📚 Two Spectacular Reading Months 📚

Updates on the 53 books I read in September and October

Yes, you read that subtitle right. 53 books in 2 months! If I could sustain that… I’d easily read 300+ books a year! Alas, my bookish interest is sometimes fickle, but I’m enjoying this excellent run while it lasts.

September’s books:

• They Do It With Mirrors - one of my fave Christies

• The Twist of a Knife - this very meta mystery series is getting a little old

• A Fire at the Exposition - Lady Hardcastle and Flo up to their Edwardian investigative antics again. An excellent entry in a fave series.

• Murder on the Christmas Express - a train mystery that looks cozy, but was actually quite dark and disturbing.

• The Color of Law - I predicted this would ENRAGE ME, and I was not wrong. How can people think that systemic racism doesn’t exist?!!?

• The Guy on the Left - new adult romance, with a twist — teacher finds out that the guy she met at a bar was an 18yo hs senior there with a fake id…

• Crazy Little Thing - cute, closed door Michigan romance

• Ella of All-of-a-Kind Family - wrapped up this series on audio with Juliet. The weakest of the 5 books, but still enjoyable.

• The Journey to Wholeness - pondered this slowly over several days, before deciding I think I am still an Enneagram 1 (I was questioning that)

• The Untitled Books - part of a slightly magical / steampunk WW1 mystery series

• Cassandra in Reverse - Groundhog Day-esque, got a little old for me

• Simply Jesus - nothing groundbreaking, but I enjoyed this journey through Jesus’s life

• The Great Greene Heist - a mediocre middle grade heist novel

• Here For It - I *loved* this collection of essays from a Black, gay, Christian man

• Devil May Care - an Elizabeth Peters novel I’d never read! Sadly, not one of her best.

• Romantic Comedy - I really enjoyed this book, although I don’t know that I’d call it a romance OR a comedy.

• Codename Charming - a reread of a British royals-adjacent mystery; liked it better on audio!

• Counting the Cost - gosh, makes me feel guilty for occasionally watching some of the Duggars’ TLC shows.

• Hallowe'en Party - in what insane world are people like “meh, my murdered sister was annoying, I know she only died yesterday, but please let me do my homework”??

• Starter Villain - like a James Bond novel, on steroids. Talking cats, super villains, and the dolphin proletariat is unionizing. HILARIOUS.

• Seamstress of Sardinia - intertwined essays that create an image of turn-of-the-20th-centry Sardinia — read for the #cozybookclub23

• The Great Oklahoma Swindle - I’ve never even been to Oklahoma, but I have several good friends there, and WHOA NELLIE.

• The Little Book of Hygge - perfect read for this time of year; it makes me realize how much hygge I’ve naturally incorporated since moving hto Flagstaff!

• Named of the Dragon - one of Kearsley’s early novels, a bit weaker plot-wise, but I love Arthurian legends

• Season of Storms - I wanted something Gothic, and the Italian setting is fun. Characters are pretty 1-dimensional.

• The Little Book of Lykke - had to follow up the hygge book!

• Lonesome Road - a solid Golden Age mystery

• The Bennet Women - a multiculural retelling set in the Bennet House dorm at a college. Interesting, but too long.

• The Light We Carry - LOVED this. Expected to, but did not also expect to rethink some of my parenting strategies as a result of reading it.

• The Running Grave - yes, the author is problematic, but the culty stuff was fascinating. I think it could’ve used some editing though — cut out 1 or 2 of the side plots.

  

October’s Books:

• Fourth Wing - liked it when I first read, but I didn’t *love* it. Have watched #bookstagram go nuts for six months, decided to try it again on audio. Liked it again. *shrug*

• The Future of Geography - interesting look at how geopolitics will influence space exploration

• Saving Time - the latest pick for #readingjoditaylor - I’m so sad we’re almost all caught up on the Time Police series. Bc the “Mr. P” revelations in this book were MIND-BLOWING

• Next-Door Nemesis - *much* better than Martin’s last novel - a cute, multicultural suburban romance

• Midnight in Chernobyl - gosh, this was hard to read in place. Soviet bumbling/ coverups cost so many lives.

• Taken at the Flood - I was thoroughly enjoying this, would’ve probably called it a fave Christie, TILL THE EPILOGUE. Oh em gee. Domestic violence content warning.

• Three Keys - the 2nd novel starring feisty Chinese immigrant Mia. I love how Mia’s judgmental teacher grows throughout the novel. (Family audiobook)

• The Good Part - Sophie Cousens is so good at what she does. This romance included a timeslip that made things super interesting.

• Thieves' Gambit - a high octane, multicultural YA heist novel. I can see why it’s already been optioned for a movie even though it just came out.

• The Bride Test - a Vietnamese immigrant and an autistic man find love in San Francisco.

• Making it So - 2/3 of this was charming; Patrick Stewart is just lovely. 1/3 was boring Shakespeare repetitiveness. Also, somehow he makes his infidelity sound NOT terrible, which is kind of amazing.

• Past Lying - a fantastic Scottish crime novel, with a ‘book within a book’ conceit that makes it truly fascinating. Tartan noir at its finest.

• The Bandit Queens - dark, but VERY funny. Women in a traditional Indian village start killing their husbands in a bid for freedom.

• A Heart Full of Headstones - was in the mood for more Tartan noir, so caught up on the latest Rebus novel. Eek!

• Canadian Boyfriend - not my favorite Jenny Holiday. Less funny than her typical books; felt like she was trying to be more like Abby Jimenez.

• Once Persuaded, Twice Shy - a fantastic retelling of my favorite Austen novel. Loved it!

• Project Hail Mary - liked when I first read, but didn’t *love*. Have watched #bookstagram go nuts for years, decided to try it again on audio. Liked it a little less this time, since I already knew the ‘twist’ and it wasn’t as grabbing.

• Hollywood Homicide - clever cozy mystery full of excellent one-liners. Read for #cozybookclub23

• Veritas - I expected Magdalene conspiracy theories, which I got. I didn’t expect Montana ranchers, a Floridian porn star, and the East German Stasi.

• The Vanderbeekers Ever After - Not me, ugly-crying while my family stared at me. 😭 I love this series so much. (Family audiobook)

• Singapore Sapphire - The Singaporean setting was fantastic, and I am looking forward to seeing Mrs. Gordon and Inspector Curran work together in future books.

• The Song of the Swan - I recognized clear ties to a Swan Princess story from my collected fairytales book growing up… but I did NOT realize it’s a Swan Lake retelling till the afterword haha!

• How to Stay Married - This was a LOT. Both super funny and super sad. A fascinating look at a very troubled marriage.
  
  How many of these 53 books have YOU read? What’s the best thing you read in the last month or two?