I've been getting back into reading more consistently lately and these two books fueled some cozy couch days throughout the month of September. Highly recommend checking out one or both of these books!
As a child, I was an avid reader. I would absorb anything I could get my eyes and hands on and would read at such a rapid pace that I would blow through books like nobody’s business.
Fast forward, I’ve slowed down. Not just in reading speed and consumption but physically; although I’m only twenty-six, my knees and back ache as though I’m sixty-two. I’ve found a love and passion for reading again that matches my more laidback lifestyle as I ease into my elder twenties.
LOL elder twenties.
With the convenience of a well-stocked local bookshop around the corner, that routinely features killer sales and rare finds, it’s been easy for me to pick up this passion again.
These are the books I read throughout the month of September. Both are wonderful, enthralling, and well-written in their own way. If you’re looking for a murder mystery just in time for spooky season or an inspiring coming of age story as we change seasons, these may be right up your alley.
The Taxidermist’s Daughter by Kate Mosse
This book is about, you guessed it, a taxidermist’s daughter. The title of this book does accurately represent the focal point of this story. It follows a young girl by the name of Connie who starts to remember long-lost memories as strange disappearances begin happening around town. Including the disappearance of her father. Connie teams up with the son of another missing man to solve a murder that before them, had remained unsolved.
I was skeptical at first of this. The time it takes place, those good ol’ fashioned days, isn’t usually my style. I typically gravitate towards more modern settings in a book. Pair that with the old English style of speaking that was accurately portrayed in this book, and it had every reason for me to NOT get into it. Somehow, I totally did. I found myself staying up late to find out what happened and got entirely emersed in the writing style and characters. It goes to show, don’t judge a book by the cover. I’ll even go so far as to say don’t judge a book by the first three chapters. Give it a chance and let yourself adjust to something that’s out of your comfort zone. You might be surprised.
The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty
This book is about a young girl who progresses through the rigors of adolescence. Following her strained relationship with her mother, the bad boy she has the hots for, and a friend who may not have her best interests at heart, this book is highly relatable to many. The day-to-day life of the characters makes them feel like someone you’re following along with in real life and it’s hard to put down. Each chapter leading you closer to the end of their journey.
To be completely honest here, I chose this based on the cover. It’s pretty; I’ll accept any and all judgments on choosing books this way. I became so wholeheartedly invested in the characters in this book and so badly wanted them to reach grand success and happiness. Even after I finished the book, it felt so personal, I found myself still wondering about how the characters lives turned out and if they were doing okay. To write a book that’s so powerful that its character takes shape outside of the pages and becomes near and dear to the reader’s heart is an incredible thing.
Both books center around somebody’s daughter and take place on vastly different timelines. Each book tells its own coming-of-age story and can resonate in some way with either yourself or make you think of someone you know.
Not incredibly long books to read, and easy to consume over the course of a long weekend, these two books were a great find!