September 2019 Reading & Blogging Wrap-Up

Goodbye September & hello October!

While I barely got anything up on the blog this month, my reading game was thankfully still on point.  I wish I could say that things will be better on the blog front in October, but October is always the most chaotic month for me, so I won’t lie to you.  I can say that I’ll be able to get back to the grind in November 🙂

Let’s see what I read in September…

As far as my September TBR goes, I #NailedIt this month! I read all 6 books on my TBR.  I also read 2 books in preparation for Books by the Banks, a book festival that I will be attending in October.  All-in-all, a good reading month 🙂

» The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

*4.5 Stars*

Set in the harsh wild of Alaska in the 70s, The Great Alone was an excellent survival type of story – in more ways than one.  While reading I thought Hannah was going to go the cliche route a few times, but she kept on surprising me.

» The Dragon Republic (The Poppy War #2) by R.F. Kuang

#YARC2019

The Dragon Republic was an excellent follow up to The Poppy War.   The political intrigue in this book is engrossing.

» The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia #5) by C.S. Lewis

This has been my least favorite book in the series thus far, but still a very enjoyable read.  There is something so nostalgic about this series, which doesn’t exactly make sense since it is my first time reading these books…  If I had to rank the series thus far, it would be 1) Chronicles of Narnia, 2) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, 3) The Silver Chair, 4) Prince Caspian, and 5) The Horse and His Boy.

» The Queen of Attolia (The Queen’s Thief #2) by Megan Whalen Turner

Much like the first book, Whalen is a very unreliable author.  Turner loves to throw the reader for a loop.

» The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley

This was a very interesting look at the ways different countries (focus on the U.S, Finland, South Korea, and Poland) approach education.

» Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

*Books by the Banks TBR*

This was an absolutely beautiful middle grade book about a girl and her mother who come to the U.S. as Syrian refugees.  If you enjoyed Amina’s Voice, you’d like this one too.  Highly recommend!

» The Queen of Sorrow (Queens of Renthia #3) by Sarah Beth Durst

While I still think the first book in this series was by far the best, I enjoyed this book more than the second.  Such a unique world & magic system.

» Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

Jenny Lawson’s humor is definitely not going to be for everyone, but it is definitely for me.

» Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching #3) by Terry Pratchett

*4.5 Stars*

I absolutely adore Tiffany Aching & the Wee Free Men!  This is a perfect series to pick up around the fall/Halloween time.

» I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemias of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel

*Books by the Banks TBR*

This was a delightful little memoir/collection of essays about Anne’s reading life.  The only thing that would have made this book better would be recommended reading lists.

Goodreads Challenge Update: 95/100 Books Read

I am currently 21 books ahead on my Goodreads Challenge!  I should be able to complete my 2019 reading goal of 100 books some time in October 🙂

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#YARC2019 Update: 15 Books Read

Year of Asian Reading Challenge TBR + Progress Tracker #YARC2019

I read The Dragon Republic (The Poppy War #2).

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2019 Goals Update:

» 80% NetGalley feedback ratio = 15 backlist ARCs ⇒ 7/15 ARCs Read

» 30 physical TBR books ⇒ 20/30 Books Read

I read The Great Alone & Let’s Pretend This Never Happened off my physical TBR

» No buying new books ⇒ 0 Books Purchased

» Complete mini reviews for all books read ⇒ 10 Backlog Reviews

» Read long books I’ve been putting off ⇒ 1/3 Books Read

September 2019 TBR: “Series September”

Mini Book Reviews: September 2019 – Part 1

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 🙂