An Open Book: September 2026 Reads

September absolutely flew by and I'm taking a short break from cleaning our pantry from a mouse break-in to talk about what I read last month--because talking about literature is a great way to procrastinate take a break, right? ;)  

I'm linking up with An Open Book; let's dive in! 

Journeying Through Infant Loss with Our Lady of Sorrows, by Michelle Hamel

This recent release by Pauline Books is a beautiful reflection both on infant loss and Our Lady of Sorrows. Hamel intertwines the story of her baby's death (which took place after birth) birth with Scripture and the instances that Mary experienced sorrow throughout her earthly life.  This is a beautiful book that I found very helpful and comforting! 

The Possibility Mom, by Lisa Canning

I've read and listened to Lisa Canning's work here and there over the years, and I'm so glad that I finally read her book! In The Possibility Mom, she walks the reader through a practical exploration of motherhood and pursuing your work and/or passions in the midst of family obligations. Canning offers a fantastic perspective that encompasses different configurations of work and homemaking, and I found her conversations really insightful. I really love how practical and honest this book is, and how Canning very much embodies a growth mindset. 

Beautiful Holiness: A Spiritual Journey with Blessed Conchita to the Heart of Jesus, by Kathleen Beckman

Blessed Conchita had been vaguely on my radar for a while, and when I learned that our public library had this book, I decided to read it! I was pleasantly surprised when I opened it and discovered that the foreword of the book was written by an archbishop who once celebrated Mass in my backyard, back when I was a young child and he was a priest! Such a small Catholic world. Anyways, this is a beautiful and insightful book that brings together the life of Blessed Conchita, a married woman and mother to several children, and her legacy of prayer and writings. The book also incorporates small pieces of the author's story. I took a while to read this book; it is long and since Blessed Conchita was a mystic, her writings had a particular depth to them, but I'm so glad that I persevered. It is a wonderful book. My only critique, really, is that sometimes the author would interject parts of her own story that were wonderful and fascinating, and I wanted to know more--I think I would have liked to have an entire book about the author's journey (maybe one exists already? I should look into it). 

REREAD: Emily of Deep Valley, by Maud Hart Lovelace 

I picked this novel up as a bedtime reread, and as always, felt refreshed and full of hope when I finished it. This novel follows Emily as she finished high school and then copes with all of her friends leaving their small town to go off to college, while Emily stays at home to care for her grandfather. After Emily spends a while mourning her seemingly lackluster future, she realizes that she can take the initiative to create the meaningful life that she wants. I love this novel! 

Boley: Oklahoma's Famous Black Town, by James Shaw

I spotted this small book on display at our local library and thoroughly enjoyed reading about this piece of Oklahoma history. Shaw relates the history of the all-Black town of Boley, Oklahoma, and even relates personal anecdotes about his relatives and himself in relation to this town. I'd known that Oklahoma had some all-Black towns "back in the day," so reading about one was really interesting. 

Towards Dawn: Essays in Hopefulness, by Bishop Erik Varden

Technically, I read this book last June or July and I forgot to share it here (I think-I'm too lazy to look it up right now), and I would be completely remiss if I didn't mention this absolute gem by the wonderful Bishop Varden. See my full review at CatholicMom.com. 

Thank you so much for joining me this month! If you have any recommendations, please drop them in the comments!