It’s time for my first half of September 2025 book review post! I am sharing what I read in September so far, although I am skipping my 5 star reads to share later in the month. My reading has still been a bit slower (for me), but I do have a few to share today! The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: The Last Chance Library
Author: Freya Sampson
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Penguin Audio, 8/3/21
Source: Publisher – print, Library – audio
Why I Read It: Backlist
My Rating: 4 Stars
I listened to The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson as my contemporary pick for my bonus to my 25 in ’25 Backlist Challenge. It is about a small town library in the UK run by June, whose mother used to run the library but passed away.
“Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the thirty-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother. Joining a band of eccentric yet dedicated locals in a campaign to keep the library, June opens herself up to other people for the first time since her mother died. It just so happens that her old school friend Alex Chen is back in town and willing to lend a helping hand. The kindhearted lawyer’s feelings for her are obvious to everyone but June, who won’t believe that anyone could ever care for her in that way. To save the place and the books that mean so much to her, June must finally make some changes to her life. For once, she’s determined not to go down without a fight. And maybe, in fighting for her cherished library, June can save herself, too.”
June clings to her home and library as a way to cope with loss, so when the library is threatened with closure, it is hard for her. A group of library patrons band together to fight for it to stay open. June forms relationships and grows as a person throughout this light and sweet read.
Title: Roommating
Author: Meredith Schorr
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Forever, 6/10/25
Source: Traveling Copy
Why I Read It: Traveling Copy
My Rating: 4 Stars
I was happy to get to take part in reading a traveling copy of Roommating by Meredith Schorr. I have read her other books but this one was my favorite! It is about Sabrina, who lives with 72 year old Marcia – who needs her own book asap! When Marcia’s grandson Adam moves in, jealousy, attraction, friendship, and more occur between him and Sabrina.
“Sabrina is too busy with grad school and her job as a library page to think about dating. Until her elderly roommate Marcia invites her grandson Adam to move into their two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan temporarily to ‘find himself.’ Sabrina doesn’t mind sharing the small space with Adam, but she’s not expecting to fall for him herself. Adam is not only gorgeous—he’s kind, funny, and shares her love of reading. After one too many accidental midnight rendezvous in the bathroom (him shirtless), the tension between them is hotter than ever. But they’re not the only ones feeling the heat. After Marcia has a health scare, her doctors advise that one of her younger roommates must go. In a comical and sexy battle to prove who deserves to stay, the two pull out all the stops. All’s fair in love and real estate, but victory is not so sweet when winning the apartment could mean losing each other.”
I loved that Sabrina works in a library. The forced proximity at home and at work was great. There was also Jewish representation and lots of references to books, which I enjoyed a lot. This was a funny and sweet read.
Title: These Summer Storms
Author: Sarah MacLean
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Ballantine Books, 7/8/25
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3.5 Stars, Rounded up to 4 Stars
Meant to be a huge summer hit, I was excited to see if it was a hit for me as well. While sometimes hyped books do work for me (see The Correspondent), this one was a bit too slow for me. This is about Alice, one of the children of a billionaire tech entrepreneur who dies unexpectedly and leaves behind a competition for his wife and four children in order to receive their inheritances. Alice had been previously cast out of her father’s inner circle and the rest of the family, returning to their private island only after he is gone.
“Alice Storm hasn’t been welcome at her family’s magnificent private island off the Rhode Island coast in five years–not since she was cast out and built her life beyond the Storm name, influence, and untold billions. But the shocking death of her larger-than-life father changes everything. Alice plans to keep her head down, pay her final respects (such as they are), and leave the minute the funeral is over. Unfortunately, her father had other plans. The eccentric, manipulative patriarch left his family a final challenge—an inheritance game designed to upend their world. The rules are clear: spend one week on the island, complete their assigned tasks, and receive the inheritance. But a whole week on Storm Island is no easy task for Alice. Every corner of the sprawling old house is bursting with chaos: Her older sister’s secret love affair. Her brother’s unyielding arrogance. Her younger sister’s constant analysis of the vibes. Her mother’s cold judgment. And all under the stern, watchful gaze of Jack Dean, her father’s intriguing and too-handsome second-in-command. It will be a miracle if Alice manages to escape unscathed.”
While the first half kept me entertained, the rest was slower and did not read quickly at all.
Title: The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections
Author: Eva Jurczyk
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Recorded Books, 1/25/22
Source: Publisher – Print, Library – Audio
Why I Read It: Backlist
My Rating: 3.5 Stars, Rounded up to 4 Stars
Back in 2022, I received a copy of The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk from the publisher. I listened to it this month because I had a bit of a library theme going on, and this is about librarian Liesl, who is retiring but is called into work when her boss has a stroke. She begins to discover that many of the rare books in the collection are missing, and then a staff member goes missing as well.
“Liesl Weiss long ago learned to be content working behind the scenes in the distinguished rare books department of a large university, managing details and working behind the scenes to make the head of the department look good. But when her boss has a stroke and she’s left to run things, she discovers that the library’s most prized manuscript is missing. Liesl tries to sound the alarm and inform the police about the missing priceless book, but is told repeatedly to keep quiet, to keep the doors open and the donors happy. But then a librarian unexpectedly stops showing up to work. Liesl must investigate both disappearances, unspooling her colleagues’ pasts like the threads of a rare book binding as it becomes clear that someone in the department must be responsible for the theft. What Liesl discovers about the dusty manuscripts she has worked among for so long―and about the people who care for and revere them―shakes the very foundation on which she has built her life.”
This story was ok for me, and the mystery of what happened to the books was entertaining. At the same time, the book was a bit slow moving. Listening to the audio helped with keeping my attention.
Title: Not Quite Dead Yet
Author: Holly Jackson
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Bantam, 7/22/25
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This book has a great (if unrealistic) premise – Jet is attacked but survives, though she will die in a week. Thus, she has a week to solve her own murder. Jet moves in with her childhood best friend Billy, who helps her investigate.
“Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old and back home, she’s still waiting for her life to begin. I’ll do it later, she always says. She has time. Until Halloween night, when she is violently attacked by an unseen intruder, suffering a catastrophic head injury. Doctors are certain that within a week, the injury will trigger a fatal aneurysm. To her parents’ dismay, Jet rejects an extremely risky operation in order to guarantee herself at least a few more days. Jet never thought of herself as having enemies. But now, in the one week she has left, she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her former best friend turned sister-in-law, her ex-boyfriend. As her condition deteriorates, she reconnects with her childhood friend Billy, the only one willing to help her. With Billy at her side, she’s absolutely determined to finally finish something: Jet is going to solve her own murder.”
I found the book suspenseful when they were finding things out. I didn’t guess the murderer. For an adult book, I thought this still read quite young. I enjoyed it though.
Title: Are You Mad At Me?
Author: Meg Josephson
Genre: Non Fiction – Self Help
Publisher: Gallery, 8/5/25
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This is an interesting look at the way your childhood may lead you to a fawning reaction, in which you focus greatly on making sure others around you are happy – being a people pleaser.
“Are you…
– Constantly worried about what people think of you, if they like you, if they’re mad at you?
– The eldest daughter and/or the angry daughter?
– Anxious, a perfectionist, or an overachiever?
– Always overextending yourself (and then resentful)?
– Someone who avoids conflict at all costs?
– Fearful of getting into trouble or being seen as “bad”?
– Silencing your needs for the comfort and happiness of everyone else?
– Prone to overexplain or over apologize?
– Eternally obsessing over why someone texted with a period instead of an exclamation point?
Psychotherapist Meg Josephson is here to show you that people-pleasing is not a personality trait. It’s a common survival mechanism known as “fawning”: an instinct often learned in childhood to become more appealing to a perceived threat in order to feel safe. Yet many people are stuck in this way of being for their whole lives. Are You Mad at Me? weaves Josephson’s own moving story with that of fascinating client stories and thought-provoking exercises to show you how to:
– Identify all the roles you might play—from peacekeeper to performer to caretaker to lone wolf to perfectionist to chameleon—that keep you far from yourself.
– Stop fearing your thoughts and emotions, even if they’re unpleasant.
– Rethink conflict and boundaries as an opening for deeper connection.
– Practice “leaning back” in relationships.
– Recognize when people-pleasing is actually necessary (with your chaotic boss) and when it’s not (with your close friends) and stop self-loathing when you slip into old patterns.
– Shift away from the familiar chaos, anxiety, and resentment you’re used to as you move closer to yourself and a life that no longer depletes you—but brings you joy.”
I definitely find myself worrying about whether people like me or find me annoying. And from the reviews of this book, it seems I’m not alone. The author describes how to sit with your feelings and realize it’s ok if people don’t like you. You can’t control how others feel, only how you do.
Title: A Dog in Georgia
Author: Lauren Grodstein
Genre: Contemporary / Literary
Publisher: Algonquin, 8/5/25
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3 Stars
I connected with this book because it is about a woman the same age as I am who is such a huge dog person that she flies to Georgia (the country) to help find a missing dog. Or maybe she’s in search or herself.
“Amy Webb is a chef. Or rather, she was a chef. Somewhere along the way she also became a wife and a stepmother and an emergency contact, and the part of her that was a chef disappeared entirely– along with her sense of self. Which is why she is currently in the republic of Georgia, on a mission to find a lost dog named Angel, and, more importantly, the life’s purpose she once took for granted. For months, Amy has escaped by watching Youtube videos of Angel walking the children of Tbilisi to school. When Angel goes missing, Amy volunteers to go find him. The fact that her husband may be having (another) affair and her stepson is away at college probably has something to do with it. Who is Amy, after all, if she’s not taking care of other people? But to her surprise, Angel proves elusive, and while she does make friends with a number of stray dogs, what she finds in Tblisi is entirely human. Is she happy in her marriage? What happened to her career? Why doesn’t she ever cook anymore, even just for herself? Helping her on this journey of self-discovery is a rebellious teenager, a mysterious and attractive Russian, and several post-Soviet grandmothers. And, of course, the rich food and culture and complicated politics of Georgia itself. After a lifetime of looking away from her own needs and appetites, Amy is forced to confront what she really wants and how to finally find herself – And a dog.”
The politics of the region and the parts that were about the street dogs there were very interesting to me. But the story overall didn’t make a ton of sense to me. I guess I didn’t relate to how Amy went about finding herself in the end. Her involvement with the family she stayed with seemed a bit much. I’m sure the point of it all went over my head.
Title: The Blossoming Summer
Author: Anna Rose Johnson
Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction
Publisher: Holiday House, 7/29/25
Source: PR Company
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3.5 Stars, Rounded up to 4 Stars
Rosemary is a 13 year old living in England, separated from her parents and brothers, with the threat of war coming. Her parents reunite the family and move them to Wisconsin, where they learn of their Ojibwe ancestry. Rosemary’s grandmother teaches her how to garden and how to bring the family together.
“Life in England is all Rosemary has ever known. . . but as WWII changes the world, no one’s life is left unscathed. Suddenly, she’s sent away to escape the devastation of London. Her grandmother’s house on Lake Superior is safe, but unfamiliar, especially as she discovers her parents have kept a tremendous secret. Rosemary and her family are Anishinaabe—and no one is supposed to know. Far from home but newly connected to a once-hidden part of her family, Rosemary develops a warm, close relationship with her grandmother… and a local boy whose love of gardening helps her to see the beauty in her unexpected circumstances. As Rosemary grows into her new life like a flower in bloom, she realizes that maybe she’s not as far from home as she thought.”
I enjoyed the elements of family bonding in this book, but I thought more needed to happen for it to be more interesting.
This post includes 8 of the books I read this month. Six were print books and two were on audio. Six of these were adult books, one was YA, and one was middle grade. Genres included contemporary, rom com, mystery, thriller,non fiction, and historical.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?
