September was a bad reading month for me if I compare it to the previous month. In August I read so many books, and I felt like I did a really good job. However, my circumstances changed a little as we moved into September, so I didn’t get nearly as much read. I suppose that’s what happens when you go back to work and there are lots of other commitments on my plate then I had in August. However, I have to remind myself that ## is still a good amount of books to read and that 30 in one month is pretty abnormal unless one is reading purely graphic novels. Anyways, lets jump into what I read under the cut.
1. Aphrodite Made Me Do It by Trista Mateer
Rating: 4 stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a really interesting poetry collection. It was one of my NetGalley eARCs. It was a good, quick read. I have a full review here.
2. The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
Rating: 4 stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I picked this book up on my friend Alison’s, and several others, recommendations. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it a lot, but I have been wanting to get to this series, and I was pleasantly surprised. I have to admit that the method of hiding who was the assassin and who was the prince really annoyed me, so I asked my friend Tara to spoil it for me because I needed to know. Getting spoiled was totally worth it because it made me want to continue reading it. I wasn’t super into the love triangle, but I liked the main character. I will definitely be continuing the series.
3. Magic Steps by Tamora Pierce
Rating: 5 stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was a re-read for me, but it was my first time listening to it as an audiobook. It was so good. It was a full cast audiobook, and that is always such a good listen. I loved revisiting that story, and handing out with Sandry as she traverses her new adult-mage-hood. Super fun, and enjoyable. I highly recommend it.
4. Street Magic by Tamora Pierce
Rating: 5 stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: Again this was a re-read. This is the sequel to Magic Steps and is about Sandry’s foster brother Briar. I really enjoy Briar as a character. I liked his interactions with his student and how he gave back to his student by teaching her to read like Tris had taught him. I also love the plot of this story. Again, I highly recommend it.
5. Birdie by Tracey Lindberg
Rating: 3 stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I picked this book up from my school’s library and it took me forever to read it. The writing style is super different, and it took me a really long time to get into it and also to feel motivated to read it. I was really intrigued about the premise because it’s supposedly set in a town near me, but I was really disappointed by the representation of that town. It really felt like it was written by someone who had never been to the town, which is disappointing.
6. White Cat by Holly Black
Rating: 4 stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I picked this one up on a whim, and I was super into it. The audiobook was read by Jessie Eisenberg which is neat. It opens up in a rather exciting scene, and then you are quickly caught up in conspiracies, magic, and the mob. It didn’t blow me away, but I loved all the twists and turns. When I finished it I felt compelled to finish the series.
7. Red Glove by Holly Black
Rating: 4 stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I don’t want to go in depth because this is a sequel to the previous book, so mostly I’m going to say that I second what was said before. I liked the twists and turns. I liked the world. I liked the main character. This series was an absolute surprise/delight for me.
8. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Rating: 5 stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I absolutely devoured this book. I picked it up because I loved The Poet X, and I loved this one too. It’s very different than the author’s debut, but it was still really good. I loved all the food descriptions, and I loved reading about the main character. I wanted her to succeed and I wanted her to chase her dreams. She’s such a relatable character.
9. Love, Heather by Laurie Petrou
Rating: 4 stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was another of my NetGalley eARCs. I have a full review coming in a few days, and I would give you a brief sneak peak, but I really struggled with my feelings for this book. I felt super conflicted about it, so just make sure to check that out when it comes out.
10. The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
Rating: 4 stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This book was a total surprise as well. I picked it up because I’ve been watching the Twilight movies with my boyfriend and I briefly contemplated re-reading the Twilight books. In the end I spotted this one on Overdrive. I was intrigued and decided to check it out. I had no idea what to expect and I had a lot of fun listening. There was some really good adventure and twists and turns. It kept me guessing, and I really liked that.
11. Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen
Rating: 4 stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was a book that has been recommended to me by my librarian at my school. It was also a bit of a surprise. It gave me a lot of feels, and I really didn’t expect the twists that came down the lane, I really enjoyed this story.
12. And I Darken by Kiersten White
Rating: 4 stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I picked this one up as my book club pick for the month. It was definitely interesting. Alternate history is not a genre I read very often, but I liked it a lot. Lada was a really interesting protagonist for me, and I liked encountering her mischief and seeing how she interacted with the world. She’s not your typical girl as terrible as that is to say. It’s a genderbent Vlad the Impaler retelling, and I’m definitely thinking about continuing on with this series.
13. The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
Rating: 5 stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This book was an absolute delight. Kari has been recommending it to me forever, and I procrastinated on it as per the usual. I loved the main character, Camille, and I loved the world. Orleans was fantastical in a way that I never expected. I really liked how Dhonielle built the world because she presented it to you didn’t really over-explain it. I had to immediately pick up the sequel.
14. Black Heart by Holly Black
Rating: 4 stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I finished the series! I’m not going to go into too much depth but I felt that this was a pretty decent conclusion to the series. I really think you should check out this series.
15. The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton
Rating: 5 stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a really good conclusion to the series. I knew after I finished The Belles that I was going to have to read the next book in the series, and I’m so glad I did. I devoured this book, and read it really quickly. I didn’t like it quite as much as I liked the first, but it was still good. I felt like the other belles were well developed, and I liked getting to know Remy even more. All in all, it was a totally satisfying conclusion for me.
What did you read in September? Did you read any of the same things as me? Let me know in the comments down below.
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