So I did it again. I said I wasn’t going to do something and then turned right around and did it.
Sort of.
Last month, I declared no more octogenarian books in 2026. I’m holding to that. Technically.
Because instead of reading another one, I watched a show featuring…wait for it…octogenarians.
Sigh. Someday I’ll learn.
To top it off, this was a one-audiobook month. My “what to read” list is short, which stands to reason when you see how long that audiobook was.
🎧 The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
First, a confession.
I have never read The Help. I haven’t seen the movie either.
There. It’s out there. Judge me if you will.
I can’t say exactly why I missed both, but 2009 and 2011 were years when I was chasing toddlers, moving, and spending a large portion of my life as Taxi Mom. My reading list back then consisted mostly of The Berenstain Bears, Goodnight Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and pretty much anything Sandra Boynton wrote.
And I think Harry Potter made an appearance. Obviously not with the toddler.
Anyhoo…
I listened to The Calamity Club on audiobook.
All 29 hours of it.
Yes. Twenty-nine.
I did attempt to read the book, but let’s face it, sometimes listening is just easier.
It’s historical fiction and, once again, a book that made me mad. Last month, when I wrote about James by Percival Everett, I mentioned that I wish people would learn from history.
I stand by that statement.
My Watch List
📺 The Boroughs
I swore off octogenarian books. I really did.
Apparently, I said nothing about octogenarian television.
I really enjoyed The Boroughs on Netflix. The one-season, eight-episode series follows residents of a retirement community with a very questionable origin story.
It has some similarities to the octogenarian books I’ve been reading lately, but with a definite Stranger Things vibe. The Duffer Brothers were executive producers on both shows, so…go figure.
I’m hoping to have more books and shows to share in October, but I also have some serious writing to get moving on.
We shall see how much reading time survives.
If you missed any of my previous What to Read posts, or if you’re always looking for another book to add to your list, you can find them all in my monthly reading archive here. 📚✨
Happy reading, and apparently, happy watching too. 📚✨
Until next time…