September was a month of facing my flaws…well, at least in terms of my reading selections. Keep reading to see what I mean!

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

I must have seen 10 different people (OK, females) recommend this book on various corners of the internet this summer. It finally got to be my turn for the e-book a few weeks ago, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much it captivated me. This memoir tells the story of how the author found the courage to leave her very “normal” marriage and pursue happiness with a woman she fell in love with upon first sight. Doyle is a gifted storyteller with an inspiring message for women everywhere–trust your gut and don’t be satisfied with anything other than living life to the fullest. I would categorize this book in a similar genre as Brene Brown’s Daring Greatly, as it really forced me to contemplate my feelings of shame and from where they originate. I found some stories more compelling than others in this book, but I did take the time to write down several quotes from this book that really spoke to me. A few favorites: “The miracle of grace is that you can give what you have never gotten,” and “We did not fall into this world we have now, we made it. I’ll tell you this: The braver I am, the luckier I get.” In sum: get it, girl.

4/5 stars.

Sorry I’m Late,I Didn’t Want to Come: One Introvert’s Year of Saying Yes by Jessica Pan

I love a book about a year-long self-improvement project–it’s kind of my favorite genre, in fact. I’m also pretty intrigued by the introversion-extroversion spectrum, so it should come as no surprise that this book ended up in my pile. The title really explains it all–Pan spent a year ignoring her shy-introvert (what she calls, “shintrovert”) tendencies and saying “yes” to activities that would have sent her in a tail-spin on a normal day. Examples include: being interviewed for a podcast, volunteering for stand-up comedy gigs, and taking improv classes. All things I would avoid by any means necessary. I understand that the premise of this book is that personal growth only comes from broadening your horizons and taking risks…but I still felt the subtext of the whole book was that introverts are “less than” extroverts, a premise with which I take extreme issue. Pan references Susan Cain’s work on several occasions in the book but seems to ignore the fact that Cain has devoted considerable time and energy explaining why introverts are vital and valuable members of any organization. Overall, I admire Pan’s courage to tackle some of her greatest fears, but part of me still wants to say, “why does being able to chat with strangers on the tube make you ‘better’?”

3.5/5 stars.

What did you read in September?