Books I Read in September 2026
Full list of books read here.
Below are the books I read in September, and a few thoughts on each. As an author myself with a sensitive soul, public negative reviews are not my thing. I focus on what I liked about every book I read, as well as who else I think might like this book.
All links below are affiliate links to bookshop.org unless otherwise noted.
The Art of the Personal Essay, Phillip Lopate
This book is quite chunky, so I thought it would probably end up being the only book I read this month, but I actually tore through it! This year, Anthony and I have been talking a lot about what it means to write about one’s own life, and do it well. This is a fascinating look at how others have done it throughout history, going all the way back to the 16th century through modern-ish times. Some of the writers I’ve read or at least heard of (Montaigne, Virginia Woolf, Joan Didion), others were new to me (Junichiro Tanizaki and Carlos Fuentes were standouts.)
My favorite essays in the book:
The Death of the Moth, Virginia Woolf
In Praise of Shadows, Junichiro Tanizaki
Recommended for—
Anyone who loves memoir and wants to explore how the genre has evolved over the centuries. In particular, writers looking to study the craft of the personal essay.
Making Art and Making a Living, Mason Curry
This was a gift from my friend Jason; we’re a fan of Curry’s past books. It’s at quite what I was expecting. Based on the title, I expected it to be more of a modern guide for how to make a living making art in the modern world, but it was actually much more of a history of how famous artists and writers actuallysupported themselves (spoiler alert, not many of them were able to put food on the table from their creative work alone.) In particular, I was fascinated by how many famous writers and artists were supported primarily by inheritance or family members. It made me realize that we owe so much not only to these writers and artists, but from the people close to them who believed in them and that their work was not just important. The world needs not just creators, but people who believe creators are vital.
Recommended for—
Fellow creatives curious about how “the greats” have made it work, or anyone who wants a peek into the thorny stresses of what it’s like to live a creative life.
Women Without Kids, Ruby Warrington
Another book that wasn’t what I was expected. Ruby’s Material Girl in a Mystical World is one of my favorite books on “the woo,” and as a woman without kids myself I was eager to finally pick this one up. I was expecting the book to be more of an exploration of what it’s like to be childfree by choice in a world where having kids and becoming a mother is still very much the norm. There was some of that, but more so this book was … at I’m not really sure how to explain it other than it felt politically charged and society-focused. There was lots of talk about the patriarchy and feminism and the climate crisis—all well researched and well-expressed, just not what I was expecting! She does share plenty of personal experiences as well though, so I guess the best way I can describe this is half memoir, half social commentary? She discusses how she originally wanted to call this book Selfish Cunt, and the publisher was like “nah.” I wish it would have been called Selfish Cunt.
Recommended for—
No surprise here: women without kids. Specifically women who are childfree by choice, as that’s more of the book’s focus than women who wanted children but were unable. I think left-leaning women might resonate with this book more than moderate or right-leaning women.
Below is an Amazon link because it’s been on backorder on Bookshop for months)
Writing About Life, by William Zinsser
Anth read this one first and talked about it so much that I had to see for myself what the fuss was about. A super quick read, and I especially appreciated it after reading The Art of the Personal Essay earlier in the month, because this book really dug into the how. How does one write about one’s own life and do it well. The format of this book worked really well for me; he’d provide a passage of his own (excellent) writing, and then immediately after, take a step back and analyze why it worked, as well as how the piece came to be.
This book was my favorite read of the month. Here’s a passage I love:
Don’t assume that editors know exactly what they want. Often they don’t. Don’t shape yourself to a dumb assignment; that’s no favor to you or to the magazine or to the reader. Shape the assignment to your own strengths and curiosities … Give yourself permission to risk the unknown. Dare to not do what the world expects you to do. (p. 134)
Recommended for—
Anyone who wants to write about their life :)
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson
The primary theme of this month’s reading list was “not what I expected!” and this book continued with that. I knew this book was about Stoicism, and it was that. But based on the back cover copy, I was expecting the book to be more like The Daily Stoic (one of my most beloved books of all time)—basically a look at the life and writing of Marcus Aurelius, and applying those Stoic principles to modern life. Instead, I found this read more like a history of Stoicism + a Marcus Aurelius biography + bit of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) thrown in. I found it fascinating to learn that CBT actually has its roots in Stoicism philosophy! I also loved the musings about death in the final pages. Rather than being dark or depressing, it was actually quite beautiful.
Recommended for—
Newish Stoics who want a glimpse into what it was (probably) like to live in Marcus Aurelius’s shoes.
