2025 - September Books!

 1.  When Among Crows, Veronica Roth - I absolutely love little urban fairy tales like this, and I have a fondness for Polish fairy tales because of some beloved older books.  I think it just wasn't quite what I was in the mood for at the moment.  Rather than being put off, though, I am planning on rereading, and also would like to read the sequel.  Knowing myself, this will become a favorite that I'm likely to return to from time to time.  And I loved this version of Baba Yaga.  

2.  What Feasts at Night, T. Kingfisher (audio, novella) - Em.  Well, I didn't dislike it, but it didn't make much of an imprint.  I did read the first book, and enjoyed it...but wasn't drawn to read this until the third book came out.  I think I can leave this series to rest.  Little disappointed, but then again not every book suits!  

3.  Say You'll Remember Me, Abby Jimenez (audio) - Only reading romance because my library hold became available.  Ok, and I have a soft spot for books about veterinarians because my dad was one!  This is only the second Jimenez book I've read, but because of it, I'm now a fan.  I loved that it was a gentle love story where the only problem was a question of location.  (And not some crazy interpersonal nonsense)  Gentle and sweet, I think this is what made me an Abby Jimenez fan.  

4.  The Last Soul Among Wolves, Melissa Caruso - Dare I say it, better than the first book!  This time it was more of a who done it in a fantasy setting than a straight up fantasy, and I thought that was super fun.  I'm still over the moon about the fact that our main character is an exhausted mom on maternity leave, and I love that we got a bigger picture into her life in this book by meeting her old friends and exploring the relationships around her.  Kudos! Can't wait to see where this goes next!

5.  The Enchanted Greenhouse, Sarah Beth Durst - And again, better than the first book! But then, the idea of a magical greenhouse and a quaint cottage is just about my idea of heaven.  There was a section towards the end that I read and reread multiple times.  Our FMC did something for the MMC that I truly wish had been done for me, and just reading those paragraphs was profoundly healing.  

6.  The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk, Carissa Broadbent - Time to read the second book in the middle duology.  I don't think I loved this duology as much as the first, but it was still a very enjoyable read - for all that it went to some really dark places.  The love story was dreamy, and the plot had big consequences, and as always the worldbuilding was lovely.  I'm a little nervous about the final duology given what happened in the end of this one....but I do trust Broadbent to stick the landing.  

7.  The Floating World, Axie Oh - This is the book that officially sent me to my tbr to remove all first books in a series that's not done being published yet.  Truly annoyed at this point.  Anyway, the book.  I don't know quite what I expected, but this wasn't quite it.  Took me multiple reading attempts to get into it, and even though I enjoyed it in the end that rough start says something to me.  Yes, I'll read the next book...but I probably won't rush to it as soon as it's published. 

8.  A Theory of Dreaming, Ava Reid - Wonderful.  Just wonderful.  This time we are focused on Preston, and I really enjoyed stepping more into his shoes.  I also very much appreciated the fact that we continued to explore Effy's mental health challenges - that they didn't just magically disappear after the events of the first book.  There was real tension and danger throughout - some magical, but much from mundane sources that we all must face.  I absolutely loved it.  And the ending....chef's kiss!

9.  The Society of Unknowable Objects, Gareth Brown - I loved the Book of Doors so, so much, and so perhaps my expectations were a bit too high for Brown's second book.  Felt a little like he poured all of his hopes and dreams into the first book, and then couldn't quite live up to it in the second.  It's clear he's going to continue on in this world -  I did enjoy the bit at the end that tied the two books together - and hopefully future books will improve.  

10.  Wild Card, Elsie Silver - Wasn't feeling good, so read the newest in the Rose Hill series.  Had to have a friend read it first because the advertised tropes are not something I enjoy...but with her review I tried it.  To my surprise, I actually really loved it.  In fact, it's my favorite in the series.  

11.  People We Meet on Vacation, Emily Henry - And I wasn't quite ready for the heavy stuff yet, so decided to finish my last unread Henry book.  This is another book I'd started a couple of months ago, and had a little trouble getting into.  It's not my favorite Henry book, but ultimately I did enjoy the journey.  

12.  The Bewitching, Silvia Moreno-Garcia - This just might be my favorite of Moreno-Garcia's books!  I do love a good Gothic story, and this had everything - witches, ghosts, mysteries, three different timelines, mysterious settings, and more!  Of the three timelines, the origin story did fall a little bit flat for me, although looking back I understand everything about it.  This is the book that made me realize that maybe, just maybe, this year I want more spooky books for the season.  

13.  The Summer War, Naomi Novik (novella) - Delightful, just delightful.  Novik excells at fairy tales, and I was just in heaven through this entire read.  Kind of wish it was a full length novel!  

14.  We Live Here Now, Sarah Pinborough (audio) - For someone who doesn't read a lot of horror, this is my third for the month!  (Lol, as I said....)  It was a recommendation from my trusted booktok sources, and o.m.g.  I am so glad I read it!  This fits nicely into the haunted house trope, with a spin on it that I didn't know I needed until I got it.  And then ending...wow, I really loved that ending!  So perfect!  

15.  Five Broken Blades, Mai Corland - I'm really disappointed by this one.  I had heard great things, and really enjoyed the early portions of the book where the six main characters were being introduced.  Unfortunately, it all went downhill once they met up for the formal part of the adventure.  The overly convenient relationships, the writing style that felt like super young/naive ya, the plot that felt like an afterthought....yeah, it wasn't great.  Rolled my eyes through most of it.  Will NOT be continuing on.  

16.  Would You Rather, Allison Ashley - I wanted light fluff, and I got light fluff!  I'd read the second book in this pair earlier this year, and liked this one a whole lot better.  But then again, I'm a sucker for friends to lovers...as I've said, that's my personal story!

17.  Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, Brandon Sanderson (audio) - I went into this ready to love it because of how much I loved Tress of the Emerald Sea, another of Sanderson's secret projects.  And you know what?  I did love it so, so much.  Yumi and the Painter were a delight, and I really enjoyed their story and their growth.  May have to get a copy for my shelf!  Bonus:  Sanderson added information at the very end about his inspiration, and I felt that gave the book some extra depth.  

18.  The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, Grady Hendrix (audio) - I love Hendrix so, so much.  In fact, this may have been my favorite of his books!  (or at least tied with this year's Witchcraft for Wayward Girls)  As I've said before, it amazes me at how beautifully Hendrix writes women, and I love how perfectly he sets his stories in specific times and places.  In fact, the setting often upset me more than the horror story...which is the point.  Hendrix does what Madeline L'Engle once described so well - he uses genre to explore issues we can't quite face directly in real life, and I love him for that. 

19.  Hemlock and Silver, T. Kingfisher - Hmm.  Kingfisher is a reliable writer, who once again has created a delightful older FMC in a retelling of a well-known fairy tale.  It ticked all of the boxes, and yet I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I thought I would.  Still puzzling over that one.  I think maybe sometimes Kingfisher feels a bit too precious, too cozy.  Maybe?   Most likely just another case of it being the wrong time for the right book.  

20.  The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love, India Holton (audio) - Yep, I'm a sucker for this type of relationship (the adventurer and the academic...historic settings...lots of banter and hijinks)  It was lighthearted and frothy and often laugh out loud funny.  Who knew that publicists could be so entertaining?!  It all felt fresh and new, which is miraculous when you are working within the confines of well defined tropes!  

21.  Next of Kin, Hannah Bonam-Young (audio) - A gentle love story about found family and overcoming traumatic childhoods.  (Which sounds super dramatic when written that way....)  Yes, there was much that felt implausible and too easy...but I think that's part of Bonam-Young's style.  She wants to write about real life, but she wants to leave her readers with hope.  

22.  A Novel Love Story, Ashley Poston - Poston's style of magical realism romance is sweet and gentle, and often really isn't about the romance.  This particular book....well, it hit home because it could have been written for me alone, and I'm left pondering my own life and what it is that I really want from the rest of it.