What I read in September 2021

If you’ve been around here for a while then you’ll know I love reading. In fact a few years ago I used to write regular book reviews on here. I fell out of love with them though so I stopped. Last year I posted a few bookish posts though and I really enjoyed writing them. So I’ve decided to give monthly book round-ups a go instead. Here’s what I read in September.

I’m not going to lie, September was a really, really bad month for reading and I actually only managed to read one book so this won’t be a very long post. I went back to work in September after 6 weeks off and I just wasn’t in a reading mood for a little while so that’s why I only managed one book. I will say though, it was a brilliant book so that sort of makes up for it. I’m back on track with reading now though so October should be a better month.

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle

Author: Matt Cain | Genre: Fiction | Length: 334 pages

To ease myself back into reading I wanted something easy-going and cosy to read and the blurb for this book really stood out to me. The book is described as ‘touching’, ‘warm’ and ‘witty’ and I think it’s definitely all of those. I found myself really rooting for Albert and getting totally wrapped up in this ‘never-too-late’ story with an important and poignant message at its heart.

Albert has been a postman for 50 years. Living in a quiet northern town Albert sees the same people day in day out. He passes parcels and letters out to people but beyond that he keeps to himself. He lives in his childhood home and has spent the last 18 years living alone since the death of his mum. But Albert has been carrying around a secret the whole of his life, a secret that’s made him sad and lonely and made him push out the world and the people in it.

When Albert is told he has to retire on his next birthday the thought of living with no friends, nothing to look forward to and a lonely future that doesn’t even have work in it terrifies him. There’s only one thing that can prevent his future being lonely and miserable and that’s telling the truth.

Slowly Albert opens up to the world and realises just what he’s been missing all these years, friendship, people to confide in and most of all happiness. He finally realises that he must step out of the sheltered and protected life he’s made for himself and go after the one thing he truly wants. Love.

You see many years ago Albert fell in love with a boy and has never forgotten the only person he ever loved and now he must find him.

On the surface this is a wonderful love story about a man rediscovering himself and learning it’s never too late to change your life. At the heart though is a touching story of life for a homosexual man. When Albert falls in love as a teenager, homosexuality had just been decriminalized but only for those above 21. Albert grows up with a homophobic father who is a policeman and as such has arrested many homosexual men. The way Albert’s relationship ends forces him into himself, to hide who he truly is out of fear of what others will think. Yes there’s plenty of humour in this but it’s a super important story of love and acceptance. I loved seeing Albert grow throughout the book and begin to live the life he should have always had. The book was full of absolutely wonderful characters, in fact that was another thing I really loved about this story, the characterisation was very strong.

I’m not going to lie, I was in tears by the end of the book. I won’t spoil it but it was a great ending and I felt like I’d been on such a journey with Albert.

So that was my one and only read for September but definitely a book I highly recommend. I have some spooky reads lined up for October which I’m excited to get stuck into.

Would you read this book? What did you read in September? Let me know in the comments!