September was a month of highs and lows. The high was a fantastic vacation in California, where we visited Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Avila, Los Olivos, Solvang, and ended up in Santa Monica. We tasted lots of wine along the way.
On the low side, my heart goes out to the people of Asheville, NC and the other places affected by Hurricane Helene. We were just there last month, and it’s so sad to think of the tragic loss of life and that some of the places we saw may have been destroyed.
I always think I’m going to read a lot more when I’m on vacation, and it’s kind of the opposite because I don’t have a long commute and I’m spending time seeing things rather than just walking around with my headphones. I did get some very nice reads in this month.
What I read in September:
- Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (audio)
- Poyums by Len Pennie
- Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (audio)
- You are Here by David Nicholls
- Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs
- The Road from Belhaven by Margot Livesey (audio)
- Rinkitink in Oz by L. Frank Baum
My favorite reads:
I loved David Nicholls’ new book, You are Here. Books about long walks really speak to me, and this book checked all my boxes, with two struggling, imperfect characters helping each other deal with their issues. Nicholls’ has a way of writing I relate to. If you liked One Day or Us, you’ll like this one.
My other favorite was the sequel to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. These are fantastic books and I was so happy to enjoy the second one as much as the first. The plot is actually better, because this time the “research” is much more personal for Emily and Bambleby.
I don’t read poetry much but I picked up poyums because I love Pennie’s feed on Instagram (@misspunnypennie). She shares words and phrases in the Scottish language, but she also shares a lot about herself. In these poems she’s written (in two languages) about relationships, abuse, issues affecting women, and depression. I think these would especially appeal to younger women, or anyone who loves poetry and the Scots language. Are the words hard to understand sometimes? Yes, but if you’re fascinated by words, trying to figure out the meanings is part of the fun.
I was happy to revisit the world of Mercy Thompson (now Hauptman), though I’m finding the story a little challenging to keep up with across all the books in the series. And I enjoyed Margo’s Got Money Troubles.
Disappointing reads:
I liked The Road From Belhaven but didn’t love it, mainly from frustration with the main character.
On the blog:
Other than Rinkitink in Oz, I didn’t review anything; it was that kind of month. I wrote about my 15 Books of Summer challenge, why Goodreads Was Wrong, and for September’s Spell the Month in Books, books about school and students.
Books for challenges:
- Nonfiction: poyums
- Rereads/Backlist/Ozathon: Rinkitink in Oz
What I’m reading now:
As usual I’ve started too many books at one time. Right now I’m listening to Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune, and I’m reading two ARCs, The Blue Trunk by Ann Lowry, and Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliott (so far I’m loving this Hanukkah romance).
What’s coming up:
I started reading Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell but then had too many other books I wanted to read. After that one, I’m not sure what I’ll read next. I’m interested in Brittney Griner’s memoir, Coming Home, especially with the WNBA tournament happening.
Added to my TBR:
Apparently there’s a new book about women’s sexual fantasies, edited by Gillian Anderson. That’s definitely one I want to pick up, I think she’s fantastic. I also picked up some ARCs from NetGalley that are coming out February to April next year, including one by Emma Newman and one by Eowyn Ivey.
That’s my September wrap-up. Obviously the next month is pretty important if you live in the U.S. I hope you’re all planning to vote! Hope you’re enjoying the fall, and reading something good.