It’s been another busy month, in work, social activity, and reading too.
Most notably, we hit up a Notre Dame game–it was our nephew’s first! My mom and I visited my sister and brother-in-law in Indianapolis and spent a ton of time in their awesome pool. And then, Mom joined me for a work conference in D.C. and we had a blast.
Here’s the month in pictures from my phone. (6 is totally cropped off, but we were at the beloved Shake Shack. :))
Sorry to anyone reading this who knows I’m forgetting something. As I said, a busy month!
And now, the books!
What Shannon Read in September
I read five books in September, all new to me and no re-reads.
Some Notes:
My Husband by Maud Ventura
I found this one on TikTok, of course. An introspective novel, this is a French translation that centers on a woman who is obsessed with her husband and how much he does (or doesn’t) love her.
Literally obsessed. She keeps track of her every interaction with him, makes up little punishments for him when he’s inattentive (like hiding his keys or pretending not to hear him when he talks to her), and writes down every interpersonal issue in little notebooks she keeps around the house.
There is a chapter at the end written from the husband’s point-of-view and it’s a bit of a fun surprise ending. Really enjoyed this one.
Life Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of Midlife by Barbara Bradley Hagerty
You may recognize the author of this one as it’s written by well-known NPR reporter Barbara Bradley Hagerty. As with most books about midlife (and I’m so glad there’s been a surge in these lately), the author herself hit midlife and began to have the typical doubts, concerns, misgivings, and questions that seem to come with this stage of life.
I loved the mix of memoir, storytelling, and scientific reporting in this one. Bradley Hagerty covers the gamut of relatable midlife topics, from brain health to marriage at midlife to friendship, money, health problems, and exercise.
I think my three biggest takeaways were: Keep your brain challenged to keep it healthy in later life, exercise as much as possible for both your brain and your body, and seek out what gives you a sense of purpose in life if you can. All lead to a more positive life experiece in middle age and beyond.
Now I just have to do them…
The Guest by Emma Cline
This was our first book club pick! My sister-in-law and two other friends and I started a book club in September and agreed to read this because two of us had already gotten it from the library.
The novel centers on a young woman staying with her older boyfriend in some place like the Hamptons. When she becomes a bit too dependent on him, he asks her to leave and she floats here and there, just trying to find shelter and food and avoid going back to the city, where there is an angry ex waiting for her.
This is the plot, but what I loved about this book was the languidness of the language, which contradicted with the stressful undercurrent, the constant underlying feeling that time was running out no matter where she landed.
The Copenhagen Affair by Amulya Malladi
I really have come across some great books on BookTok.
This one features main character Sanya, a successful middle-aged financial consultant and mother who has had something akin to a nervous breakdown.
To try to break her out of her broken down stupor, high-powered husband Harry decides they should move to Copenhagen where his company is about to buy another.
Sanya, who is breaking out of her people-pleasing era, switches up her identity after the big changes she’s gone through, flummoxing Harry and those who know her.
The novel is about marriage at this stage of life, about identity and how it can be changed or shaped once a past way of being no longer works, and, really, about finding a new way of being that includes something along the lines of happiness and purpose.
This novel asks a lot of good questions about life and it’s interesting to see how the characters answer them—or don’t.
Hey Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson
Here’s another pet interest of mine—the damaging nature of MLMs. And that’s exactly what this book is about. The author tells her own story of being involved with an MLM, where she quickly rose to the top of the pyramid. The journey, among other ugly results, pushed her into alcoholism.
The author also gives a bit of a history of MLMs, discusses their place in society, and does a deep dive into how MLMs work.
I found the most interesting pieces to be Paulson’s own story and that of her friends in their particular MLM. And the books as a whole, of course, cemented my own reasoning for no longer giving my money to these organizations.
That’s it! I’m looking to take a turn for the spooky in October, so if you can recommend any ghost stories or gothic novels, I’d love to put a list together!
Pillow Fort 