Everything I Read in October 2023
October was BUSY! Here are some highlights- I worked with some personal styling clients, I met my family for a long weekend in St. Petersburg, I ran the MCM 10K with friends, and I saw a comedy show to name a few. The weather this fall has been great, and I am determined to enjoy every moment while I can! While October has been good to me, I am excited for the holiday events and fun that November is about to bring. I am hosting a book club event on Thursday, November 9 (7pm) at the Boardroom in Clarendon. We are going to be discussing Bright Young Women (reviewed below), but more importantly, we will be drinking wine and meeting a group of really, fun women. Hope you can attend!
This past month I read 4 books in the midst of all the busyness, and I am excited to share them here. 3 were great and the other is a hard pass for me! Let’s check them out…
#4: The Vaster Wilds- Lauren Groff
This is my hard pass! I only finished it due to sheer determination and I kept asking myself, “Am I missing something?” since it came so highly reviewed. However, I can attest that it just wasn’t very good! IThe Vaster Wilds was described as a pseudo Where the Crawdads Sing style book, since the protagonist is a young girl who is trying to survive in the wild. I just found it long and uninteresting. I fully recognize this is the harshest review I have EVER given, but I just prefer to be honest. I rate this as skip worthy!
#3: Shoe Dog- Phil Knight
I love a good memoir, so I was intrigued to read it when several friends made the recommendation! Shoe Dog is Phil Knight’s story on the genesis and rise of Nike as a powerhouse corporation. While Nike’s success is well known, I enjoyed hearing the backstory involving the hard work (decades of grinding) , crazy determination (selling shoes at every local track meet), and probably some luck to make Nike a household name. Shoe Dog was only rated #3, because the second half of the book seemed to drag on a little long for my taste. I still think this book is worth the read, and definitely will give you the spark to keep grinding with your projects, passions and side hustles!
#2: The Henna Artist- Alka Joshi
Set in post-Colonial life during the 1950s in India, The Henna Artist tells the story of a young woman who works as a healer and henna artist to a wealthy community in India. While independence was gained from England, life in India is still hard for many, especially women, who have barriers through their gender and a caste system. Lakshmi works tirelessly to save and create opportunities for a better life. This was just beautifully written, and gave a unique story to showcase the resilience of women and the human spirit!
#1: Bright Young Women- Jessica Knoll
I felt tremendous (self-imposed) pressure to pick a great book for my first Book Club night through Closet Hook, but I can truly say, that I ended up (though great luck) picking a winner! Jessica Knoll wrote the twisty, suspense bestseller Luckiest Girl Alive and her new novel popped up on every book post and list that I saw. With these two selling points, I made the executive call to choose Bright Young Women, a suspense thriller loosely based on the 1970s killing spree of Ted Bundy. This was a suspense jackpot- well-developed characters, intrigue, and plots lines that you are waiting to see how they will intersect. Even if you aren’t a suspense junkie, I feel this book is a must read!
I LOVE engaging with the Closet Hook community around books! These posts are definitely a source of joy for me. I am so excited to host a book club event this Thursday, November 6 at 7pm. If you are in the DC/VA/MD area, please come join us at the Boardroom in Arlington for a fun night. Would love to see you there!