What I Read in October 2024
October was a month of eclectic reading! From Scientific, data based health issues to relationships and life, this month had a bit of everything. I’ve shared a bit of my journey through menopause here on the blog and The New Menopause is one of the tools I think every woman should own. I finally sat down and read it and wished I’d had it when my journey began.All Fours still has me trying to figure out if it’s brilliant or just meh! What’s not to love about learning more about Ina Garten? And finally, what you think is going to be a romcom book that turns out to have some of the best insights into what we’re all going through in The Wedding People. Read on to discover more of my thoughts on each of these October reads.
For more recommendations, don’t forget to check out my Bookshelf page!
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The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver
If you’re a woman, you need this book in your library. And I recommend getting a physical copy. I bought on the kindle and am now thinking having it to mark up and refer to would have been a better idea. If you haven’t seen Dr. Mary Claire Haver on social media or heard of her on the many podcasts and tv spots she’s done recently, she’s one of the leading women doctors talking about menopause. This book is packed so much information about women’s health it should be required reading in high school or college. She goes into depth on all the research (and lack there of!) done on menopause and then gets into every symptom possible…there were many listed that I just attributed to getting older but have been determined to be due to decreased hormones in the body! This book would have been even more beneficial to me 5-7 years ago when all of these symptoms started and I had NO IDEA what was happening. Looking back now, I can see that they were due to me being in perimenopause and I wish I had known how to deal with them. This is a great reference book to have and can help arm you with the right questions to ask you doctor. Buy one for yourself and all your girlfriends. They will thank you!
All Fours By Miranda July
I’m still not sure where I stand on this book. Everyone has been raving about it, but I didn’t LOVE it, nor am I sure I liked it? Granted, I couldn’t stop reading it because I had to know how it was all going to turn out, kinda like watching a car crash, you can’t look away even though you know you should. I did think a lot about it though so that’s why I’m on the fence. A book that gets you thinking is always a good thing. The book opens with our narrator (a 45 yr old semi famous artist living in LA) planning a cross country drive from LA to NY. She’s leaving her husband and child at home for the first time. Thirty minutes into the drive she exits the freeway, checks into a motel and stays there for the duration of the planned road trip. The decisions she makes are questionable and sometimes seem a bit far fetched. But it’s the inner monologue our narrator has that keeps you reading. You truly have no idea what she’s going to do next. She’s in her midlife journey, entering perimenopause, and starting to question everything about herself. While I didn’t love the narrator’s character at all, I do appreciate what she’s trying to do and understand. It’s not like a book I’ve read before, so maybe that’s why I’m still torn over whether I liked it or not. If you read it, let me know what you thought. I bet this book would make an amazing book club discussion!
Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
Who doesn’t love Ina???? Having been a fan of hers for ages, I couldn’t wait for this book to come out and I was not disappointed. I loved learning more about how she got started and that she didn’t actually set out to do this… she actually worked in government! Who knew? Throughout her journey, you can see the determination and drive she has and know that anything she sets her mind to will happen. Learning how she became the Barefoot Contessa was fascinating. I also loved getting to see more of who she was growing up and her relationship with Jeffrey. Having watched her show for years, you can see how devoted they are to each other, but learning more about how they support each other and allow each to be their own person is inspiring. I also loved that while reading the book I could “hear” Ina because it’s truly written in her voice (I’ve heard the audiobook is awesome). Ina is truly an entrepreneur who has put in the hard work, pivoted with the times, and created a brand that is so loved, yet is still so humble and down to earth.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
LOVED! Might be a top five for me for the year so far and I was not expecting that to be the case based on the title. Phoebe has had a rough decade. She’s 40 years old and the past ten years have been been spent dealing with infertility, a career that’s stalled, a husband who has left her for their colleague and friend, the pandemic, and depression. One day she’s finally had enough and books a one night stay at a chic hotel across the country in Newport, Rhode Island. She arrives with no luggage, just the clothes on her back, with plans to kill herself that evening - quietly and discreetly, because Phoebe does not want anyone one to have to clean up after her. But her plans go awry when she checks in only to find out the whole hotel is booked out for a wedding and she is the only guest there not a part said wedding. The bride to be immediately questions her about why she’s here and Phoebe is honest with her - she’s going to kill herself that night and it will be done with. The bride is NOT ok with this, she has meticulously planned this wedding and she is not going to let that happen. And so begins the next six days at the hotel. The two women begin to confide in each other for the week and things take interesting turns. While this sounds like a hallmark movie, it is far from it. The commentary on life, relationships, families, and expectations is accurate, hilarious at times, and thought provoking. I found myself relating to many of the characters and loved the banter between them all. it’s a journey of self discovery for all of them as well as you the reader.
