Everything I Read in September 2023
I was dreading the end of Summer, but September and the start of fall turned out to be pretty great, all things considered! This is the first school year since Covid that has felt normal, and it allowed for an easy transition after my epic summer of fun. It has been so nice to be at work without covid related stresses and seeing all of my work friends. I am incredibly blessed to work with some of my closest friends, and it is something I never take for granted. In my free time, I am relishing the fall weather, seeing friends for trail walks, hitting up Soul Cycle via classpass, working with personal styling clients, and squeezing in every excuse I can for a wine night. I was also pretty impressed with myself for managing to read 4 books this month, despite having very little free time these days. Let’s dive in to what I read. Keep in mind, these were all pretty great reads and all suspense books, so it was a little tough to rate them. I didn’t set out to read all from the same genre, but had a great pile stocked up for the month!
#4; Anywhere You Run- Wanda M. Morris
Maybe I was a little scattered at the start of the month with work or maybe it was due to listening to this book on audible, but I found Anywhere You Run slow to start. However, once I got into the story, I found myself excited to listen on my commute to work! The book takes places during the 1960s in the deep South. Men are being murdered for supporting voter rights and others are trying to conceal the crimes, which paints the backdrop for this suspense thriller. When a young woman, with evidence of these crimes, goes missing, a man hunt is set out to find her before anything is revealed!
#3: The Intern- Michele Campbell
Another great suspense courtesy of Book of the Month! The Intern has a dark and twisty plot involving a hotshot Harvard Law School student and her professor/mentor, whose past is blemished with corruption and scandal as a Federal judge. I read a review that this book is not particularly well-written, but the plot keeps you hooked and wanting to see justice in the end. I completely agree- it felt long at times, but I was invested in the characters and figuring out the ending!
#2: The Guest- Emma Cline
The Guest is a must-read in the suspense world, because it deviates from your standard framework. Although it is dark and twisty per usual, the book leaves you without a definitive ending. Alex, the protagonist, is a young woman staying with her much older boyfriend on the Hamptons for the summer. When he ends things, she goes down a destructive path to find a way back in his life. While her condition is not made clear, Alex is presumably mentally ill or having some sort of psychotic break, and you are constantly left questioning what is real and what is Alex making up. This was a fun read!
#1: Gone Tonight- Sarah Pekkanen
As I said, all of these suspense books were great, so it was hard to pick a favorite. However, Gone Tonight became my top pick, since it was the one that left me desperate to finish! This thriller is a mother-daughter drama filled with deceit, secrets, and murder. Without giving too much away, this book will have you wondering if you can truly hide from or outrun the past?!
As always, thank you so much for reading, engaging, and becoming a part of the Closet Hook reading community! If you are in the DC/VA/MD area, join us for a book club event on November 9 at 7pm. We will meet at the Boardroom in Clarendon for a fun night of wine and conversation while discussing the book, Bright Young Women. I have already finished and can’t wait to hear what you all think. It should also be fun to meet some new women and connect around our love of books! Hope to see you there!