On the first day of the year, I laid out my 2018 reading goals. Here’s what’s on the list for September:
#1 Fat Fiction: Morning Song by Susan Simone
Brief Description: “Living in a post apocalyptic, brutal reality, Morna has long grown used to putting her concerns aside in favor of those in need. Her past is something she’d rather forget and her future seems as if it will never be more than she’s come to know, but something is coming that will change everything. In the middle of the night an injured stranger is brought to her door. He is more than he appears and soon has Morna spellbound. . .”
#2 The Oldest Book Shelved: A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton, added to my library in 2012.
Brief Description: “One unremarkable June morning, Alice Goodwin is, as usual, trying to keep in check both her temper and her tendency to blame herself for her family’s shortcomings. When the Goodwins took over the last dairy farm in the small Midwestern town of Prairie Center, they envisioned their home a self-made paradise. But . . . Prairie Center’s tight-knit suburban community shows no signs of warming to ‘those hippies who think they can run a farm.'”
#3 Newest Book Shelved: Detroit Hustle: A Memoir of Love, Life, and Home by Amy Haimerl
Brief Description: “Journalist Amy Haimerl and her husband had been priced out of their Brooklyn neighborhood. Seeing this as a great opportunity to start over again, they decide to cash in their savings and buy an abandoned house for 35,000 in Detroit, the largest city in the United States to declare bankruptcy.”
#4 Random Pick: We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby
Brief Description: This is Irby’s second memoir about how “sometimes you just have to laugh, even when life is a dumpster fire.” I reviewed her first memoir, Meaty, earlier this summer.
Grab the Lapels 
Detroit Hustle and the Samantha Irby essays sound interesting; I look forward to hearing your thoughts! I feel certain I read a Map of the World a million years ago and liked it, but now reading the description it doesn’t sound familiar at all. Argh, isn’t memory weird? Do you keep a reading log beyond the blog? I often wish I did for just this reason 😀
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I’ve kept Goodreads updated since 2008 when I discovered it. I kept a lot of novels from grad school and undergrad before that. The rest was all Sweet Valley, Babysitters Club and Goosebumps books.
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You’ve got some interesting reads there. I’m especially interested in what you think of Detroit Hustle. And I give you credit for making a reading plan.
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I’m a little leary because Detroit Hustle is by a white woman who lived in a black neighborhood, and I don’t want the book to be patronizing. BUT, the description sounded like it would figure on the black neighborhood….. I’ll see.
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Lots of Australian fiction is near-future dystopic at the moment. Post-apocalyptic is a step further, but of course was and probably still is a popular SF premise. I hope Morning Song turns out well both as Fat Fiction and as commentary on a possible future (or an alternative present).
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I want to know more about this injured dude who shows up at her house. And did he bring a dish to pass, cuz that’s just polite.
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Exactly. The synopsis totally gripped me, too, Melanie! Who is this man? What dish did he bring? etc. etc. etc. And yay for a fat woman on the front!
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Ohhh Detroit Hustle sounds interesting! And I love the cover of that first one-why can’t we have more realistic body types on covers???
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No idea, but I’m excited to read a paranormal book that isn’t by Katie MacAlister! Her heroines are derpy.
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Oh my gosh, that cat looks like someone just gave it a bath and it is not happy. Hope you enjoy your September!
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I’m hoping it’s lots of fun; I’ve read some books that are easy to put down lately.
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Ooh, A Map of the World sounds fascinating – looking forward to hearing what you think of it.
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I absolutely LOVED her novel The Book of Ruth, so much so that I taught it one year. I’ve been holding off on reading anything by Jane Hamilton because I’m worried I read her best book and all the rest blow.
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I do love your system where you read the oldest book shelved. That’s such a good idea.
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Thank you! I know you say you are a mood reader, but this system really covers it all!
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I read A map of the World years ago… it’s so good but also so hard to read. You’ll understand once you get into it. I think I also read The Book of Ruth, but for some reason I can’t remember that one as well. I think I liked this one more!
All of these sound good. I love that your fat fiction pick is post-apocalyptic!
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I’m definitely excited to read the fat fiction book. All my speculative fiction books have been the Katie MacAlister vampires that are a bit corny.
I LOVED The Book of Ruth so much that I taught it. It just really got to people. I’d like to read it again, out loud, to my husband. I liked and hated every character.
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These posts always make me happy to read. They are almost always new reads to me (which is exciting! I love that we pick up different literature) — do you find these posts hold you accountable to stick to your plan? What happens if you get off your plan?
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I stick to the plan, although I biffed it in March when things at school were bad. I’m trying to finish out an August book know, but it’s complicated, and I did have to stop one book and start another.
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Ah yes, I recall this. And it’s totally fair to DNF books. I strongly believe in the DNF! 🙂
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I love your plans and it’s a treat to see them at the top end of the month! I’m sure I’ve read A Map of the World, too, and it looks good enough I’d read it again! Detroit Hustle I will wait to see what you think but it does look fascinating if it does it well. I do like reading about fixing up old houses, while hating getting anything done to ours!!
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The distortion created by home renovation is just the worst. It’s like being anchorless.
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Morning Song sounds promising! Did you select it because of the fat woman on the cover? Or was it suggested to you as fat fiction? Just curious. Have you started yet?
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I can’t remember where I found this one. Possibly another blog or a Goodreads list, though I’m doubting it’s Goodreads because most of their “positive” fat representation books are Bridget Jones’s Diary and the like.
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