September 2020 Wrap Up

Wow, we’re here again. I don’t know what’s happening, but I feel like these months keep getting shorter and shorter. I welcome it, though because that means October is a day away and I’ve got some great books to read in October.

This month, I fell into a little bit of a reading slump and only read six books. I feel like I slumped myself with a big science fiction novel, but then kept on reading and did myself a disservice. It was rough. I went days without reading anything, which is completely fine and something we all should do if we’re not feeling like reading, but at the same time I was so desperate to fall in love with a book and get myself out of the slump. Sadly, all I did was read another book that made me slump even more.

But my friends were talking about how they like to craft and listen to audiobooks. Since I didn’t have any audiobooks lined up for my September TBR, I did a little diverging. This was my first real move away from my TBR to read by my mood. In one way, I’m a little upset with myself for not reading what I planned out. In another (and more important) way, I feel like I did myself a service by switching over to a historical romance audiobook while I picked up knitting again. I cannot agree more with my friends who have been crafting and reading. This is such a great way to keep busy and read books at the same time. It really saved me especially with my mental health a little on the grim side (six months in quarantine will definitely mess with you).

Next month, I think will be a better reading month for me. I have my spooky books for the Halloween spirit, my fantasy reads for my yearly Fall for Fantasy reading challenge, and I’ve added a couple of Latinx authors to celebrate the end of Latinx Heritage Month. I’ve also mixed it up with both audiobooks and physical books as well as a few women’s fiction novels in case I start to slump again. I think it’s safe to say I’ve got a big old list of books to read next month.

But let’s get into this month. Here’s what I read:

Favorites of the Month

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi

This was such a good book on audio. I think that the audiobook helped contribute to my overall feelings about this book. It read like a science fiction movie, but with military fantasy elements to it. I’m working on my review for this currently, so I haven’t finalized my thoughts. I just want to say that this is my second book by Tochi Onyebuchi this year and his versatility in writing for both young adults and adults is incredible. I hope to read more from him in the future.

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

I made some surprising moves this month with my TBR. Because of my slump from reading TSIASOS and Where Dreams Descend, I decided to read a historical romance that my friends have been telling me was good. They didn’t disappoint! I have a love/hate relationship with romance novels mostly because I need more story than just the two main characters’ relationship. This had a little bit of that especially with the main character who is a seamstress and a duke who wasn’t your classically handsome rake. It was also a slump buster because after this book, I felt like I could read again.

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

Probably one of my favorite books of the month. I can always count on Sabaa Tahir to soothe my slumping soul and bring me a book that I will devour. And yes, I devoured this book like I have with the other books in this series. I’m finally caught up with the series and I can’t wait to see what Tahir has in store for all of us.

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

I started getting spooky in late September because I couldn’t wait any longer for the best month of the year. And this was the perfect pick with all the horror and romance and fantasy you would want. I did have a few little issues with the book. Some did mess with my enjoyment of the story, but I think it was still a super strong start to a new YA fantasy series. I’ll be writing my review for this one in a couple of days, but it definitely exceeded my expectations and I would love to check out more work by Kerri Maniscalco. This book publishes on October 27, 2020.

Honorable Mentions

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

I started off with super high hopes this month reading this big tome of a novel. I hoped it would be one of my favorites of the year, but truthfully it didn’t reach my expectations. It’s still a good novel and if you’re a fan of hard science fiction, then this is for you. It gets super detailed and doesn’t leave anything out, but at the same time that detail got so convoluted that it made the rest of the story difficult to read. There were many points where I didn’t understand why the details were important especially when they contributed nothing to the story.

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

I’ve been holding off on sharing my review of this book because this was my least favorite read of the month. It wasn’t the worst book (I DNF those books and not give them any more time), but it was just okay. Perhaps my issue was that I put too much expectation into this book because I loved stories like Phantom of the Opera and Caraval. It just read flat to me and needed a bit more in it to make it truly intriguing and magical. Also, I felt the romance was forced and a little unnecessary in the story.

How was your month of reading?