Hello, reader!
Welcome to another monthly wrap up! September was a fairly good month when it comes to reading, though there was definitely a stressful vibe for yours truly. I went into the month with a TBR for the Magical Readathon and thinking I would be okay if I didn’t actually read all the books on it. And then I got really wrapped up in the story that G @ Book Roast created and I needed to complete it! Seeming as I had stuck quite a few bigger books on the original TBR, there were some swaps as the month came to a close 😅 Still, in the end, I enjoyed what I read and I’m happy I completed my revised Magical Readathon TBR.
So, let’s talk about what I read in the month of September!
Books Read
Click on the covers to be taken to the book’s Goodreads page
Book: The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara
Rating: ★★★★
Thoughts: This was such a sweet, fun romance! I loved the beginning of the book, where we get to see the town of Carmel through the main character’s eyes. And I loved the eventual romance that occurred between her and our mysterious Lift driver. You can read my full review here.
Book: Rivers of London: Detective Stories by Ben Aaronovitch/Lee Sullivan (Illustrator)
Rating: ★★★
Thoughts: I jumped back on the ROL graphic novel train last month, starting with this one. Though I’ll forever love these graphic novels for the beautiful art, this one was just okay for me. I think it’s because it was a bunch of little stories about Peter’s work in the force as opposed to just focusing on one. Still, it was a fun and quick read.
Book: The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh
Rating: ★★★★
Thoughts: I read this book for a blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours and I’m so glad I signed up! This was such a creepy, atmospheric read! I loved the writing, the characters, and the fact that this one actually gave me the shivers. You can read my full review here.
Book: Rivers of London: Cry Fox by Ben Aaronovitch/Lee Sullivan (Illustrator)
Rating: ★★★★
Thoughts: Another ROL graphic novel and I really enjoyed this one! I do love the nod to a classic story and the end of that story line was utterly satisfying. It was nice to see Nightingale and Abigail even more, as well. Honestly, I need more Abigail content, she’s the best!
Book: The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Rating: ★★★
Thoughts: I spotted this at the library near the beginning of September and I figured, why not? This was definitely a hype train read for me, lol. Though I ended up enjoying it, it didn’t do much for me. I honestly can’t even remember why, which says something, doesn’t it? Loved all the nods to old horror movies, though!
Book: Rivers of London: Water Weed by Ben Aaronovitch/Lee Sullivan (Illustrator)
Rating: ★★★★
Thoughts: Another solid graphic novel addition to the ROL series! I do love when we get to spend more time with the Rivers, so this was a treat. I also love watching Peter grow into his role. I will say, though, after reading three graphic novels in a row, I was ready to get back to a ROL novel. Spoiler alert for a book further down this list 😂
Book: The Dare by Lesley Kara
Rating: ★★★★
Thoughts: Y’all, this book stressed me out. It put me into a weird reading slump in the middle of the month, which certainly didn’t help with my readathon plans. But, once I got over my specific hurdle, I really enjoyed this one! Lesley Kara has a way of drawing you into her thrillers and keeping you on your toes. You can read my full review here.
Book: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
Rating: ★★★★★
Thoughts: I’m so glad I finally picked this beautiful book up! It was SO. GOOD! I absolutely devoured this brutal and cinematic story and I cannot wait for the sequel. This is definitely gonna be a favorite of the year. You can read my full review here.
Book: Willow Moss and the Lost Day by Dominique Valente
Rating: ★★★★
Thoughts: I read this book with the Middle Grade Marvels book club and it was such a whimsical story. I loved Willow so much! She’s such a wonderful character and it was fun watching her grow into her own. Also, Oswin is the best! I’m eager to read more from this series.
Book: Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
Rating: ★★★★★
Thoughts: I know. I know! I just reread this book in July! But it was the pick for the TWR book-club-that’s-not-a-book-club. How could I say no? Upon yet another reread, I love this book just as much as I did the first time. It’s also interesting rereading this after reading the sequel, Redemptor, and picking up on the foreshadowing. It’s such a fantastic series!
Book: The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch
Rating: ★★★★
Thoughts: Look at that! Yet another ROL book on the list 😂 As I said earlier, I was jonesing for a full Rivers of London novel, so I was eager to pick this one up. Y’all, this might be my favorite one so far! It’s currently battling with Moon Over Soho. I really enjoyed the story and getting to know more about the demi monde. And this one was definitely exciting! Makes me eager to continue on.
Book: Heartstopper Vol 1 by Alice Oseman
Rating: ★★★★
Thoughts: Charlie and Nick own a piece of my heart, what can I say 💖 This graphic novel series is so touching and heartbreaking and uplifting all at the same time. I love the art, I love the story, and I can’t wait to continue. In fact, I’m seriously contemplating finishing the other two volumes I own right now… No! I have so many books I need to read, but the temptation is strong!
Book of the Month
Oh, this is an easy one. I mean, I haven’t shut up about this book since I read it! The Book of the Month for September is…
I can’t stop thinking about this freakin’ book! The storytelling, the characters, the world-building… it all combines into a book that will have you devouring it. I’m kind of feeling those “I want to reread this right now” vibes, but… *glances at all her scheduled blog tour books for October* Ya girl needs to stay on task 😂
Reflections
September taught me that, when it comes to readathons, I will stress myself out trying to complete my TBR 😅 Or maybe I should just avoid doing readathons two months in a row? Who knows! All I know is that the Magical Readathon was a blast and G’s creativity blows my mind. Also, my character is definitely joining the Order of the Crescent guild. If ya know, ya know.
I’ve also come to realize that, when I have a month with relatively few blog tours, I grossly overcompensate the next month. I’ve got four blog tours coming up, all of which I’m very excited for, but I, perhaps, didn’t think this one through. Four isn’t a huge number to most, I’m sure, but for someone who is typically a slower reader, it’s gonna be an interesting reading month. Like I said, though, I am excited to read all the books, so I’m hoping they will all be quick reads. As for all the other books on my tentative TBR… I’ll try to be more forgiving with myself if I don’t get to all of them.
I’m also feeling myself slipping into my autumnal reading mood. Which means I want to read all things dark and spooky! We’ll see how many creepy reads I can sneak in this month. Hopefully at least one or two but with all the aforementioned blog tour reads… we shall see. Either way, I think October is gonna be a great reading month. Speaking it into existence!
How was your reading in September? Did you find a new favorite? Make any progress on some challenges? Let me know in the comments!
And, as always, happy reading!
Kerri McBookNerd 
I read The Meeting Point in August and I had mixed feelings about it! I’ve also read Heartstopper multiple times, and I love it so much!
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I’ve heard some mixed reviews for The Meeting Point, too, but I enjoyed it for the bit of escapism! Heartstopper is just wonderful, isn’t it? I still tear up during certain parts even though I *know* what happens after.
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Great wrap up! Looks like you had a great month of reading 🙂 I’ve seen the River of London books around but had no idea it was made into graphic novels as well! I’ve always been curious to check those books out but have been intimidated by them? Maybe I’ll check out the GN first? 😛 I hope you have a great month ahead!
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I’m really enjoying the Rivers of London series! I will say, the GNs are great, but they are later in the series, so it might be a bit confusing starting with them. There’s a timeline the author has put out that shows the chronological order of all the books/graphic novels out currently!
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Enjoyed the post. I didn’t read much in September.
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Thank you! We all have our down months (mine are usually near the beginning of the year for some reason).
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