Fall 2019 TBR | Wrap-Up

Back in September, I made a list of ten books I wanted to read during the Fall season and before the arrival of the Winter Solstice. You can read that post here, and/or continue reading this post to see how I did (spoiler alert: not well😜). 

The Italian by Ann Radcliffe

I have wanted to reread this novel for the past few years, and unfortunately 2019 is another year in which I do not get to the end. I’ve barely started it, actually, making it only to page 37. Maybe by the time 2020 ends I will reach the last page…

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The first time I opened this book to read it was earlier this week, and so far I am loving it! Its quick pace and mysterious tone are keeping me interested, so I might actually finish reading it by the end of the month (currently on page 34). 

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Another unfinished book. Unlike the previous two, I didn’t even open this book. Hopefully I’ll finally read it next year!

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Another book I have started but haven’t finished. I’m currently on page 129, and although I thought about DNFing this book for a little bit, the story has reached another exciting and mysterious point. The beginning of it is still so far the best part, but I am enjoying the book despite the slow pace and the fact that I have to be in the right mood for it. Luckily, cold winter nights put me in the best mood for it so hopefully I’ll get to the end by Spring. 😆

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Hey, a book I actually finished! This is one of the books I read during Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon, and it was the perfect book to read in one sitting. It’s the first Sherlock Holmes novel I have ever read, and it definitely won’t be the last – I was hooked from the first page all the way to the end. 

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

I finished this book – my first reading of it – last week. Like many other people, I have watched the movie, so I was vaguely familiar with the story going in. Or I thought I was – it turns out I don’t remember the movie as well as I thought I did, because most of the events of the book felt brand new to me and Wikipedia tells me that the movie does a relatively good job of following the book. I have even read The Rules of Magic already; the order in which I experienced this saga and world is really atypical of my habits. Anyway…

The reason I say all of that is because I did not expect this book to be so gut-wrenching and heartbreaking. It’s a sad, melancholy story; I had to take a couple of breaks from it because it all felt so real. While The Rules of Magic is melancholy too, it had more of a lighter air to it – it feels more like fantasy than Practical Magic does. Regardless of its sadness, and some of the crude language and violence, I did enjoy it.

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

Another book I barely opened, but I did start it. I’m finding the writing to be a bit of a chore, but I haven’t read enough of the story to form a full opinion of the book. 

The Darkangel by Meredith Ann Pierce

I also read this book during Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon, and I enjoyed it. The Darkangel has some familiar themes – vampires, a heroic female character, mythical creatures – but at the same time, I know I haven’t read anything quite like it. I talked more about my thoughts in my October Wrap-Up here. 

The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston

I am currently on page 262 of 308 of this book, and I have no plans to finish it. I suppose it is a DNF, but someday in the near future I may take some time to get to the end. I want to save most of my thoughts for my December Wrap-Up, but essentially I feel like the characters and plot were messily thrown together, so while the premise is exciting, the story itself falls flat.

The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart

The final Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon book, and another one I absolutely loved! I need to read more Mary Stewart ASAP.

Plus…

A Spell of Murder by Kennedy Kerr

Finished and reviewed – you can read that review here. For the sake of this post, I will say that this was a fun story to read, and I do recommend it if you are looking for something straightforward yet thoughtful and exciting.

So out of the eleven books I set out to read during the best season of the year, I read five and started five more. Considering I also read a few more books that were not on this TBR, I’m feeling pretty good about my reading during the Fall season. For those who aren’t aware – I don’t put a ton of pressure on myself when it comes to TBR lists. Of course I want to finish all of the books I put on them, but it’s not a big deal to me if I don’t because those I don’t read or don’t finish can be added to future lists! 😉 Anyway, I had relatively excellent experiences with the books I did finish, and that’s the real win: finding more books to love (also if you are not aware – I’m corny as hell 😎).

If you have read any of the books listed above, or have recommendations based on the authors or subjects, I would love to hear all your thoughts and suggestions below. See you next year, Autumn, I miss you already!