My FIVE Favorite FIVE STAR Reads in September!

Wow, September was a great reading month for me! I participated in both 30 Books in 30 Days and in Series September (two different reading challenges I love). With so many books, I didn't love all of them, but so many of them were such fun reads!

I read 33 books (including some novellas/short stories) in September and 6,720 pages, for an average of 203 pages per book. I read 27 books by female authors and 6 by male authors. I borrowed 20 of the books and owned 13. I read 11 physical books, 14 eBooks, and 9 audiobooks. 19 were part of a series, and I started 4 new series and finished 6 series I am currently in the middle of. I had 8 stand alone reads. I read 7 middle grade, 3 YA, and 20 adult books. I read 3 new releases. I shared 8 read alouds with my kids. I read 2 books from my 2025 TBR list and DNF'd one, bringing the total read/DNF'd to 25/33, with 8 remaining to read. I read 12 five star reads, 13 four star reads, 6 three star reads, 1 two star read, and 1 one star read.

It was hard to narrow down my favorites to just 5 this month, but here they are!

The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion by Beth Brower

This is maybe cheating just a little, because I read volumes 2-5 in September and just loved them all--each one got better. If I had to pick just one, I'd pick volume 5. These books take a little bit to get into, in my opinion, but the characters are so well done and the feel of the books is so fun, even while they handle deeper issues of grief.

What Does it Feel Like by Sophie Kinsella

I bawled (like I do anytime there is a mom with cancer, it's hard for me to contemplate a mom leaving behind children). I loved the way this was formatted and was riveted the entire time. It's short and sweet and based on the author's real experience, which only made it better.

The Song of David by Amy Harmon

Another book I bawled through. I listened to this one and couldn't put the audiobook down. I love the narrator and the characters. The ending drove me crazy (there's a question throughout much of the book that gets left open to interpretation at the end, which is not my kind of ending) but I loved the rest of the book enough that it was still a favorite read.

I Think He Knows by Katie Bailey

Katie Bailey is one of my favorite clean rom com authors and this book was super fun! I love "friends with a famous actor" plotlines and I also fell in love with the main character's daughter Legs (and her extended family) in the previous book. I highly recommend any of Katie Bailey's books for no or low spice rom com lovers!

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Casimino

This is the newest release in the series (and is book 5). I have to admit that I really loved book 4 and thought the series should have wrapped up there, so I was hesitant in reading this one. I was pleasantly surprised in how much I loved it! It felt like it pulled back and slowed down a little again, and while what happened in past books didn't disappear, it was almost a fresh start for the plot, which I really liked. Their neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, was the best part of the book, she is a riot!

Those were my favorite books of the month of September! What did you read last month? What is a book you read and loved recently? I'd love to chat books with you.