September has come and gone, and I managed to read 9 books. I’m not reading at pace these days, but I am enjoying what I read, which is key.  Here’s what I read.

Books for Young Readers

1. 1. The War that Saved My Life, by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley (Puffin, 2016). I listened to the audio version of this one and couldn’t stop listening when I got out of the car – which is always a sign that a book has drawn me right in. Set in WW2, the story follows Ada, a girl whose very difficult life in London is replaced by a life of hope and healing when she joins other London children sent to the country for safety.
   2. The War I Finally Won, by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley (Text Publishing, 2017) And, since I had already fallen in love with young Ada, I had to read the sequel straight away. Really satisfying.
   3. The Sky in Silver Lace, by Robin Klein (Text Classics, 2017). This is the third book of a trilogy, the other two of which I read a year or so ago, with this one sitting in my to-read pile till now. I love robin Klein’s writing, and this is no exception – a poignant slice of life of the Melling sisters, struggling against poverty as they move to the city in the late 1940s.

 

Books for Young Adults

1. One Night, by Margaret Wild (Allen & Unwin, 2003). Being one of the first verse novels I ever read, I love to keep going back and rereading this one – the first time in a few years, and still really powerful.

 

Books for Adults

1. The Ghosts of Roebuck Bay, by Ian W. Shaw (Pan Macmillan, 2014) . I have spent much of this year delving into WW2 history, and this was part of that exploration, telling the story of the bombing of Broome in 1942, a tragedy I knew only a little about.
2. Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life, by Terry Brooks (Ballantine Books, 2003). I picked this up second hand in London earlier this year, and finally got round to reading it.  An excellent blend of memoir and writing advice.
3. Iris is More than Okay, by Natalie Cooper (Audible,2024). Every now and then a contemporary romance is what I need, and this one, recommended to me by Audible, fitted the bill.  I thought it was going to be predictable and, being a romance, there was some of that, but there was also a twist I didn’t see coming.
4. How to Keep House While Drowning: A gentle approach to cleaning and organising, by KC Davis (Cornerstone Press, 2022). Not sure why it took me so long to read this – I bought it after hearing the author on a podcast – I can’t even remember which one – and falling in love with her attitude. Key takeaway, for me: having a messy house is not a moral failing.
5. Best Wishes, by Richard Glover (ABC Books, 2023). I really enjoyed this one – witty in some places, serious in others, as Glover makes, and explains, a series of wishes to make the world a less annoying place – from banning pre-ripped jeans, to wanting the ‘debate’ over climate change to end.

 

That brings my total for the year to date to 90.  What have you been reading?