Everything I Read in Fall 2022
Since the last Reading Lately update in early September, I finished eight books—half of which were audiobooks—and six of the eight were nonfiction. It’s thanks to audiobooks that I’ll meet the reading goal I set for myself on StoryGraph! (I’ve already bumped it up twice—from 15 to 24 and then finally to 30! Last year, I read 12 books, so this feels like a huge accomplishment.) Add me as a friend on StoryGraph: my username is cottoncashmerecathair!
I switched up the format of these posts and now am only sharing books I finished reading every quarter! I felt like I was putting too much pressure on myself to finish books I had already started in time for the next wrap-up post, and now I’m free to take as long as I need to finish books and only chat about those that I’ve read! I’m currently in the middle of three books and hope to finish those before 2023 (you can see those on StoryGraph as well). As you can tell, I’m not the type of person to read only one book at a time, haha. I need options!
Browse all of my Reading Lately posts!
Everything I Read in Fall 2022 (September—November)
Fiction
Cover Story by Susan Rigetti
If you want a fast-paced thriller that will keep you turning the page, Cover Story is for you! I’ll start by saying I didn’t think I was a fan of thrillers, and it turns out I’m just not a fan of scary stories lol. I love books like this that keep you guessing. If it’s hard for me to stop reading, it’s a winner, and this one kept me on my toes! It helps that the chapters were really short, making it an easy read. This book is about an aspiring college-aged writer, Lora, who lands a coveted internship at Elle magazine. There, she meets an intriguing woman named Cat, who takes Lora under her wing right when Lora needs it most. After they’ve been working together for a while, things start to unravel… The story is told in diary entries, email chains, text messages, Instagram posts, letters, receipts—definitely recommend reading a physical or digital version versus the audio version. I loved it and totally didn’t predict the ending!
The Unbalanced Equation by H.L. Macfarlane
This was my very first ARC via NetGalley (the publication date was September 15th)! I was drawn to this book because it featured a women in STEM and an academic setting; a postdoc thinks she’s free of her terrible PhD advisor until a series of unfortunate events led to them working in the same lab AND becoming step siblings. But, there’s also this undeniable chemistry between the two of them. It’s got the classic enemies-to-lovers romance trope with a side of academia told from two perspectives. It was a long one (for me) at over 400 pages, and I got annoyed by both main characters at different points in the book, but I still enjoyed it. The fall-to-winter setting in Scotland made it the perfect read for this time of year. It’s the first book in a trilogy of standalone books that are all connected, and I definitely plan to read the others!
Nonfiction
How to Keep House While Drowning by K.C. Davis
I saw a viral tweet recommending this book and was thrilled when my library added the digital copy! If you’re like me and struggle to keep a clean and tidy home (with or without kids—I’m obviously in the latter camp), you need to read this book. KC shares realistic tips for keeping house when you simply cannot bear to do it for any reason. It’s a quick read, and she even shares a much quicker shortcut if you can only read for an hour. This is one I’ll likely end up purchasing a physical copy of so I can read it whenever I need a pick-me-up.
Is everyone hanging out without me? by Mindy Kaling
This book has been on my bookshelf for YEARS! I grabbed it to read on the plane when Korri and I went to Seattle for the day in October. I needed something I could bring into the baseball stadium, and I wasn’t sure if Kindles were allowed. Between the (delayed) flight to Seattle and the flight home, I read over half of the book! It’s a super quick read. I ended up finishing it on our trip to LA. (I honestly CANNOT remember the last time I was able to read on a plane without falling asleep before this, and I did it on multiple legs this time!) There were some parts that didn’t age well (references to people/things that we just don’t say or talk about in the same way now, ~10 years after this book was published). I think I would’ve enjoyed it more in audiobook form, so I plan to read Mindy’s second book via audio.
Audiobooks
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Ooof, this book. This was a rough one to listen to, but it was also very well written. Jennette McCurdy is best known for her role in iCarly, a popular Nickelodeon show that was just getting started at the end of my high school years. It wasn’t a show I watched regularly, but I was familiar and had seen a few episodes. This memoir details her life as a child actress, and how much her mom affected her when it came to acting and her self confidence. She goes into detail about her struggles with eating disorders and alcoholism. It is very hard to listen to at times. Jennette reads the audiobook herself, and she reads it in a way that makes you feel like she was right back in the headspace she was when everything was happening to her. You can feel the pain in her voice. I hope she is living her best life now!
The Storyteller by Dave Grohl
I listened to this memoir shortly after I finished Daisy Jones and The Six, which has a similar vibe even though it’s fiction. I have to say that this book was not as juicy as Daisy Jones, though, haha! Even though it wasn’t full of juicy details, I still very much enjoyed listening to Dave share his life. It starts when he’s a kid discovering music and takes you through his life in bands, joining Scream, then Nirvana, life after Kurt Cobain’s death, and Foo Fighters. He has quite the life story to share, and listening to him share it himself was the best way to hear it in my opinion! Some of his stories truly shocked me. I will say that I’m not a die hard fan of Nirvana or the Foo Fighters (I have seen Foo Fighters in concert because Korri is a big fan—it was 3 hours long and I almost fell asleep), and I still enjoyed it! I have a new appreciation for Dave Grohl.
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson
I saw this book being recommended and had recently learned about Swedish death cleaning, so I decided to listen to it! It’s a short and sweet listen at under three hours. This book was less of a “how to” and more of a reflection of the author’s life and why Swedish death cleaning is important to do as we age and accumulate possessions in our homes. If you’re not familiar with it, Swedish death cleaning is basically cleaning out your things so that your loved ones don’t have that burden on them after you pass. This is something I constantly worry about, so I should probably start death cleaning myself.
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
The Comfort Book is truly a hug in book form! This was my first Matt Haig book (I own The Midnight Library but haven’t gotten around to reading it), and I really enjoyed it. This audiobook is just over three hours and a great read if you’re feeling down about anything. I bet it would be especially helpful if you’re experiencing grief and/or struggling with depression. I don’t think you’ll regret reading this one.
