It’s October, time for fall and pumpkins and Halloween. Personally I’m sad about packing up my sandals and waking up in the dark, but the seasons will change whether I want them to or not. September was a busy month, with two work trips and a sick cat at home (she’s much better though). And deciding on my last graduate class and planning my thesis.
Some of my favorite things this month:
- I participated in Jenny Lawson’s online book release, which was awesome. She read from her book and answered a ton of questions, and we even got to see her dog. I love her book so far.
- A second Outlander soundtrack was released this month, which will be perfect for settling in with Dragonfly in Amber, when I get to it. Or for planning that trip to Scotland.
- The return of fall television – what are your favorites so far? I’m loving Stephen Colbert’s show, surprisingly since I hate late night talk shows. New Mindy Project is really good so far (if a little baby-centric) and I’m excited for the return of iZombie.
- One of my work trips was to Sacramento, and I really fell in love with the city during my short stay. Usually with a work trip I can’t wait to get home. With this trip I just wanted to try more of the restaurants, brewpubs, and coffee shops near the Capitol. I even stumbled across a huge wine tasting event on the Capitol steps, but it was sold out (a good thing because WORK TRIP). There’s only so much you can eat on a four day trip, but I did my best. Thankfully, to balance out all that eating, the city was surprisingly walkable as well.
Traveling means lots of reading time, so I finished a lot of books this month, most of them for the RIP X Challenge, which is basically reading scary and magical books in September and October to celebrate Halloween.
Here’s what I read this month:
- Time and Again by Jack Finney
- The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
- Dust by Hugh Howey (Silo Book 3)
- Slade House by David Mitchell
- Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
- A Broken Vessel by Kate Ross (Julian Kestral Book 2)
- Girl at War by Sara Novic
- A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
My favorite read this month? I loved A Tale for the Time Being, it had so many layers and such interesting characters. I also loved Flight Behavior. I’d heard this wasn’t Barbara Kingsolver’s best, and yes, it’s a little preachy at times, but what really spoke to me was the class divide she portrays.
Least favorite read? The Turn of the Screw. I am definitely not a Henry James fan. I’ve suffered through two books and I think I’m done.
For challenges, I read one classic, two books for the TBR Pile Challenge, and two books set in other countries for the Around the World Challenge. And four books for RIP X. So that’s pretty good!
What am I reading now? Jenny Lawson’s new book Furiously Happy, and I’m finishing up The Iron Jackal, the third Ketty Jay novel. Next I think I’ll read Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle. I’ve also got an advance copy of the new book by Isabel Allende.
So happy fall everyone! At least we have pumpkin-flavored everything to enjoy as winter approaches. And as I curl up with a good book, I can dream about moving to warmer climates. What are you reading?
And if you’d like to see more September summary posts, check out this round-up of wrap-ups at Feed Your Fiction Addiction.
