Goodbye September, and hello October!

After taking a hiatus in August, I was back in the book blogging world for the month of September. September was really good to me….

Let’s see what I had going on this month, shall we?

Not only did I get a lot done on the blog front in September, but I also read 11 books, attended TWO book tours (one for Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere and one for Leigh Bardugo’s The Language of Thorns), got my first bookish tattoo (already working on a Harry Potter tattoo & a Jane Eyre tattoo), and went a little crazy buying books this month. It was a very bookish month indeed 🙂

October is my favorite month of the year, but it is also my busiest with birthdays, our wedding anniversary, football playoffs, Halloween parties, and school functions. Not only that, but we are about two weeks away from listing our current home, and about 7 weeks away from finishing renovations & moving into our new home. I hate to say it, but I will be scarce in the book blogging world in October. I’ll do my best.

*Book titles link to Goodreads

» Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Feelings in a few thoughts: multi layered story – really enjoyed how the author let the story unfold ¤ character study of a dysfunctional Chinese American family ¤ set in 1970s Ohio (my home state) ¤ mystery vibe not a thriller ¤ themes: racism, sexism, interracial marriage, parents projecting their dreams & ambitions onto their children, loss & grief

» Now I Rise (The Conqueror’s Saga #2) by Kiersten White

Feelings in a few thoughts: enjoyed this just as much as And I Darken,◊ loved getting more Radu, but did it take away from Lada? ◊ Mehmed is totally an ass – nothing new there ◊ YA historical fiction needs more hype – history is cool kids ◊ I love how Lada challenges traditional gender roles of the times & takes what she wants… in all aspects of her life

» The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (Guide #1) by Mackenzi Lee

*4.5 Stars*

Feelings in a few thoughts: YA historical fiction makes my heart happy ◊ tongue-in-cheek humor – I laughed out loud multiple times ◊ these characters will steal your heart: Monty, the charming scoundrel, Felicity, the level headed and brilliant little sister, and Percy, the sweet and gentle friend ◊ includes some heavy tones, but overall a lighthearted & fluffy read ◊ audiobook is brilliantly narrated

» Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Feelings in a few thoughts: Bardugo did a great job putting a YA spin on the Wonder Woman story ◊ dialogue between characters on point ◊ did not see the twist coming ◊ wanted to see more of life on Themyscira & the Amazons ◊ the story was just as much about Alia as Diana – would have liked the focus to have been more Diana

» Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

*4.5 Stars*

Feelings in a few thoughts: Hamid’s writing style takes a little while to get used to – lots of thoughts stringed together with commas ◊ LOVED that this book was a inside look at the collective refuge experience – it captured the fears & stresses refugees experience fleeing their homes ◊ a small touch of magic realism – would have liked these elements to have been a little more developed ◊ bittersweet romance – felt so realistic ◊ writing was understated, which suited the story well

» The Dinner by Herman Koch

Feelings in a few thoughts: This book was PAINFULLY slow ◊ the narrator, Paul, went off on so many random (and boring) tangents that my mind wandered for much of this book ◊ unbelievable for so many different reasons

» A Million Junes by Emily Henry

*4.5 Stars*

Feelings in a few thoughts: forbidden romance – Romeo & Juliet style ◊ grief & loss = central theme ◊ LOVED the magic & paranormal elements – magic realism done right ◊ beautiful writing ◊ slow burn romance ◊ realistic characters – Emily Henry somehow manages to write teen characters that do NOT annoy me

» Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

*4.5 Stars*

Feelings in a few thoughts: Coming-of-age story set in 1970s Brooklyn, New York ◊ Woodson’s poetic writing is exquisite ◊ this book felt authentic – not surprising since it is an #OwnVoices book ◊ themes: grief & loss, friendship, and growing up ◊ you can really feel how special Brooklyn is to Woodson ◊ “short story” done right

» Here’s To Us by Elin Hilderbrand

Feelings in a few thoughts: This was my book club’s pick for September, otherwise I would never have picked this one up ¤ cliché ¤ what’s with all the cheating & divorce? – portrayed it as normal & almost acceptable ¤ not a fan of girl hate, while no blame is put on the man ¤ none of these woman had any self respect

» Asking For It by Louise O’Neill

Feelings in a few thoughts: this is one of those books I will be thinking about for a long time ¤ a necessary exploration of rape culture ¤ Emma wasn’t exactly a likeable character, but did she in fact “ask for it”? Would things have turned out differently if she had been different in the past? ¤ raw & honest – no sugar coating ¤ “My body is not my own any more. They have stamped their names all over it.” ¤ In the wake of the Brock Turner case, books like this one in the YA genre are so very important – another good book recommendation is The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis.

» Solo by Kwame Alexander

Feelings in a few thoughts: YA book in poetic verse ¤ the writing in parts of this book were absolutely stunning, but not as much in others – made the flow of the book feel messy ¤ I feel like this book would be appealing to teenage boys – which isn’t always easy to do ¤ I enjoyed the second half of the book much more than the first – especially when Blade arrives in Ghana ¤ really enjoyed how rock music is such a big part of the book ¤ audiobook well done – made it feel more authentic

August 2017 Wrap-Up + Book Haul + Hiatus Update

September 2017 TBR

Anne of Green Gables Bookish Goodies + #Giveaway Opportunity #AnneReadAlong2017

*Giveaway Closed*

Top 5 Wednesday: Skip the Book Synopsis

Top 5 Wednesday: Fancasts for Recent Reads

Book Reviews:

Mini Book Reviews: YA Books (September 2017)

Book Review: The History Major by Michael Phillip Cash

Book Review: The Luster of Lost Things by Sophie Chen Keller

Book Review: The House by the Lake by Ella Carey

Book Review: Gone to Drift by Diana McCaulay

After only purchasing 3 eBooks last month, I really blew my book buying ban in September… I just keep adding to the ridiculous amount of books that I will have to box up and move in November.