Monday, September 30, 2019

September 2019 Wrap Up

September was a really great reading month. My reading always picks up in the fall and the spring, and I found a few favorite reads this month. Below are the books I read in September. Stay tuned for upcoming reviews!

Rise of the Evening Star (Fablehaven #2) by Brandon Mull To Be Devoured by Sara Tantlinger Of Foster Homes and Flies by Chad Lutzke

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rise of the Evening Star (Fablehaven #2) by Brandon Mull
⭐⭐⭐⭐★ To Be Devoured by Sara Tantlinger
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Of Foster Homes and Flies by Chad Lutzke

Dear Laura by Gemma Amor To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers Grip of the Shadow Plague (Fablehaven #3) by Brandon Mull

⭐⭐⭐★★ Dear Laura by Gemma Amor
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
⭐⭐⭐⭐★ Grip of the Shadow Plague (Fablehaven #3) by Brandon Mull

The Vegetarian by Han Kang Violet by Scott Thomas Poetry Magazine September 2019

⭐⭐⭐⭐★ The Vegetarian by Han Kang
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Violet by Scott Thomas - {my review}
⭐⭐★★★ Poetry Magazine September 2019

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven #4) by Brandon Mull The Bone Ships (The Tide Child #1) by R.J. Barker Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn

⭐⭐⭐⭐★ Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven #4) by Brandon Mull
[dnf] The Bone Ships (The Tide Child #1) by R.J. Barker
⭐⭐⭐★★ Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn

Best of the Month

My favorite read of the month was To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers.


In her new novella, Sunday Times best-selling author Becky Chambers imagines a future in which, instead of terraforming planets to sustain human life, explorers of the solar system instead transform themselves.

Ariadne is one such explorer. As an astronaut on an extrasolar research vessel, she and her fellow crewmates sleep between worlds and wake up each time with different features. Her experience is one of fluid body and stable mind and of a unique perspective on the passage of time. Back on Earth, society changes dramatically from decade to decade, as it always does.

Ariadne may awaken to find that support for space exploration back home has waned, or that her country of birth no longer exists, or that a cult has arisen around their cosmic findings, only to dissolve once more by the next waking. But the moods of Earth have little bearing on their mission: to explore, to study, and to send their learnings home.

Carrying all the trademarks of her other beloved works, including brilliant writing, fantastic world-building and exceptional, diverse characters, Becky's first audiobook outside of the Wayfarers series is sure to capture the imagination of listeners all over the world.


--

What's your favorite read from September?

Jennifer

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Sunday, September 29, 2019

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | September 29

It's almost October!! We ring in October with my husbands birthday and lots of decorating. I've already started a little bit of decorating, but I'm ready to transform this house.

What about you? Do you decorate for autumn or Halloween? How early do you start?

Posted Last Week


I posted my ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review of Violet by Scott Thomas.

Finished Reading


Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven #4) by Brandon Mull Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn The Bone Ships (The Tide Child #1) by R.J. Barker

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven #4) by Brandon Mull ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - I'm still really enjoying my journey through the Fablehaven series with my son.

Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn ⭐⭐⭐★★ - Deep and Dark and Dangerous was my last selection for the LOHF Readathon. I enjoyed this. I'm kind of waffling between 3⭐ and 4⭐.

The Bone Ships (The Tide Child #1) by R.J. Barker [dnf] - I gave it 80 pages, and I just couldn't connect with it. I'm still not even sure what it's about. I seem to be alone in not loving this one. It's the struggle of do I make myself keep reading? I'm trying not to do that to myself.

Currently Reading


Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5) by Brandon Mull

Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5) by Brandon Mull - The last book of the original Fablehaven series!

Recent Acquisitions


Little Paranoias: Stories by Sonora Taylor A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

Little Paranoias: Stories by Sonora Taylor - Sonora Taylor recently sent me her upcoming collection, and it's at the top of my TBR for October. I'm really looking forward to reading these stories.

Earlier this year I found a copy of A Gathering of Shadows (book #2 of the Shades of Magic series) at 2nd and Charles. How lucky am I to have just come across books #1 and #3 (A Darker Shade of Magic and A Conjuring of Light)? I love when the stars align. I can't wait to finally read this series!! Now to decide whether I should squeeze it in before the end of the year or read it early 2020...

So what about you? Let me know what you're reading this week or leave me some links!


This post is being shared as part of Book Date's It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Jennifer

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Monday, September 23, 2019

Book Review | Violet by Scott Thomas

Violet is a horror novel by Scott Thomas.

Violet by Scott Thomas

For many children, the summer of 1988 was filled with sunshine and laughter. But for ten-year-old Kris Barlow, it was her chance to say goodbye to her dying mother.

Three decades later, loss returns—her husband killed in a car accident. And so, Kris goes home to the place where she first knew pain—to that summer house overlooking the crystal waters of Lost Lake. It’s there that Kris and her eight-year-old daughter will make a stand against grief.

But a shadow has fallen over the quiet lake town of Pacington, Kansas. Beneath its surface, an evil has grown—and inside that home where Kris Barlow last saw her mother, an old friend awaits her return.

I loved reading Violet. The slow burn, character driven horror reminded me of Hunter Shea's Creature. Creature was my favorite novel last year, and Violet will definitely be in my list of favorites this year.

Scott Thomas is now an auto-buy author for me.

I treasure this style of character driven, well written horror so I'm calling Violet a must read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review copy provided by publisher

Jennifer

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Sunday, September 22, 2019

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | September 22

My best news since you saw me last is this little girl:

Moxie Puppy

This is Moxie. Her mom was a Texas Heeler rescue who had puppies. She's been such a cute addition to our home.

Finished Reading


I'm not going to post everything I've read since my last update so stayed tuned for a ton of catch up reviews! I've read some really amazing things lately. These are the last three books I finished this past week.

Violet by Scott Thomas Beloved by Toni Morrison Poetry Magazine September 2019

Violet by Scott Thomas ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved this book.

Beloved by Toni Morrison [DNF] - Beloved was in my TBR jar this year. I was also reading it for this month's Ladies of Horror Fiction Readathon. By page 43 I was daydreaming about everything else I could be reading instead. I really wanted to finish it for the sake of having read it, but I knew I would be forcing myself to do so.

Poetry Magazine September 2019 ⭐⭐★★★ - I didn't connect with this month's book from Poetry Magazine. The field of poetry is so wide, it's bound to happen.

Currently Reading


Teeth in the Mist by Dawn Kurtagich Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull

Teeth in the Mist by Dawn Kurtagich - I have so much to catch up on around the house today. I'm going to be listening to the audio of Teeth in the Mist (this month's group read in the Ladies of Horror Fiction Goodreads group).

I'm currently buddy reading and loving the Fablehaven series with my son. I'm in book four Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary.

Recent Acquisitions


The Institute by Stephen King A Collection of Nightmares by Christina Sng Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

The Institute by Stephen King - I'm looking forward to starting this soon. I will probably wait until October, but I'm excited to read it.

A Collection of Nightmares by Christina Sng - A Collection of Nightmares is a horror poetry collection I'm looking to reading.

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager - I also ordered Lock Every Door. I wasn't a big fan of Final Girls, but I'm really wanting to check out Lock Every Door.

So what about you? Let me know what you're reading this week or leave me some links!


This post is being shared as part of Book Date's It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Jennifer

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