Hello and thanks for stopping by Thinking Out Loud Thursday! On the first Thursday of the month, I share my reading list from the month prior. Let's jump in to what I read in September ~
A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner
I really enjoyed A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner. I love historical fiction that weaves together stories from different time periods, and this one did that beautifully. It was an emotional read filled with love, loss, and the courage it takes to move forward after tragedy. Here’s a little about the book:
September 1911. On Ellis Island in New York Harbor, nurse Clara Wood cannot face returning to Manhattan, where the man she loved fell to his death in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Then, while caring for a fevered immigrant whose own loss mirrors hers, she becomes intrigued by a name embroidered onto the scarf he carries...and finds herself caught in a dilemma that compels her to confront the truth about the assumptions she’s made. What she learns could devastate her—or free her.
September 2011. On Manhattan’s Upper West Side, widow Taryn Michaels has convinced herself that she is living fully, working in a charming specialty fabric store and raising her daughter alone. Then a long-lost photograph appears in a national magazine, and she is forced to relive the terrible day her husband died in the collapse of the World Trade Towers...the same day a stranger reached out and saved her. But a chance reconnection and a century-old scarf may open Taryn’s eyes to the larger forces at work in her life.
A Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
A Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose was one of those twisty thrillers that kept me guessing! Just when I thought I had things figured out, another surprise came along. It was a fast-paced read with plenty of secrets, deception, and twists that made me want to keep turning the pages. Here’s a little about the book:
From New York Times bestselling author Jeneva Rose comes the definitive edition of her shocking breakout thriller, The Perfect Marriage. Fully reedited, it features a sneak peek of the first three chapters of the upcoming sequel, The Perfect Divorce.
Sarah Morgan is one of the best criminal defense attorneys in Washington, DC. With a perfect case record and having made named partner before the age of thirty-five, her life is going exactly as she planned.
However, the same cannot be said for her husband, Adam, a failed author, who's grown to resent his wife's meteoric success as he feels it's come at the expense of their relationship.
For almost two years, Adam has kept his affair with Kelly Summers a secret, but everything changes when her body is discovered at the couple's lake house and Adam is arrested on suspicion of murder.
Sarah now finds herself facing her most challenging case yet when she vows to defend her husband--a man accused of murdering his mistress.
While Adam is certainly guilty of sleeping with Kelly, the question remains: Is he guilty of killing her too?
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
Horse by Geraldine Brooks was our library book club selection this month. I really enjoyed how the story blended historical fiction with the fascinating world of horse racing while moving between different time periods. There’s a lot to unpack in this one, so it also made for a great book club discussion! Here’s a little about the book:
Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union. On a perilous night, he reunites with the stallion and his groom, very far from the glamor of any racetrack.
New York City, 1954. Martha Jackson, a gallery owner celebrated for taking risks on edgy contemporary painters, becomes obsessed with a nineteenth-century equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance.
Washington, DC, 2019. Jess, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia, and Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse—one studying the stallion’s bones for clues to his power and endurance, the other uncovering the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success.
Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism.
The English Bookstore in Bologna by Boo Walker
The English Bookstore in Bologna by Boo Walker was such a charming read! With its Italian setting, books, and a story about new beginnings, it was an easy one to get swept up in. And a little bonus—if you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for free! Here’s a little about the book:
Tucked away on a cobblestone street in enchanting Bologna, Italy, is the only English bookstore in the city. It’s owned by prickly Sandy Cooke, who keeps love, and even romantic fiction, at a distance. Her employee, timid and hopelessly optimistic Moira, dreams of transforming the struggling shop into a vibrant community hub. Against the odds, one Bolognese summer, it becomes a haven for fellow expats at their own crossroads.
Bianca is a psychotherapist escaping both a breakdown and withering reviews of her new self-help book. On her heels is her father, George, wrestling with retirement―and regrets. He’s had a few, but the light of his life has always been his daughter. Then there’s Harold, a young and awkward barista from Denver recovering from his first belly-flopping high dive into love. Maybe it’s time for reinvention.
At the only English bookstore in Bologna, paths converge for five damaged souls who discover that healing doesn’t require much―just honest connection and an open heart.
And that wraps up my September reading! I had a nice mix of historical fiction, suspense, and lighter reads this month, which always makes for a good reading month in my book. Now it’s time to turn the page to October, and I already have a few books waiting on my TBR. I’d love to know—what was the best book you read in September?
Now it's your turn. What are you thinking out loud about today? Link up and share ~
