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September has been a busy month! I've not been very motivated with much of anything, but I did read some great books so that's always a plus. I've still been a little off with getting all my blogging back on track, but I'm working on it and really hoping I can get some motivation back because October will be a busy month!
After this last heat wave, I'm really hoping the cooler fall weather will take hold for Southern California, but we'll see. I am so excited to be entering into fall and especially for all the spooky October reads, but before that happens we have to talk about everything read in September! It was a pretty solid month. I had so much fun reading A Fracture in the Qwisdeep, the second book in the Jekua series from Travis M. Riddle, and I also had a lot of fun with Leslye Penelope's The Monsters We Defy. I also finally got back to some nonfiction with David Treuer's The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee, which I think would be a great read for everyone. I also loved One Dark Window and am currently reading and really enjoying Jackal!
In other news, we've been really focusing on dog training since we finally got an amazing trainer for our dog, which mostly consists of taking him out to the front yard a couple times a day and trying to help him relax and get more comfortable in the great wide world that he finds so anxiety-inducing (I feel him on that!). It's a rehabilitation process that's going to take time, but it's going well and we feel like there's a light at the end of this tunnel. Hooray!
How has your reading month been?? I hope you're all staying healthy and safe (and cool!) and doing well and had a great reading month. Please do share any books you read and loved in August (or hated, sometimes venting is helpful!), or let me know if you've read any of the books I read! :)
# books read: 13
It Rides a Pale Horse by Andy Marino ★★★★
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: This was a lot weirder than I expected, but I really enjoyed it and Marino's writing.
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig ★★★★★
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: I liked this so much more than I expected to and am so eager for the sequel now!
The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuer ★★★★★
Source: Owned | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: I read Treuer's Rez Life and was really looking forward to reading this much grander nonfiction covering Native history in the Americas much more in full. This was immensely informative and such an important read, highly recommended.
At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop ★★★★
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was a very randomly acquired audiobook that sort of just showed up and I thought it sounded good. This was very intense and an emotional read.
There There by Tommy Orange ★★★★
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book and found the format was a mix of novel and almost vignette-like story. This covers a lot of important topics and I think was a really enlightening read.
Little Eve by Catriona Ward ★★★
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: I have very mixed feelings about this book. Part of my really appreciates it and liked how Ward wove this story, but I also felt kinda bored throughout a lot of it, to be honest. Still, Ward's got an incredible imagination!
The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope ★★★★
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: This was a really fun historical fiction fantasy/mystery mix. It makes me excited to see if there will be a sequel or at least what Penelope will be writing next!
A Fracture in the Qwisdeep by Travis M. Riddle ★★★★★
Source: Author | Format: eARC
Thoughts: I loved this second installment to Riddle's Jekua series! This series has been so fun so far, I can't wait for the next book.
The Getaway by Lamar Giles ★★★
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: This ended up being a small disappointment based on execution, but overall a really interesting and captivating read.
Shadow School: Archimancy by J.A. White ★★★★
Source: Owned | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: I always love exploring the stories J.A. White creates, and I really enjoyed this one also! A school haunted by ghosts and some kids trying to figure out how to help them–what sounds better?
A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison ★★★★
Source: Owned | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: This as so cute! I will definitely be continuing this middle grade series.
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy ★★★★
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: I had to get around to this sooner than I expected because even my husband read it and was telling me how good it was, and he's not a huge reader! (He enjoys reading, he just doesn't do it much. When he does, it's usually more nonfiction tailored to his interests, so this was a big recommendation to me that meant I had to read it sooner rather than later, haha.)
The Beast by Katee Robert
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was fun! Definitely one of the better ones I've read from Katee Robert.
DNF/To-Be-Finished:
The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi
Apparently this is a huge hit in Japan and my husband read it a couple years back and recommended it to me. I finally tried it out and honestly I just found myself getting annoyed by it, so... I just stopped. I can see a lot of logic in this and can understand how people like it and how it could be helpful, but boy there were too many things that bothered me a lot, and there was no point in continuing it.
Wonderland by Miranda Renae
I don't dislike this and I might end up going back and finishing it sometime, but I just felt myself losing interest about 30% in or so. I was listening to the audiobook and it's great, but I just have other things that are more enticing to me right now.
Ithaca by Claire North
The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope
A Fracture in the Qwisdeep (Jekua #2) by Travis M. Riddle
One Dark Window (The Shepherd King #1) by Rachel Gillig
The Getaway by Lamar Giles
The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope
A Fracture in the Qwisdeep (Jekua #2) by Travis M. Riddle
One Dark Window (The Shepherd King #1) by Rachel Gillig
The Getaway by Lamar Giles
(other than reviews)
New Release Spotlight + Mini-Review: Moon Dark Smile by Tessa Gratton
Blog Tour - New Release Spotlight: The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
Anticipated October 2022 Releases
Blog Tour - New Release Spotlight: The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
Anticipated October 2022 Releases
Top Five/Ten Tuesday:
Can't-Wait Wednesday:
9/7: It Rides a Pale Horse by Andy Marino, Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe, & The Dark Between the Trees by Fiona Barnett
9/14: The Hollow Kind by Andy Davidson, Lute by Jennifer Marie Thorne, & Jackal by Erin E. Adams
9/21: A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson, The Night Ship by Jess Kidd, & Malice House by Megan Shepherd
9/28: Little Eve by Catriona Ward, Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen, & Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin
9/14: The Hollow Kind by Andy Davidson, Lute by Jennifer Marie Thorne, & Jackal by Erin E. Adams
9/21: A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson, The Night Ship by Jess Kidd, & Malice House by Megan Shepherd
9/28: Little Eve by Catriona Ward, Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen, & Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin
The Friday Face-Off:
