September 2025 Reads

Books I read in September 2025.

A brief roundup of my reading in September.

1. The Dream Hotel

— Laila Lalami
A near-future dystopia that we’ve already begun living in. My book of the month. Plan to read Lalami’s The Other Americans next.

2. Secretary

— Mary Gaitskill
My first by this author. Great collection of four short stories. Have now ordered two novels by Gaitskill.

3. The Kill (La Curée)

— Émile Zola
Working my way through the twenty books of Zola’s Les Rougon-Macquart series. This one was a slow starter but, my god, Zola writes such delightfully debauched characters!

Book cover: I Who Have never Known Men

4. A Sorrow Beyond Dreams

— Peter Handke
A powerful novella about grief.

Book cover: I Who Have never Known Men

5. The Lottery & other stories

— Shirley Jackson
Another new author for me. A great storyteller. Very Carver-esque (or Carver is Jackson-esque).

Remarkable Renaissance Books

Preorder my new book, Remarkable Renaissance Books, out October 24.