Another month of reading over! We’re sneaking into Autumn a little more every day and I’ve got a pumpkin banner ready to go up the minute it’s October. But! Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, because first, it’s time for my September wrap up.
I’m pretty happy with my reading this month. I got through six books, one of which was hefty, and I read a variety of genres.
Romance, contemporary fiction, fantasy, a graphic novel AND a re-telling of a classic. It is all happening here, my friends.
And for an extra bonus, I actually read something I said I would last month (this never happens). So an all-round winner this month, I would say.
September Wrap Up Reads
The Flat Share
by Beth O’Leary
Was I the last person on Bookstagram to read this?! It’s one of those books that I would (to my own detriment) not pick up because it looks too… happy? Which seems ridiculous. Anyway, consider it a lesson learned!
The Flat Share is a will-they won’t-they story of two flatmates whose living arrangements mean they should never see each other. I loved Tiffy and Leon and the way that the chapters split between them – the change in the writing style really worked here I thought. I was completely invested in them and couldn’t read it quick enough. A perfect feel-good, romance.
Heartstopper Volume One
by Alice Oseman
This should come with a warning and the warning should be: BUY ALL THREE VOLUMES AT THE SAME TIME OR YOU WILL LIVE TO REGRET IT.
I bought this graphic novel after again being influenced by bookstagram (yes, I’m easily influenced and no, I have no self-control) and I read it in one sitting. It is so, so good. I didn’t know anything about this or the other stories that Charlie and Nick have been in, so it was all a wonderful new experience for me. Young love, teen angst, great artwork – just loved it. Need to buy the next two volumes as a priority.
The Beekeeper of Aleppo
by Christy Lefteri
I picked this up on a whim and as part of a bargain deal. Since then it’s been everywhere I’ve looked! The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a heartwrenching and powerful tale based on the author’s experiences of working in a refugee centre in Athens.
Told through the eyes of Nuri, the story follows him and his wife as they are forced to leave their home in Syria and escape the horrors of the civil war. Together they take on the long, difficult journey to reach safety in the UK.
This is a moving, sweeping story – it reminded me a bit of Khaled Hosseini but not quite as rich. Having said that, it’s told in a simple way and conveys the emotions of the characters beautifully.
Sense & Sensibility
by Joanna Trollope
I have had this book on my shelf for about, oh, 10 years? Ages! My mum bought this all that time ago and for no particular reason I haven’t picked it up.
This is a modern re-telling of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. I am a big fan of Jane Austen’s novels, so I was curious to see how someone would bring it into the modern-day.
Like the original, the Dashwood’s are unceremoniously kicked out of their grand house and are forced to move to more humble dwellings. Here they must learn to navigate their new life and of course, love. The story is fun and the characterisation was good – I believed Marianne to be a tortured art student and Elinor was suitably self-suffering – but some of it fell slightly flat. Still, a harmless read!
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
by Neil Gaiman
I decided I wanted to read more fantasy books so I trawled Pinterest to find recommendations. The Ocean at the End of the Lane popped up on a lot of lists and was dubbed as ‘entry-level’ which sounded perfect!
This book is a magical, haunting tale about a young boy who meets a family of three women (daughter, mother and grandmother) who live in the farm at the end of the lane. When a tragedy occurs and a dark force is unleashed into the world, Lettie Hempstock, the youngest of the three women promises to look after the boy.
It’s short and sweet, magical and real full of childish innocence and age-old wisdom. So, so good. Couldn’t have asked for a better way to dip my toe into the fantasy book ocean.
Shadow of Night
by Deborah Harkness
Witches, vampires, and daemons. Elizabethan London. Romance. Guest appearances from Marlowe AND Shakespeare. I mean, I don’t think I need to say any more than that…
The second of the All Souls Trilogy, the story of Diane and Matthew (witch and vampire who are breaking all sorts of covenants with their relationship) continues as they go back in time to find out more about the manuscript that binds them together.
Honestly, I have very little to benchmark this against but I love it. I left too long between books one and two, so I will be completing this trilogy pronto.
What’s On the TBR List
Oh to-be-read, the list I love to make and break. I do have some certainties though…
One that’s new on the list, one that’s been on there for months now.
I hope you’ve had a lovely September and I’d love to know what your favourite book has been this month. Let me know in the comments or send me the link to your September wrap up!
See you soon,
Pin this September wrap up post and add these books to your tbr
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2 Comments
I love The Switch and Heartstopper!
My Bookish Fantasy
Not the most important thing but I love a pretty book photo and that stack of books just looks like they were all made to sit together! I’II definitely need to get round to reading Heartstopper, hopefully this is the final prompt I needed x