What I Read In September 2025
After a slower month in August, I managed to read 9 books in September! And that was a wild mix of everything: romance, a horror dystopain novel, a nonfiction story by an alcoholic and a book that was essentially a love letter to libraries.
A few stand outs for me were Tender Is The Flesh, The Library Book and The Weight of Blood. Tender Is The Flesh was by far the most grotesque book I’ve ever read, but it was also a powerful exploration of meat consumption and mob mentality. The Library Book was a stunning novel I couldn’t put down. And The Weight of Blood was a horror novel with paranormal elements and a deep exploration of racial tensions in today’s world.
Check out everything I read, and my thoughts on each book, below!
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Don’t be fooled by the cover or title of this book. While it looks like your typical rom com, it’s much more about a young woman grappling with the sudden loss of her best friend. The love story element comes secondary to her movement through grief, and also moves at a pace that feels realistic given everything else going on in the book. Overall I enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone looking for a love story with a bit of depth.
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I’ll be honest, I had no idea what this book was about when I selected it for this month’s Oh, You’re Reading Again Book Club pick. And boy, was I surprised. It’s hard to say I “liked” or “enjoyed” this book given the grotesque and dark subject matter, but I do believe it is one of the most impactful books I’ve read. If you have a strong stomach and enjoy a good dystopian horror novel, I think you’d regret not picking this one up at some point. That said, this book is definitely not for everyone. Please check the trigger warnings!
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This was a sweet, slow burn of a romance which follows two high school best friends who lose touch. When a mutual friend’s wedding brings them back together and drudges up the miscommunications and complexities of their past relationship, they find themselves unable to return to the status quo. Both main characters in this novel are so quirky and sweet. I absolutely adored this book,.
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I added this book to my list after a friend of mine shared it saying it completely changed the way she thought about alcohol. While it didn’t quite have the same impact on me, I found the writing really humorous and authentic. I think anyone who is considering their alcohol consumption should pick up this book.
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I found this book at a used bookstore a few years back and remembered how much I enjoyed the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio. Unfortunately the book wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t love it either. It was interesting enough to keep me going through the end, but overall I could have skipped this one and been fine. That said, if you enjoy a psychological adventure story, this might be right up your alley!
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This is one of those cases where I definitely bought this book because it was so pretty. The good news is the book itself was such a delightful read, so it worked out well in my favor. The Library Book explores in depth the Los Angeles Public Library fire which occurred in 1986. Orlean writes about the fire, the aftermath, the damage and the man who was accused of starting the fire. She also explores the importance of libraries in all facets of our society and she writes lovingly about her own experiences in libraries. The end result isn’t a dry nonfiction book about a major incident - it’s a love letter to libraries and librarians everywhere.
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I adored this book about a young woman in college juggling her love for her found queer community and the ties she still feels for her oldest best friend who she’s outgrown. I really appreciated the depth of the main character, Savannah “Sav” Henry. Throughout the book she’s working on moving past serious trauma from high school, searching for her found family, recovering from her first queer situationship and figuring out her new crush. I think the author did a phenomenal job exploring queerness, biphobia, anxiety, ptsd and friendship breakups. I found the main character to be a little too awkward at times, to the point where she felt like a caricature of social anxiety occasionally. But overall I thought this was a great book and would recommend it to most people.
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It’s officially thriller season, and Tiffany D. Jackson never disappoints. The Weight of Blood is a Carrie-esque horror novel about a bi-racial teen who, after being bullied and targeted her entire life, ends up going to her school’s first integrated prom with the school star, but her classmates are determined to “put her in her place.” I loved that the book was told as though you were looking back at the event through different narrators’ eyes but also through news reports, testimony and even a “podcast” that is reinvestigating the prom that left half the town burned down. I couldn’t put this down - but that’s true of almost all of Tiffany D. Jackson’s books.
Need other recommendations? Ask me for some ideas!