September wasn’t a great month for me — reading, reviewing or otherwise — but here’s what I read:
- Arabella of Mars by David Levine
- Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
- All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld
- Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill by Maud Hart Lovelace
- Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart
- Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
Favorite read? Lady Cop Makes Trouble! I always worry that sequels won’t live up to the first book, but this one did. Maybe a little less emotional than the first one, but I loved reading about Constance and her sisters just as much.
I only posted two reviews in September, one for Maggie O’Farrell’s This Must Be the Place, and one for Amy Schumer’s The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo.
Why was September not such a good month? I was taking a new medication for migraines, and instead of helping it made them worse. In fact, it made me feel all around lousy most of the time. The drug made me both overly emotional and fatigued, and only exacerbated the headaches I was already having. I also suspect it limited my concentration, which is why embarking on a children’s book challenge was both comforting and attainable.
A few nice things happened though: my month started with a fantastic Labor Day drive to Charlottesville for wine tasting and a stay at a B&B on the UVA campus. A day and a half was just long enough that we could leave the cats to themselves, taste a lot of wine, enjoy the countryside, and feel like we really got away. We were worried that Tropical Storm Hermine would blow out the whole thing but we got really lucky and had a lovely road trip.
My month ended with seeing Amy Schumer live, which was really fun. A lot of material came from her book, so it wasn’t new to me. But I loved seeing her perform.
I also went to a reading by Patricia Briggs, who writes one of my favorite fantasy series. She read the first chapter from her new book, which won’t be out until March. She was really personable and down to earth, and it was a nice small venue. She talked about the setting of the books (the Walla Walla area), how she came to write urban fantasy, how she developed Mercy’s character, and what’s in store for Mercy.
What’s ahead, besides trying a new migraine medication and hoping this one helps? Here’s my Fall TBR list. On top of that, I’ve been asked to contribute to The Emerald City Book Review’s Witch Week event, with a post on the Oz books. I couldn’t be happier to be asked, and I have lots of ideas, so I just need to settle on what to write about.
There are a few other fun blogging events coming up that seemed worth sharing. One is Sci Fi Month over at Rinn Reads, and another is Readers Imbibing Peril (RIP) XI at Stainless Steel Droppings. Both are fun events even if I don’t know how much I’ll be able to join in.
October looks to be a really busy month at work (which is why this wrap-up is late) and of course there’s that whole getting-colder thing (blech). Hope you’re having a good fall so far, and happy reading!
