What I Read This Month: September 2018

Books Gretchen has read September 2018

For more than two years now, every Monday morning, I’ve posted a photo on my Facebook Page of the books I finished during the week, with the tag #GretchenRubinReads

I get a big kick out of this weekly habit—it’s a way to shine a spotlight on all the terrific books that I’ve completed.

As I write about in my book Better Than Before, for most of my life, my habit was to finish any book that I started. Finally, I realized that this approach meant that I spent time reading books that bored me, and I had less time for books that I truly enjoy. These days, I now put down a book if I don’t feel like finishing it, so I have more time to do my favorite kinds of reading.

This habit means that if you see a book included in the #GretchenRubinReads photo, you know that I liked it well enough to read to the last page.

If you’d like more ideas for habits to help you get more reading done, read this post or download my “Reading Better Than Before” worksheet.

You can also follow me on Goodreads where I’ve recently started tracking books I’ve read.

If you want to see what I read in August 2018, the full list is here.

September 2018 Reading

Turn: The Journal of an Artist by Anne Truitt – artist Anne Truitt wrote three brilliant memoirs; this is the third. I highly recommend all three.

A Little Love Song by Michelle Magorian – by the author of Goodnight, Mr. Tom, a book I discovered recently. I really enjoyed this novel.

Red, White, Blue by Lea Carpenter – Lea is a friend, so I couldn’t wait to read her novel—and it’s excellent.

In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden – this is my second time reading this book, which I love. I love books about a spiritual consciousness.

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler – a great story, told beautifully, very thought-provoking. I sense an Anne Tyler phase coming on.

True Enough by Stephen McCauley – I just discovered McCauley’s work. I really enjoyed this novel.

Property by Lionel Shriver – I love the work of Lionel Shriver. LOVE. I don’t usually read short stores, but loved this book, especially the first and last stories.

The Emigrants by W. G. Sebald – an unusual, fascinating way to approach a novel. I wish I could take a class in which we discussed it.

Inheritance by Dani Shapiro – couldn’t put this memoir down, read it in one or two days. And so timely! The widespread availability of DNA information has personally affected so many people I know.

Stories of my Life by Katherine Paterson – how I love the work of Katherine Paterson. Odd fact: she and Pearl S. Buck were both the children of missionaries in China.

Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright – I’ve read this book about fifty times. I never tire of it. So good.

Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson – this novel has been on my library list for years, really enjoyed it.

Pearl S. Buck: A Cultural Biography by Peter Conn – Pearl Buck phase continues. What a life!

Return to Gone-Away by Elizabeth Enright – see above. So, so, so, so, so good.

Weetzie Bat by Francesca Block – this short YA novel isn’t quite like anything I’ve ever read before. Very interesting.

The Child Who Never Grew by Pearl S. Buck – more Pearl Buck. This short book, originally published in Ladies’ Home Journal if I remember correctly, was ground-breaking. At the time, few parents publicly discussed their children with special needs. Buck was a tireless advocate for this community.

Who is Rich? by Matthew Klam – I really enjoyed this novel, especially because it was a brilliant portrait of the Four Tendencies. The main character is an Obliger who goes into classic, full Obliger-rebellion. (I wrote more about Rich’s Obliger-rebellion in this post.)

The Fixer: My Adventures Saving Startups from Death by Politics by Bradley Tusk – Bradley is a friend, and it’s always especially interesting to read a memoir by someone I know. This is a great one. You can listen to his interview on the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast here.

The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman – my husband had checked this novel out of the library and highly recommended it, so it was delivered into my hands. Very enjoyable. I’ve been meaning to read Rachman for a while.

What are you reading this month?

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