What I've Read So Far This School Year

I mentioned back in my summer reading roundup that my reading habits shift this time of year. With school back in session and hog show season having begun, my schedule doesn't have as much down time, and I don't have as much mental capacity for heavy reads. What this translates into is me not reading as much or as quickly and often diving back into books or series that I've already read.

Like my summer reviews, this roundup will only cover two months of reading - August and September, the first two months of school. As always, it does not include the books or series that I've been rereading, although if you're interested I've started rereading the Haret Chronicles by Laurel Chase and am restarting the Happily Never After series by H.P. Mallory (I read the first three books years ago and stopped when I realized the series was incomplete).

Three of the books featured in this brief round-up are from my recent reading lists, and at least one book in this post will more than likely make my end-of-the-year best books list. Let's dive in.

Veins of Gold

Author: Charlie Holmberg

I was really excited to read my August book club pick. This historical fiction book was written by one of my favorite authors, but I have to admit that I felt like it could have been so much more than what it was. Set during the Gold Rush of the mid-1800s, this book follows the Andrews siblings as they try to survive in the middle-of-nowhere Utah after their father abandons them for California. Gentry, the eldest, feels the weight of her responsibilities keenly and finds herself having to choose between the one who holds her heart and the one who can offer her family a stable future. Read my full review here.

One Italian Summer

Author: Rebecca Serle

I wanted to like this book, but the main character was just so unlikeable for me. After her mother dies, Katy decides to follow through on the Italian vacation they had planned. When in Positano, Katy is somehow transported 30 years into the past to the summer her mother spent there. Katy does not waste the opportunity to spend as much time as possible with her younger mother, but she soon learns things about her mother that changes everything she though she knew about the woman she relied upon so heavily. Meanwhile, Katy has put her own marriage on hold, telling her husband before she left that she didn't know if she could stay married to him. In Positano, she meets another man and has a brief affair, barely pausing to remember that she's still married.

Educated

Author: Tara Westover

I should start this review by admitting that I rarely read memoirs. They're just really not my thing, but this one piqued my interest the very first time I saw it, and I do not regret reading it. It was incredibly different from anything I've read in recent years, except maybe Red Scarf Girl but only in that both are memoirs. Otherwise, there's really no comparison. This is the story of Tara Westover's path to educating herself despite the incredible obstacles she faced from her family. The time frame of this story was unbelievable to me -- it all happened during my lifetime! I can't even imagine growing up the way that she did.

The Language of Flowers

Author: Vanessa Diffenbaugh

I really enjoyed this book, even though it was tough and the main character was not all that likeable. Most of the book is told in a dual timeline: present day and ten years earlier. Given up as a baby, Victoria has spent her life bouncing from foster family to group home and finally emancipation. She has always been unwanted except for the fifteen months she spent with Elizabeth who had plans to adopt her. But when Elizabeth decides to move back to her childhood home to care for her ailing and estranged sister, Victoria does something terrible in a misguided attempt to keep it just the two of them, and she is taken away by the court. Now, ten years later, she is one step away from being homeless when she takes a part-time job as florist's assistant. This job opens up many doors for Victoria, including ones to reunification and forgiveness, but is she too broken by her past to go through them?

The Hope Legacy trilogy

Author: Adaline Winters

This is an interesting mythology retelling of Pandora's box featuring reincarnation and gods and goddesses from various belief systems. Pandora has been reincarnated as Natia, a badass warrior who protects mankind from monsters who has no memory of her past lives. When she's discovered by a group of gods trying to prevent the release of the 'final evil,' it looks as if history may repeat itself, except Natia is the soulmate of one of the original, ancient, primordial gods and has gathered around herself a fierce group of protectors determined to not only save the world but also Natia. It's a bit impossible for me to give you a more detailed summary than that without spoiling some of the best parts of the series. I will, however, give you a preview of some of the gods and goddesses you can expect: Eros, Themis, Zeus, Ares, Chronus, Erebus, Lucifer, Poseidon.

Heir Academy series (books 1-4)

Author: K.C. Kean

Addi is the fae heir to the kingdom of Floodborn. Her family was ousted when she was just a child after her mother betrayed them to the wolves. Now, the kingdom is in ruin and the council has created an academy to choose the next heir. Naturally, Addi enrolls, keeping her true identity a secret for as long as possible. I've read the first four books in this series, and I have the fifth one downloaded, but honestly haven't decided if I want to keep going. I was good with how things were going until the completely unnecessary twist thrown in at the end of book 4. I was already wanting the books to reach a conclusion, and then this development came out of left field with pretty much zero context, which increased my frustration. I'll be honest -- I've not finished a single series by this author, always due to reasons like this. I was hopeful this one would change that.

How to Buy A Planet

Author: D.A. Holdsworth

This was my book club pick for September, and it certainly doesn't fall into my usual genres. While this book won't make my end-of-the-year list for best books of 2025, I did enjoy it. I found it to be quirky and witty and filled with British humor. It also reminded me a lot of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which I read and watched (a lot) back in college. Here's the basic premise: after several financial crises back to back, the leaders of Earth have sold the planet to a group of aliens who, unbeknownst to them, plan to wreck the atmosphere in order to turn Earth into their newest vacation planet. A group of unlikely heroes - Toby, Paranoid Dave, Charlie, the professor, and Mrs. B - set out to stop that from happening. You can read my full summary and review here.

We Don't Talk About Carol

Author: Kristen L. Berry

We're ending this quick roundup with the best book I've read since the school year started. The twist!! I was not expecting it at all. I stayed up way too late reading this one, but it was worth it. While helping her mom and sister clean out her recently-passed grandmother's home, Sydney discovers a photograph hidden in the bottom of a drawer. Turns out, the little girl in the photo is of her Aunt Carol, who disappeared in 1965 but whom no one in her family has ever mentioned. Wanting to learn more about this mysterious relative, Sydney uncovers a series of unsolved disappearances -- all of young black girls in the '60s. Working with relatives of the missing, Sydney puts her investigative journalism skills to work to find out what happened to these six girls, but she never could have imagined what she would uncover.