, it won’t stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can’t stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn’t gone?
My rating: ★★★★
I usually make my way through Liane Moriarty’s books with lightening speed, but I will admit it took me over two weeks to finish this – probably the longest I’ve taken to read a book all year! However, I do think recently moving to London had a lot to do with this and not because the book was hard to read. This is the third Liane Moriarty book I’ve read and I will say that I probably preferred the previous two more (Big Little Lies and The Husband’s Secret) however, there were many twists and turns that I loved in this book and just when you thought you knew the whole story, something else was revealed to change that.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (Gifted)
Between life and death there is a library.When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change. The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren’t always what she imagined they’d be, and soon her choices place the library and herself in extreme danger. Before time runs out, she must answer the ultimate question: what is the best way to live?
My rating: ★★★★★
I had seen this book everywhere on social media and had also heard quite a lot of mixed reviews (but mostly 5/5 ratings) and was very grateful to have been gifted a review copy by the team at Canongate. I loved this book. I read it over three days and fully related to the messages within the book and I think it’s a very important book for our time. Thinking of everything your life could be instead of making the most of the one you have is where most of us are going wrong. Realising that every small decision you make each day alters the course of your life completely is quite something to wrap your head around, but is so, so true. If I hadn’t opened that email from my university about the New York program two months into my placement year, would I have ever moved to New York for a year? From there I met my boyfriend and now live with him in London. Would any of that happened if I hadn’t opened that email? Madness, isn’t it? Make the most of the life you have right now and see the beauty in the small things.
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (Gifted)
The Power of Habit makes an exhilarating case: the key to almost any door in life is instilling the right habit. From exercise to weight loss, childrearing to productivity, market disruption to social revolution, and above all success, the right habits can change everything. Habits aren’t destiny. They’re science, one which can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.
My rating: ★★★★
After reading Atomic Habits by James Clear and that book then changing my life forever, I had very high hopes for this book The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg to also change my life. However, The Power of Habit looks at the science behind habits and why it is we have habits, how they form and how we can change them. This wasn’t so much a self-help book, but instead showed how companies, people and leaders have changed the habits of people around them over the years and how you can alter your habits and those that you surround yourself with. It was a great insight into the science behind a habit and if I ever come across a bad habit that I have (hello, this is your friend Diet Coke calling) then I will know how to notice the cue, change my action and still reap the reward.
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