Reading in September

 1.  The Book of Gothel, Mary McMyne - I've seen this book kicking around for a while, but hadn't thought much of it until it came as a recommendation from a very, very trusted friend.  (She manages a bookshop!)  Very much in the tradition of 'the real story behind the villain' we get a new look at the Rapunzel story in this book, and I'm here for all of it.  Bonus points for the framing device of the story!  I do think the pacing of the story could have been a smidge better, but that's a nitpicky complaint.  

2.  Record of a Spaceborn Few, Becky Chambers (reread) - I just needed it.  For more about Chambers, please read this wonderful article.  Coming back to her books is like coming back to an old friend, and it's always an ultimately uplifting experience.  

3.  The Galaxy and the Ground Below, Becky Chambers (reread) - And I needed this too.   I will say it hit differently after recent family events...but maybe it was just the thing I needed.  

4.  Her Radiant Curse, Elizabeth Lim (Print and audio) - How on earth I didn't realize this was a prequel until the very last minute...I just don't know.  (Six Crimson Cranes and The Dragon's Promise) Silly me.  It was every bit as gorgeous of a fairy tale as I would expect from Lim.  I loved the sisters, and I loved how deeply emotional the whole story felt.  And I loved the bittersweet ending, which added so much richness to the books that come after.  

5. Mammoths at the Gates, Nghi Vo (The Singing Hills Cycle, Book 4) - I adore these books.  There's a gentleness to them that really tugs at my heart.  The beautiful thing is that there really wasn't a bad guy...just a hard situation...at the heart of this book, and it made for thoughtful reading.  

6. Wayward, Emelia Hart (audio and print) - This was another recommended by my friend.  I liked it despite itself and felt great satisfaction at the ending.  Warning, though, this is a book where every woman is a victim, and it can be hard to get through because of that.  In fact, I usually pass on books like this because they can just be hard.  

7. A Nobeleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundral, K.J. Charles - Now here is Charles back at their best!  So much fun.  Sometimes a girl just needs a popcorn book to read, and these romance novels are it for me.  Particularly welcome after the last book. 

8.  A Study in Drowning, Ava Reid - Brilliantly Gothic in every sense of the word.  The setting, as it should be in all good Gothic novels, was intense and very unique.  I felt damp and cold through the whole book!  As I've said before, I love Reid because she's able to write complex characters who have serious problems without it feeling exploitative.  She also always brings some hope to the end, which is welcome indeed.  Having said that, I'm really left wondering about the very last page...