Dodson Productions

• Bunny by Mona Awad – 1 Star (8/30/26-9/4/26)

People are already calling this book a classic and I definitely see why. This book will be the type of classic that people pick up and have no clue what they just read by the time they’re done. They will ask themselves “is this really what people were reading back then?” Clearly, I am not one of the people this book was made for and I genuinely don’t know who could read this and feel like it was made for them. If this is where modern psychological thrillers are going, I won’t be picking them up.

• The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis – Did Not Finish (9/2/26-9/8/26)

It’s really just too slow of a start for me to be able to get invested in the story right now. I hate saying that as Bret Easton Ellis is one of my favorite authors. I will give this one another try in the future.

• The Daisy Chain Flower Shop by Laurie Gilmore – 4 Stars (8/28/26-9/11/26)

There were parts of this book that were definitely refreshing for this series. The fact that both of them were scarred in ways from their past relationships and divorces was new to me in a romance book. I haven’t really read others with that theme. I also liked that there wasn’t really a third act conflict. Sometimes it’s nice to skip that part. This isn’t my favorite in the series (I’m a die hard Annie fan), but it was still a pleasure to return to Dream Harbor.

• If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia – 3 Stars (9/2/26-9/15/26)

This book was very cozy and a nice, calm, relaxing read. I do wish there would’ve been a little bit more going on, but overall it was exactly what I was told it would be. The dog was honestly the best character in the whole book. I want more books to have chapters narrated by the pets.

• BOOK CLUB PICK: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez – 4 Stars (9/8/26-9/22/26)

The main character is perfectly written in terms of her teenage demeanor. Add on top of that the trauma of losing her sister at a young age and you’ve got a recipe for conflict. While I understand she was struggling, it is clear that she is so immersed in her need to be the problem child that she often misses what is right in front of her. If she would’ve taken the time to talk to her sister before her death, she might’ve been able to build a real relationship with her and gain a better understanding of who she was. She does not seem to learn this lesson when it comes to her mother after her sister’s death and that was kind of annoying to me. The writing was insanely realistic. I just wish the character would’ve learned a little bit more throughout the process.

• This Is Me: A Reckoning by Hayden Panettiere – 5 Stars (9/15/26-9/29/26)

This book was already on my TBR for the year, but I felt it was even more important to get to after hearing the news of her death. She proves something so many people often forget: celebrities are humans too. I think the fact that this book isn’t eloquently written and feels like more of a conversation than a long, drawn out statement is what made this book hit home for me. I resonate with many of the struggles she discusses in her book and that real life element makes these celebrities more attainable to the rest of us. This is definitely one of the better memoirs I’ve read and I will recommend it to fellow readers.

September was a good comeback from a slow reading month in August. There’s only one more month to get through more of my fall TBR, so let’s see how I do in October!