Goodbye September and hello October!
I didn’t read as many books as I typically do this past month. My September TBR was a tad on the ambitious side with a few chunky tomes in the mix. Out of the 8 books on my TBR, I finished 5 and got half-way through 1 more. I’ll call it a success.
Let’s see which books I read this month & what I had going on here on the blog in September…
» City of Ghosts (Cassidy Blake #1) by Victoria Schwab
Feelings in a few thoughts:
- A wonderful MG book to read around October/Halloween time. Schwab did a great job writing for a younger audience. The “scary” elements are age appropriate.
- It’s a story about a girl with a ghost as a best friend…gave me Casper feels.
- Was a tad worried about the reality TV portion of the plot, but it was well done and did not feel cheesy.
- Perfect for fans of The Graveyard Book or Coraline
» The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth #2) by N.K. Jemisin
Feelings in a few thoughts:
- This series is freaking fantastic!
- Jemisin’s writing is unlike any I’ve read before. I don’t know how she pulls off writing in the 2nd person, but it works here.
- I was really able to wrap my mind around the world better in this book, there are still a few things that I struggled to grasp, but it is more of a “mind blown” feeling and not a confused feeling.
- I cannot wait to read the next book. I will definitely be finishing this series before the end of the year.
» The Reluctant Queen (The Queens of Renthia #2) by Sarah Beth Durst
*3.75 Stars*
Feelings in a few thoughts:
- The Reluctant Queen did not have that same spark for me that the first book did.
- I feel like I struggled with the fact that Daleina took a secondary role in this book. Naelin becomes our main character in this book. I liked Naelin’s character for the most part, but she didn’t hold a flame compared to my love for Daleina.
- I am still in love with this world & its magic system
- I did manage to guess one of the big plot twists fairly early in the book, however not in its entirety.
- I’m wondering if part of my issue with this book has to do with the format I read it in. I’ve been reading this series via audiobook. This book was narrated by Khristine Hvam, who I think is a good narrator, but I could not stand her voices for Naelin’s children. The high pitched whining… I just couldn’t take it!
- Despite the fact that I did not enjoy this book as much as the first book, I am very excited for the next book! I have a feeling a war is coming 🙂
» A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir
*4.5 Stars*
Feelings in a few thoughts:
- It took me a good 100 pages to get into this book, which did not happen with the first two books. It all felt a bit jumbled, and I wasn’t sure where the plot was going at first.
- Totally called the big reveal in this book. I called it during the first book.
- Like the first two books, A Reaper at the Gates was full of action, adventure, political intrigue, and a touch of romance.
- Loved that the jinn & ghosts were a bigger part of this book.
- Elias. My heart hurt for him for the entirety of this book.
- I cannot wait to see how everything will conclude in the final installment. I HAVE to know what the Nightbringer’s motivations are!
» Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Feelings in a few thoughts:
- It’s no secret that I am a sucker for eccentric characters, so I had a pretty good feeling that I was going to enjoy this book. Eleanor did not disappoint!
- Once I got to the 75 page mark, I read the rest of this book in one sitting. I just had to know what was going to happen.
- The plot was not predictable. I did manage to guess the big twist as a possible outcome, but it did not hinder my enjoyment.
- Honeyman did a wonderful job balancing the humor with the dark parts of the plot. I laughed out loud a few different times.
- Themes: mental health, friendship, self care, and self love.
- Content/Trigger: Suicide & Child abuse
- Would recommend this book to fans of A Man Called Ove, Counting by 7s, & The One-in-a-Million Boy.
» A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner
Feelings in a few thoughts:
- This is probably one of the only historical fiction books with a dual POV & timeline (present & past) where I enjoyed both plots equally. I almost always prefer the story occurring in the past to the one happening in the present time.
- I’ve never read a book with a fictional account of 9/11. Just reading about it took me back to that day. It is still so heartbreaking.
- This was a very emotional read during both storylines.
- I really wanted Clara to end up with someone else. I know it would have been obvious, but I don’t care!
August 2018 Book Haul – The Month I Discovered Book Outlet #BookOutletHaul
September 2018 TBR – Series September
Top 5 Wednesday: YA Books for My High School Self
Bookish Babble: How Do You Organize Your Bookshelves? Featuring 8 Ways To Arrange Your Books
Book Review: The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown
Bookish Crafts: How To Make a Succulent Book Planter
Book Review: Sisi: Empress on Her Own (Sisi #2) by Allison Pataki
Physical Books:
» Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
*Signed Copy*
» Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor
Which books did you read this month?
Have you read any of the books I read or hauled this month? If so, what did you think?
Did you buy any books? If so, which ones?
Comment below & let me know 🙂
Yay! You bought Strange the Dreamer!! It’s so good, I recommend it to every person I can.
Also, I totally agree with you on Reaper! My heart hurt for Elias every time he was on the page 😭 I love him so.
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I have City of Ghosts but haven’t started reading yet! You comparing it to Gaiman makes me want to read it all the more 🙂 and I need to grab Obelisk Gate! I have also recently bought Eleanor Oliphant, although Jackie (I think?) warned me that it’s pretty sad?
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I mean. It has some sad moments… but it’s SO GOOD. READ IT.
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You read Eleanor Oliphant!!! I’m so happy. It’s a shocking and gripping book. I absolutely devoured it. It makes me giggle that once you hit the 75 page mark you just kept reading. I’ve read quite a few books which have done that to me.
Okay, I need to ask — your comments seemed to all be positive. Where did it not quite make a 5 star read for you?
You had an amazing September, whether you read all the books you wanted to or not. Look at everything you accomplished! I’m impressed. 🙂
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