September 2022 Reads — Stacey Loscalzo Reads

Hi All!

I hope everyone is settling in to fall and the chillier (a.k.a. perfect for reading) weather.

What a varied reading month for me. From books that I probably should have put down to one that might make my all time favorites list, details are below.

And also, a new month brings a new Bring Your Own B(ook) theme. On October 17th at 12pm EST, we will gather on Zoom to share our favorite ‘scary books.’ As always, the theme is open ended. When I think of scary books that I have loved, I think of traditional thrillers and a little Stephen King but I also think of some non-fiction and a few post apocalyptic books that are currently feeling a little too close to home. Registration is free but required- click HERE for more details!

And as always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you are reading and loving and of course, any questions you might have about books, reading or my BYOB(ook) events- please feel free to respond to this email!

xo, Stacey

SEPTEMBER READS

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julie Armfield- Whoa. This book was mysterious and it made me question what was going in both the story and the world. If this book had been longer I might have gotten frustrated by my confusion but instead, I really enjoyed it and find myself thinking about the characters weeks after finishing it.

Trust by Hernan Diaz- Not knowing much going in to this story made the experience of reading it all the more enjoyable. Rarely is structure something that sticks out to me in my reading experience but it certainly did this time!

Little Darlings by Melanie Golding- Little Darlings is one of the books that I probably should have put down this month. The writing was so-so and the plot was fantastical in a way I found annoying but… I was just curious enough to know how it ended to keep going.

To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara- When To Paradise came out I was so disappointed that the reviews were less than stellar. The book is long so I put it aside, unread. Then I learned that Yanagihara was coming to NYC this fall. Then I learned that two of my most trusted reader friends really liked To Paradise. Then I learned that a group of Instagram bookish friends were reading To Paradise together so I jumped in. And thank goodness I did. I LOVED To Paradise. If you pick this one up, I strongly recommend reading it was friends. It is long and there are confusing sections so it as great to have people to chat with about it.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick- GREAT premise. Not such great writing.

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez- This book is based on the true story of forced sterilization in Alabama in the 1970s. Before reading, I heard the author interviewed on her research process and she knows her stuff. While reading, I found the fictionalization of the story- especially the dialogue- really forced. I am glad to know this story and will seek out more reading on this topic for sure. I just couldn’t help wishing that Perkins-Valdez had written a narrative non-fiction account instead of a novel.

Mrs. March by Virginia Fieto- While there was definitely plot in this story, Mrs. March is primarily a character study and a really great one at that.