GirlsGuideTo | On Our Bookshelf {September}

Ok, we know that the new fall TV lineup is just starting, but that doesn't mean you have to let your mind melt in front of the boob tube. As the days start getting shorter and the nights start getting a whole lot chillier, there's no better time than now to snuggle up with a great book and some hot chocolate (or apple cider?). Here are the books we'll be picking up this month:

How Lucky You Are by Kristyn Kusek Lewis
Do you find it difficult to maintain close friendships like you had when you were younger? Do you feel like you try to maintain a perfect façade around friends? This novel follows three women struggling to keep their longstanding friendship alive. Waverly, Kate, and Amy couldn’t lead more different lives – one is single, one is career-oriented, and one is married. However, they’re each living a similar lie, because they’re too focused on the image they’re projecting and not what they really want in life. Pressure builds around all of them, and as the novel continues you’ll find out whether these women really have what it takes to stick together through thick and thin.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory

Ok, so this book isn't even remotely new, but since we have to wait sooooo long until the next Game of Thrones book, we were due for some political intrigue! If you are a fan of historical drama and romance, you will definitely be a fan of Ms. Gregory's work. This particular novel of hers is set in the court of King Henry VIII and is told by Mary Boleyn, aka the "other" Boleyn girl. It follows her famiy's rise from nothing to sitting on the throne and trust me, is enthralling. It's a long one, so plan for several relaxing Sunday afternoons (and a date night to watch the movie with Scar-Jo and Natalie Portman after)!

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling {out September 27}
It’s almost here! I am seriously dying in anticipation for Rowling’s latest novel. Could it possibly even slightly fill the void that has been in my life since the last of the Harry Potter series?! Doubtful, but this should still be a great read. It sounds like Rowling still has a penchant for quirky names, because the novel takes place in the little town of Pagford after the death of a town councilman named Barry Fairbrother. His absence is the catalyst for the biggest war the town has ever seen, with rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, and teachers at war with their pupils. Described as “blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising.” I just can’t wait to have Ms. Rowling back in my life.

This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
From the author whose first novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, was named #1 Fiction Book of the Year by Time magazine comes This Is How You Lose Her. TIHYLH features nine stories which still follow Yunior, from Diaz’s previous work. Focusing on how love, whether it’s romantic, physical, or familial affects all of us. While not quite as ambitious as his previous work, Diaz still packs a punch in this slim novel.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
You all know by know that we love some memoirs around here, especially ones that make us laugh out loud on every page. If you don't know of Ms. Lawson, she blogs over on the siteThe Bloggess and has written the funniest thing on the internet, period. I don't say that lightly kids. Lawson takes readers on a hilarious journey recalling her bizarre upbringing in rural Texas, her devastatingly awkward high school years (trust me, you will feel better about yours in a second), and her relationship with her long-suffering husband, Victor. Chapters include: “Stanley the Magical, Talking Squirrel” and “My Vagina Is Fine. Thanks for Asking.” Pictures with captions (no one would believe these things without proof) accompany the text. She's fantastic and you will love this lighthearted, but poignant read.

What's on your bookshelf this month?