Monthly Wrap-Up | September 2019

Another September gone by; I’m sad that my favorite month is ending and that winter is closing in, but talking about what I read this month will help alleviate some of that sadness for now.

Most of the reading I did this month was at the end – the past week has been a flurry of pages and bookmarks and Goodreads updates. This was mostly due to my Banned Books Week Reading Challenge, for which I read three books. I also made progress with the library books I checked out at the beginning of the month, and although I wanted to finish them for September, not doing so means I’m off to a pretty good start for my October reading. 😎 It’s all about perspective!

So here is my September Wrap-Up. As always, I’m listing the books in the order of when I finished them, and if I reviewed or discussed any of the books at length in an earlier post, I have linked it below.

Books I Read

1. Melmoth by Sarah Perry – Unfortunately this book worked less for me than The Essex Serpent did. I reviewed Melmoth here.
2. Endless Night by Agatha Christie – I had a sense of subtle anticipation throughout most of this book that was less than in other Agatha Christie Novels, but present enough to keep me reading. The story is interesting, there’s a slew of shifty (or not??) characters intertwined with trustworthy (or not??) characters, AND THAT ENDING! My love for Agatha Christie deepens. I read this along with others for the #AYearWithChristie2019 challenge on Instagram. If you have read this book click here to get involved with the discussion, and to find out what next month’s book is.
3. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume 
4. Julie of the Wolves (Julie of the Wolves #1) by Jean Craighead George
5. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
   • Books 3-5 were part of my Banned Books Week Reading Challenge. I’ve written my thoughts on them in this wrap-up post.

Currently Reading

1. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou – This was the fourth book I had selected for my Banned Books Week reading challenge and the one I didn’t finish in September.
2. The Hood of Aalayfa by Sylvia Xamanka – An ebook from NetGalley that has been out of sight thus out of mind for the past week or so; just like every other book on this currently reading list, I need to finish it ASAP.
3. Chocolate House Treason by David Fairer – Another NetGalley ebook, well, just read my sentiment above (#2).
4. The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar – I don’t think I picked this book up once this month. I got too distracted by my library books and others, but I do want to finish it, I swear!
5. Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta – If you saw my Instagram post about this book you will know that I’m enjoying Chinelo Okparanta’s writing, and how she is able to convey sadness, resiliency, and truth so crisply and profoundly.
6. The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware – This book is in danger of being put on my DNF list, I’m afraid. At the time of this writing I am 88 pages in and low-key bored; but I can’t quite decide if it’s the story or Ruth Ware’s writing, so onward I go – for now.
7. Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen – I think I read one chapter of this, but I did love the first book so I have no intention of bringing it back to the library just yet.

My habit of starting new books without finishing those I’m currently reading got a little out of control this month; hopefully despite my Fall TBR I’ll be able to reign it in a little bit in October – we’ll see.

Did Not Finish

1. The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye by A.S. Byatt – I loved the first four tales in this collection, but the title story is unlike them insofar as I can barely read a page without feeling bogged down; the difference is shocking, really. Before reading I thought about doing a discussion post about the tales like I have with others, and I think I may still do that and just leave “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye” out of the discussion (or just talk about why I can’t seem to get through it). Keep an eye out for that post if you’re interested.

In Other News…

This has been my best blogging month – in terms of views – since August of 2018, so I’d like to extend an even bigger THANK YOU than usual for stopping by and reading my posts, and especially for liking and commenting on them. At the beginning of the month I set a goal to post on a more consistent basis, and I managed to accomplish that, so getting so close to meeting another milestone (get just under 1,000 views during this month – 983) is the cherry on top of an already great blogging month.

Now we are onto October, and I have a few book reviews coming your way, as well as some Grimm posts and a few other content ideas sprinkled throughout the month. I’m excited for more beautiful Autumn days, and seeing how you will be spending the next month. But first, if you wrote something during the month of September, or are feeling especially excited about a readathon, a photo you took for bookstagram, or just a memory you want to share, leave a link and/or your thoughts in a comment below.

See you again in 2020, my favorite month of the year. 🧡

Kelsey