Series: What I Read in August and September

Book Club

Sep 27

Fall is here and the last two months of summer just flew by. I was home for three weeks and thought I would get so much more reading done than I did. Needless to say, after catching up with friends, flying to Reno for my BFFs wedding, and knocking off my shopping lists for things from the US, I was SPENT. The minute my head hit the pillow each night I was out cold. I also fooled myself into thinking I would stay current with my work and posts while I was there… ah yeah… that DID NOT happen and I am happy it didn’t! I needed the vacation and time with family and friends. What a treat it was to step away for so long and come back refreshed (although also with a recurrence of sciatica😕).

I enjoyed most of the books this month and they covered a range of genres. I was super excited to finally get to The Covenant of Water. It’s been sitting in my queue for a while, but I knew it was a long book and wanted to have the time to really dedicate to it. It was PHENOMENAL. Truly. And the fact that it takes place where my husband’s family is from made it even better. I was also excited to read The Guest, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. Not that it wasn’t entertaining, just not what I was in the mood for.

Let me know if you’ve read any of these and what you thought. Also, if you’ve read anything great lately, let me know. I’m always looking for recommendations!

** Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org where your purchases support local bookstores. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase on any of the links below. **

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi

This is the second book in her three book set and I loved this one as much as the first one(you can read about The Henna Artist here). The story continues with Lakshmi now married and living in Shimla with Dr. Jay, while working with him at the hospital and building her healing garden. Malik just finished his schooling and is sent to Jaipur for his apprenticeship. As Malik navigates Jaipur once again, he realizes not much has changed in terms of power and money. The same families run things and set the narrative. But, when the new cinema (builty by the same family that sent Lakshmi and Malik away) has a tragic accident, Malik suspects more to the story. As he starts to dig into what really happened, he uncovers a dark secret. At the same time, Lakshmi and Nimmi uncover a dark mystery of their own in Shimla that is connected to Malik’s investigation. I highly recommend reading this whole series!

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Wow. This book was quite a read. I’m still not sure whether I liked it or not. It’s kind of like watching a wreck that you see happening but just can’t bear to look away as you need to see what happens next. June Hayward and Athena Liu are authors and friends who went to college together. Athena is a star in the literary world and June is basically a nobody. After a night out together, June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident. Afterwards, she takes Athena’s just completed novel on the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during WWI and edits the novel. When June turns in the book to her agent as her own, things get bananas. Her agent wants to rebrand her as Juniper Song along with an ethnic ambiguous photo of her. June believes the story should be told, so why does it matter who the storyteller is? The book hits the best seller chart and people start to question if June (Juniper) really wrote the book. Yellowface is told from June’s point of view and is a fascinating dive into social media, racism, cultural appropriation, and diversity. June is willing to go to extreme lengths to keep her secret and her success, what will it cost her?

The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis

It’s said that if you wear a Roussel gown for your wedding, you are guaranteed a happy ending. Soline Roussel has watched her mother work her magic (literally) in her bridal shop in Paris and has been taught those same skills. But Soline has other dreams, and they do not include creating bridal gowns. But, WWII happens and Soline’s world is turned upside town. Her mother dies, she volunteers at the local hospital to help the wounded, falls in love, and then loses the love of her life. She’s forced to start again, but in the US. Fast forward 4 decades and we meet Rory. She’s coping with her own loss in love and desperately trying to find herself through her grief. She starts to chase her dream as a gallery owner, leases a building (which happens to be Soline’s old Bridal Shop), and finds a box containing letters and a vintage wedding gown. Wanting to return the mementos, she reaches out to Soline and an unlikely friendship develops. They were destined to meet, but why? This was such a feel good book and the story was engaging. I was invested from the beginning and loved every page.

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

I love a book that spans generations while intertwining stories and The Covenant of Water does this beautifully. Opening in Kerala in the early 1900’s, we meet 13 year old Mariamma on her way to wed her husband (who is a 40 year old widower). Mariamma soon comes to learn that the family has a condition with water which has led to many deaths. In Kerala, water is everywhere, so this condition poses a serious threat to her family. Over time, Mariamma becomes Big Ammachi (or Big Mother) to all on their land and helps guide the family through tragedy, love, loss, grief, success, and sacrifice. The imagery and storytelling are some of the best I’ve read in awhile. There are subplots that weave in and out of the main storyline eloquently, coming full circle at the end of the book. I literally could not put this book down. You must read it!

The Guest by Emma Cline

This was another book I wasn’t sure if I liked or not. I couldn’t put it down because I had to see what would happen next, but also it wasn’t a thrilling storyline - more like a curiosity over what Alex would do next. Alex is dating an older man with a house in the Hamptons. She’s been staying with him the last few weeks of summer, enjoying the life of the privileged and avoiding the mess she created of her life in the city. After a mistake at a party, she’s kicked out of the house and sent packing back to the city. But Alex can’t go back to the city and what’s waiting for her there. She decides to stay through Labor Day, for the big Labor Day Party her ex is hosting with the hopes of reconciliation. Problem is, she doesn’t have a place to stay for the next week, so she drifts and mooches her way through Long Island. Alex’s character is not likeable. She’s a scammer, lacks any sense of morality, and quite delusional. It could also be all the pills she takes that make her a bit unbalanced. Like I said earlier, I was more curious what she would do next that I kept reading. Not because I was invested in the book. It was entertaining, just not what I was looking for and I really hated the ending.

The Perfumist of Paris by Alka Joshi

The third, and final, book in Alka Joshi’s series is set in Paris and it rounds out the story of Radha, Lakshmi’s younger sister. The book is set in the 1970’s and Radha is married with two young daughters and a budding career. She’s found her passion and is on the cusp of proving herself as the next master perfumist. But there are obstacles in her path that she was not expecting. First is her husband, who can’t understand why she needs a career when she has two young daughters at home and she doesn’t need to work for the money. The second obstacle is one she never thought would happen - her son comes back into her life after giving him up and not thinking about him for over 18 years. How Radha navigates these challenges leads her to the woman she was meant to be. I LOVED this book so much and the strength and courage Radha used to overcome her fears and secrets.