{"id":4159,"date":"2025-09-30T18:35:55","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T23:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/?p=4159"},"modified":"2025-09-30T18:35:55","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T23:35:55","slug":"heidis-september-2025-reads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/?p=4159","title":{"rendered":"Heidi&#8217;s September 2025 Reads"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">It was a slow(er) reading month. Work picked up, trash shows came back on TV, and my brain was distracted (Heidi gestures wildly to the state of the world). I also took a break once I reached my yearly goal of 100 books! Huzzah! Celebrate! Yay!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Total Books: 6<br>Audio: 3<br>Physical: 2<br>Mix: 1<br>DNF: 1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"673\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-673x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4167\" style=\"width:371px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-673x1024.png 673w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-197x300.png 197w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-768x1168.png 768w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-1010x1536.png 1010w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-1347x2048.png 1347w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image.png 1576w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 673px) 100vw, 673px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Genre: Contemporary Romance<br>Format: Audio<br>Rating: 2.5\/5<br><br>Summary: Two toxic people are hot for each other while a bunch of bad stuff happens!<br><br>Oh, Abby. I love her writing but don&#8217;t love when she goes overboard with the trauma. And, woah buddy, it was like she spun a Wheel of Trauma every time she was bored and decided to sprinkle in another depressing topic. It was too much, and the main character was ridiculous (not in a good way). Emotional affairs, infertility, organ donation, OCD, manipulative mothers, worries of home invasion, and more! Sprinkle in cursing, miscommunication, and an explicit scene and yikes! I need a Jimenez time out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-21-scaled.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-21-678x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4166\" style=\"width:373px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-21-678x1024.png 678w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-21-199x300.png 199w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-21-768x1160.png 768w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-21-1017x1536.png 1017w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-21-1356x2048.png 1356w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-21-scaled.png 1696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Genre: Thriller (?)<br>Format: Audio<br>Rating: 2\/5<br><br>Summary: Miserable people on a train get murdered. No one is fun.<br><br>Look at the cover! Cool Train! Okay, that was the best part. Move along. Unfortunately, I read the reviews of &#8220;not his best work&#8221; and &#8220;he does over the top twists, but this was ridiculous&#8221; AFTER reading the book. A cold &amp; unstable lady lures all of the people that wronged her father on a 13 hour train ride to get arrested. But they start getting murdered. I don&#8217;t mind twists, but I like them to make sense. This book did not make sense. Looks like I&#8217;m still on a quest for a go-to thriller author. Next!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-19.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"699\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-19-699x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4160\" style=\"width:373px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-19-699x1024.png 699w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-19-205x300.png 205w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-19-768x1125.png 768w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-19.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 699px) 100vw, 699px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Genre: Children&#8217;s (Middle\/Upper Elementary)<br>Format: Physical\/Audio<br>Rating: 4.75\/5<br><br>Summary: Three girls seek assistance from a quirky teacher to save the town from a secret society and a giant worm monster.<br><br>If you enjoy Kate McKinnon, this is a slam dunk. For most of the book, my kid and I read along with her divine narration. Sometimes she got a little lost in the weeds with the characters, but it was just ridiculous in such a fun way. I&#8217;m almost bummed it has &#8220;for young ladies&#8221; in the title, because I had to talk my son into reading it. Once he understood the type of humor, he was invested and really enjoyed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-20.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"305\" height=\"475\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-20.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4161\" style=\"width:372px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-20.png 305w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-20-193x300.png 193w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 305px) 100vw, 305px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Genre: (Raunchy) Regency Romance<br>Format: Physical<br>Rating: 4.25\/5<br><br>Summary: A husband and wife trick each other back into love after a four year fight.<br><br>Miscommunication annoys me, but this was a charming treat. I survived the &#8220;why won&#8217;t they just talk to each other!?&#8221; elements of this book by enjoying the fun sidekick characters yelling &#8220;WHY WON&#8217;T YOU JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!?&#8221; The entire book is this scene from Friends, and I&#8217;m not mad about it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4169\" style=\"width:215px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-2.png 800w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-2-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-2-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-2-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-4.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"664\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-4-664x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4171\" style=\"width:372px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-4-664x1024.png 664w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-4-195x300.png 195w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-4-768x1184.png 768w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-4.png 973w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 664px) 100vw, 664px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Genre: Contemporary Romance (a couple brief explicit scenes)<br>Format: Physical<br>Rating: 4.25\/5<br><br>Summary: A high strung doctor and a guy down on his luck get thrown together for a ridiculous adventure.<br><br>The only way I&#8217;m going to enjoy a story about &#8220;working through grief with a splash of instant-romance&#8221; is if there is also a LOST JEWEL and MURDER! This was an easy-to-read delight of a book that could have turned very obnoxious very quickly. I will look for this author again when I need a lighter romance detour &#8211; which is high praise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"656\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-1-656x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4168\" style=\"width:370px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-1-656x1024.png 656w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-1-192x300.png 192w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-1-768x1198.png 768w, https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-1.png 943w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 656px) 100vw, 656px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Genre: Fantasy\/Adult Fairy Tale (A reread of a comfort book!)<br>Format: Audio<br>Rating: 4.5\/5<br><br>After (wildly gestures to all current events), I needed to distract my brain with lovely world-building and a gather-the-gang adventure. I liked reading it more than the audio book, but it was still a delicious tale allowing charming escapes for my noggin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">THE QUIT LIST: Apparently, I would fail AP Literature. In a quest to read what my niece was reading in high school, I picked up the book 1984. Wow, it&#8217;s ROUGH. A society where history is being erased and there are giant posters of a toxic leader and freedoms are being eroded? NOTHING TO SEE HERE. (It was actually affecting my mental health&#8230;..so, sorry Niece! Go on without me!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">It still feels like summer, but I sense books and blankets in my future. Happy Fall Reading!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was a slow(er) reading month. Work picked up, trash shows came back on TV, and my brain was distracted (Heidi gestures wildly to the state of the world). I also took a break once I reached my yearly goal &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/?p=4159\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4159"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4173,"href":"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4159\/revisions\/4173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heidiandjustin.com\/ourplace\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}