What I've Been Reading, Watching And Listening To // September

 

A bit of an unexpected bumper edition this month because the first three books I actually read at the end of last month during the start of my maternity leave, but had already pre-scheduled my August post seeing as I was about to pop! 

R E A D I N G :

Unexpected Lessons In Love by Lucy Dillon // I was really pleasantly surprised by this as I thought it was going to be very easy chick lit style, but it was much deeper than that. It's about a bride who has second thoughts on the way to her wedding and the events that follow including an accident that means her wedding has to be cancelled anyway. The characters in it were all very likeable yet human a.k.a. not perfect. I raced through it and rated it four stars. 

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid // I do love Taylor Jenkins Reid books (I read another one last month) and this one was no exception; it's about four siblings living in Malibu and the contrast between their life now to their lives growing up and how it's affected them all individually. It's set across 24 hours, during which their annual family party in the eldest sister's mansion takes place and gets a little out of hand. I rated it four stars.

When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson // This is the third book in the Jackson Brodie series that I've been reading over the past couple of months. What I quite like about these books is they all seem to have a slightly different format so despite them featuring some of the same characters they're all quite different. This was actually probably my favourite so far and there are a few different storylines intertwined within the plot. I rated it four stars (but would probably have given four and a half if Goodreads allowed!)

The Girl From Aleppo by Nujeen Mustafa & Christina Lamb // This is the true story of Nujeen Mustafa, a teenage girl with cerebral palsy from Aleppo who made the long journey as a refugee from Syria to Germany, her sister pushing her wheelchair. It was a really interesting and enlightening read about the refugee crisis from Nujeen's point of view. I rated it three stars purely because I often don't enjoy non-fiction as much as fiction, plus it was maybe a heavy read to choose for my first book post-baby!

The Little Book Of Self Care For New Mums by Beccy Hands & Alexis Strickland // My friend bought me this as a baby shower present and I would urge all new mums to read it! It's full of useful tips and generally encourages you to take it easy and includes easy ways to look after yourself. It made me feel very much understood and I rated it a whole five stars. 

Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid // I've read a fair few Taylor Jenkins Reid books now and loved them all, but this was my favourite so far (so much so that I rated it the elusive five stars). It follows the main character down two different life paths; one where she goes home with her ex-boyfriend and one where she doesn't and it shows just how differently life can be affected by one choice.

Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson // This is the last book in the Jackson Brodie series and I think it was probably my least favourite! In this one Jackson is trying to track down the birth family of a woman who doesn't appear to officially exist. I still rated it four stars because I do like the writing style, but it just wasn't quite as good as the others!

W A T C H I N G :

House Of Games / BBC // We've been watching old episodes of this since we came home from the hospital because it's such easy watching and can be easily paused to deal with the demands of a newborn! It's also pretty fun to play along with. 

Married At First Sight UK // Another really easy watch that keeps me company while breastfeeding. I probably wouldn't have watched this otherwise because I vowed to myself to watch less trashy telly, but needs must...

L I S T E N I N G :

Does white noise count?!