September Reads September Reads
Here's what I read in September
How do you do fellow readers? Today, I bring you a much overdue recap of all of the books I read in September. One of those books (Old Enough), I previously devoted an entire newsletter to and today, I’m excited to bring you mini little reviews of all of my September reads. Ok, see you down below!
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett : I did not like Tom Lake as much as everyone else likes Tom Lake. It was a tad too slow for me, but I did appreciate how beautiful the writing and setting were. Some of it was also set during COVID, which isn’t really a period of time that I want to remember.
Old Enough by Haley Jakobson : Perfect book. No notes.
A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty by Stacia Stark : After reading A Court of Throne and Roses, I fully immersed myself in all things fantasy. I appreciate how unpredictable fantasy novels can be and that a truly brave author took the time to create this entire world. A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty is the second in a series and it pulled me in from the start. It’s a slow burn fantasy romance.
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter : This was an overly cute YA rom-com that based much of its story on famous rom-com films. I liked it, but it definitely reads young.
The Do-Over by Lynn Painter : In what truly seems like a nightmare scenario, one student is forced to relive Valentine’s Day. Again, this read young, but it was cute and light.
Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May : A sapphic novel about witches and a mysterious island. It’s made for autumn reading. I liked this one, but I do think it was overly long in spots. It took awhile to get to where it wanted to go. That being said, I wished there had been more explanation behind some of the magical elements.
Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner : I don’t usually read thrillers, because I have anxiety, and daily life is enough of a thrill, but I enjoyed this one.
How Does It Feel? by Jeneane O’Riley : I read this one because some girl on TikTok made a video about it. She was really enthusiastic about how good it was, so I decided to give it a shot. It’s a fantasy with fairies, vampires, and talking foxes. The love for this book has a lot to do with its ending, and unfortunately for me, I did not love how it wrapped up. I know it’s a series, but I’m not a fan of when twist endings come across as implausible.
Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar : These books have not aged well. Good for a nostalgia read, but not much else.
Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer Armentrout : I went into this book feeling tentative excitement. My first experience with Armentrout was via her From Blood and Ash Series, and while those initial books started with so much promise, I’ve grown consistently more annoyed with each new addition. I totally get that fantasy books need time to unfurl and introduce you to everything, but FBA has a habit of never explaining anything. With each book, I’ve grown more confused.
All that to say, Fall of Ruin and Wrath was a total delight. I read it in two days. Yes, it’s another fantasy and romance from Armentrout, but this time, she seemed to have a sense of where she wanted to go with it. I’m hopeful that it remains just as good when the next book comes out.
I am obsessed with this Water From Your Eyes single, "True Life.” It’s unpredictable and chaotic with a true undercurrent of beauty.
I also love love this Slow Pulp record. It’s soft and dreamy. Perfect for fall!
This Truth Club record reminds me a lot of Pile, and that’s a good thing.
"True Life" is so cool!
This month I read a book called Strong Female Character by Fern Brady. It's about her growing up and going through college with un-diagnosed autism spectrum disorder. She's a comedian so it's not heavy, and it was really interesting to hear about autism directly from her POV.