A Little Bit of Everything | September 2024 Reading Wrap Up
Hey hi hello friends, and welcome back to my blog!
Can you believe it's already October? September really just flew by. I think that was partly due to the slight lift in my mood. Don't get me wrong, it's still wickedly hot here in Phoenix (I think today the high is 109 degrees) but there were a few days in the middle of the month that were in the high 80s, which is actually a pretty decent temperature for me, though I much prefer the 60-75 degree range. I also started a few of my favorite fall traditions: decorating, watching Gilmore Girls, making hot chocolate, etc. Even if the temperature doesn't say it's Autumn, my heart does, you know what I mean?
Of course another potential reason September went by so fast was the amount of books that I read, which is back into the slightly insane range. In the month of September I read a total of 17 books: 6 novels, 2 novellas, 5 graphic novels, 1 poetry collection, 1 short story collection, 1 manga, and 1 nonfiction. It was a melting pot of reading this month! And once again, everything I read was from the library, save two books. Maybe you can guess which of these books I already own?
Let's just get into it!
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Novels
1. Phaedra by Laura Shepperson
Means of reading: Physical
Star rating/CAWPILE: 3 stars/5.56 CAWPILE
Page count: 304 pages
Day(s) read: 9.07 - 9.08
Final thoughts: I feel like there are two camps when it comes to Greek Mythology retellings: the magical, feminist retelling; and the dark, gruesome (and also feminist, because that's the trend lately) retelling. This is definitely the latter. Laura Shepperson did not shy away from the nitty gritty of it all. A major trigger warning for rape and sexual assault, if that was a triggering topic for me I don't think I would have been able to finish this book. That being said, I appreciated the care that the author took with the story and exploring that topic. Phaedra in antiquity is given little to no agency, acting only as a vessel for Aphrodite's revenge. Seeing her as a fully fleshed out character was nice.
2. Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes
Means of reading: Physical
Star rating/CAWPILE: 3 stars/5.16 CAWPILE
Page count: 352 pages
Day(s) read: 9.11 - 9.12
Final thoughts: I was having a grand ol' spooky time with this book right up until I wasn't. The suspense was top notch, the atmosphere pleasantly terrifying...and then that stupid ass reveal! I had no idea a plot twist could make my enjoyment tank so quickly, but there's a first time for everything I guess. I was fully prepared for the twist to be some huge, eldritch, malignant other being, but noooooo. For the first 60% of the book I was absolutely thinking this was going to be a five-star read, but that was such a one-star reveal that it significantly lowered the overall rating. I'm honestly so disappointed.
3. A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
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Means of reading: Physical
Star rating/CAWPILE: 4 stars/7.63 CAWPILE
Page count: 336 pages
Day(s) read: 9.15 - 9.16
Final thoughts: T. Kingfisher is just so good. I liked this so much more than Thornhedge, which I read earlier this year. This is on par with Nettle & Bone for me. I didn't know anything about the original Grimm's Goose Girl before reading this book, but I did look it up after I finished and I'm happy with the changes the author made. The whole time I was reading, I felt so bad for Cordelia. This is what I mean when I say I need to feel empathetic towards the characters! I also loved the horror element. I knew there had to be some sort of spoop thrown in, because it's T. Kingfisher, and there it was. Absolutely terrifying, will never look at horses the same way again.
4. When Ghosts Call Us Home by Katya de Becerra
Means of reading: Physical
Star rating/CAWPILE: 3.5 stars/6.01 CAWPILE
Page count: 368 pages
Day(s) read: 9.17 (ONE DAY READ)
Final thoughts: I can't remember the last time I deliberately picked up a YA novel, but Cari's review got to me and before I knew it I had it on hold from the library. Is it a new favorite? No, but I don't regret reading it. A good library find, really. There were some pretty corny parts but I feel like you have to expect a certain amount of cheese when it comes to YA. I'm more upset about the continuity errors than anything. And I was way more interested in the storyline of the original film, so of course we barely got any of that in the book. As per usual, I felt that the romance took up way too much time. Believe it or not, you can write a YA book without adding a pointless romance. I've seen it done before.
5. Hera by Jennifer Saint
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Means of reading: Physical
Star rating/CAWPILE: 5 stars/9.04 CAWPILE
Page count: 388 pages
Day(s) read: 9.18 - 9.24
Final thoughts: Ooooooooo, this was so good! I think this is my favorite of Jennifer Saint's mythology novels, actually. Hera is so often overlooked in stories, either made out to be the villain (i.e. Percy Jackson and the Olympians) or not mentioned at all. It's wonderful to see a fully fledged rendition of her. This book has definitely given me a new appreciation for Hera. Seeing her as a defiant warrior isn't something I've ever seen before, and it was excellent. Plus there was a certain character that was given a special relationship to Hera, and I don't know if that's based on any primary sources or not (if it is, it's not one I've ever read) but I thought it was brilliant. Love!
6. Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid
Means of reading: Physical
Star rating/CAWPILE: 3.5 stars/6.72 CAWPILE
Page count: 320 pages
Day(s) read: 9.27 (ONE DAY READ)
Final thoughts: Well, I do think that I liked this more than Juniper & Thorn, which is the only other Ava Reid novel that I've read. I won't deny that she can write a gothic novel. I thought the writing and the atmosphere were the best parts of this book. However, I just think her characters are lacking. I didn't feel any sort of connection to Roscille, whether on her own or in relation to the other characters. And I especially didn't care for any of the male characters, even the love interest, who is meant to gain sympathy (I assume). The romance felt rather forced (which is what I felt about Juniper & Thorn as well). I think that Ava Reid is a "no plot, just vibes" type of writer, but when you don't vibe with the vibes, it's hard to enjoy the book as a whole.
Novellas
1. Come Closer by Sara Gran
Means of reading: Physical
Star rating/CAWPILE: 3.5 stars/6.19 CAWPILE
Page count: 168 pages
Day(s) read: 9.06 (ONE DAY READ)
Final thoughts: This was my first foray into possession stories so I don't know if what I will say here will be a good representation of the genre as a whole, but I thought this was very interesting. It wasn't grotesque in the way that a lot of horror tends to be, which is always a plus in my eyes. I didn't care about the characters at all though, which was to the disadvantage of the narrative. I feel like if you want to write a story about a character losing themselves, the reader needs to first feel attached to said character, and I just didn't get that here. It was for sure unsettling, especially the very beginning. But I lost interest in the main character in the middle of the story, and I found the ending lacking in substance.
2. The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun
Translated from the Korean by Sora Kim-Russell
Means of reading: Physical
Star rating/CAWPILE: 2 stars/2.57 CAWPILE
Page count: 198 pages
Day(s) read: 9.12 - 9.14
Final thoughts: I...don't think I liked this very much. Ongi was not a sympathetic main character, and while I know (or assume, at least) that wasn't meant to be, there wasn't anything in the narrative to suggest otherwise. We didn't get a lick of characterization for literally any other character. They weren't even named! The only way we knew which character was which was because they were all described in relation to Ongi: "his wife," "his mother-in-law," "his caregiver," etc. Plus, the more the book went on, the worse Ongi got as a person. He was an incredibly unreliable narrator, but in a really frustrating way as opposed to an intriguing way. I'm not going to lie, I felt like the ending was just-desserts for him. I don't know if I would personally categorize this as a horror book, even though that's what it's shelved as.
Graphic Novels
1. Shadow Life by Hiromi Goto
Means of reading: Physical
Star rating/CAWPILE: 3.5 stars/6.27 CAWPILE
Page count: 368 pages
Day(s) read: 9.14 (ONE DAY READ)
Final thoughts: A very good graphic novel! I thought it handled grief excellently, much better than The Hole. Kumiko was a very interesting main character, I don't read a lot of books with older main characters so this was a nice change of pace for me. Kumiko was head-strong and very sure of herself, and I liked how she held herself around others. I wish we got more of her and Alice, but I understand that their relationship wasn't the point of the story (though it was very sweet, and kind of goals honestly. Not the being-separated-our-whole-adult-lives part, but the softness at the end).
2. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
Means of reading: E-book
Star rating/CAWPILE: 3 stars/5.00 CAWPILE
Page count: 128 pages
Day(s) read: 9.22 (ONE DAY READ)
Final thoughts: This was just...okay? I don't know if it's because I've seen clips of this movie out the wazoo, but nothing about this felt particularly new or revolutionary to me. The overall message was nice, but I just felt like I'd read it or something similar a hundred times before.
3. Big Panda & Tiny Dragon by James Norbury
Means of reading: E-book
Star rating/CAWPILE: 3.5 stars/6.00 CAWPILE
Page count: 94 pages
Day(s) read: 9.22 (ONE DAY READ)
Final thoughts: I did like this more than The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse but not by a super wide margin. I want to be like Big Panda, going with the flow and taking things as they come, but I think we all know at this point that I'm more like Tiny Dragon, anxious about the world and worrying about a dozen different things that are outside of my control. I did really enjoy the art, it was reminiscent of ancient Chinese brush paintings and it fit with the overarching philosophical theme. Plus, anything with panda bears is going to be loved by me. It's inevitable.
4. Garlic & the Vampire by Bree Paulsen
Means of reading: E-book
Star rating/CAWPILE: 3 stars/5.00 CAWPILE
Page count: 160 pages
Day(s) read: 9.26 (ONE DAY READ)
Final thoughts: Very cute! Garlic was a super relatable character, despite being a literal vegetable. However I found the plot rather superficial. I know this is a middle-grade graphic novel, but there wasn't much depth to it, which I think is a disservice to middle-grade readers. The art was absolutely gorgeous though, and my uncontested favorite part. I can see why Katie calls this "the perfect Autumn read."
5. Garlic & the Witch by Bree Paulsen
Means of reading: E-book
Star rating/CAWPILE: 3 stars/5.00 CAWPILE
Page count: 160 pages
Day(s) read: 9.26 (ONE DAY READ)
Final thoughts: I liked that this sequel gave us a lot more information about the Garlic and the rest of the Vegetable Villagers, but again the actual plot of the story was pretty lacking. Although one thing that I appreciated above all else was that Garlic's anxiety didn't just go away because she overcame her fears. I think it sends a good message to the younger readers, that you can be a whole person and still be anxious.
Poetry
1. The Poetry of Christina Rossetti by Christina Rossetti
Means of reading: Physical
Star rating/CAWPILE: N/A
Page count: 238 pages
Day(s) read: 9.22 - 9.25
Final thoughts: The only poem I knew of Christina Rossetti's before reading this collection was The Goblin Market, which is arguably her most famous work. I knew nothing about her other poems, or her for that matter, so I really enjoyed learning. A lot of her poetry deals heavily with topics like death, religion, and grief. She seemed to be obsessed with the idea of going to Heaven, which makes sense since she was a devout Catholic. I enjoyed quite a few of her poems: The Goblin Market of course, but also Remember, Mirage, Under the Rose, A Royal Princess, and many others. I seemed to like her more narrative style poetry than her philosophical work.
Short Stories
1. Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik
Means of reading: Audiobook
Star rating/CAWPILE: 4 stars/7.00 CAWPILE
Page count: 428 pages (12 hrs 46 mins audio)
Day(s) read: 9.24 - 9.30
Final thoughts: I loved getting more glimpses into Naomi Novik's worlds and stories. My favorite story in this collection was Vici, which is about the beginnings of dragon riding in the Temeraire universe, when Marc Antony finds a dragon egg. I love Temeraire and anything to do with it so I really liked that story. A few stories were flops for me, but the good far outweighed the bad.
Manga
1. Wolf Children: Ami & Yuki by Mamoru Hosoda
Translated from the Japanese by Jocelyn Allen
Means of reading: Physical
Star rating/CAWPILE: N/A
Page count: 549 pages
Day(s) read: 9.14 (ONE DAY READ)
Final thoughts: Eh? The art style was a little weird and took me a minute to get used to (especially when the wolves were on page, that was a little too much for me) but the story was nice. I will probably watch the movie next month, just to get the full experience. I know this is a very beloved story, so I want to have the full picture. But the art style...yeah. Just a little weird.
Nonfiction
1. The Missing Thread: A Women's History of the Ancient World by Daisy Dunn
Means of reading: Mixed Media
Star rating/CAWPILE: 5 stars/9.20 CAWPILE
Page count: 480 pages
Day(s) read: 9.03 - 9.23
Final thoughts: Wheeeeee this took me forever to finish, but it was so good! Definitely one of if not my favorite nonfiction reads of the year. The only reason it took me so long to read was because there was so much information packed into the pages. This might be the only time I use "dense" in a good way to describe a book. I felt like I was learning a thousand new things each chapter. I was never bored while reading. And while I did know most of the more general information in this book, that only added to my enjoyment of it, because I'm a little freak when it comes to ancient history. I thought the concept was brilliant: revisiting ancient times and places through the lens of the women overlooked. I knew a fair amount about Sappho and Cleopatra, but Fulvia and Agrippina? I only knew of them as the wives and mothers of emperors, and that's such a disservice to their memory. This book rectified that. Highly recommend.
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Total page count: 5,039 pages (12 hrs 46 mins total audio)
Favorite book of September: Hera by Jennifer Saint
No DNFs this month
No unfinished books this month
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Whew, what a list!
Since October is my birthday month, I'm going to try and be a little more leisurely with my reading, and also prioritize some anticipated releases as well as maybe reread a few old favorites? Who knows what I'll end up doing, really. I still have a stack of library books that I need to get through...
Until next time!
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