Everything I read in September
Your home's really only a town you're just a guest in
Quality over Quantity!
While I may be even further behind on my reading goal for the year, I LOVED all 3 books I finished this month.
Spending most of the month in Georgia, means no audiobooks and thus only 3 physical reads.
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
This is the first book in the series that is so good from start to finish. Like the earlier books, it’s definitely setting up the big climactic war, but this one has action throughout and not just in the final 20%. (Don’t get it twisted, that last 20% is next level insanity, but the first 80% is also action-packed.)
One summer my brilliant cousin Eleni told me her favorite part of a movie is when “they make the plan.” You know what she’s talking about. The big training montage. [Netflix’s The Union had an excellent training montage!] Or when the hero has the brilliant idea to defeat the villain and starts to get the ball rolling. When they walk us through how the heist is supposed to go. That is this book.
Up until this book, (or the first 1,821 pages that make up the first four novels), it’s just been world building. The first three books really set up our world, the political system, and our characters as we need them. (snooze) Then in Heir of Fire it’s exciting to get to see our beloved characters grow, evolve, and ultimately decide to be the change they want to see in the world.
Even if we don’t get to see Celaena and Aelin’s plans in detail, we know they’re being crafted in these chapters. And we get to see the first phases play out. 10/10 recommend, if you can get through the 1,821 pages leading up to it.
Heartstopper Volume 2 & Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman
I read these the same day, and I’m so stinking smitten for these boys! Last month I told you about Charlie and Nick falling in love at their English boys’ school. Naturally I ran and bought used copies of the entire series. I’m trying to savor it, but we shall see.
Volume 2 picks up where the first left off: Charlie & Nick have kissed and now they’ve started dating. Nick explores his sexuality, and learns about what it means to be bisexual, and comes out to his mum. Charlie comes to terms with having a secret relationship. It’s so heartwarming, and was familiar for me as season 1 of the Netflix series spans the first two volumes.
Volume 3 follows Nick and Charlie through the Chunnel to Paris on their summer school trip. We get to see Charlie’s friend group adopt Nick, and spend time with the girls! The big themes in this book are coming out as a couple, self-harm, and disordered eating. And it’s soooo swoony!!
What did you read this month?
Did you have any 5 star reads? Have you read these books? Let me know!
Hyper-fixation du jour: Amelia Dimoldenberg
If you don’t watch Chicken Shop Date, you’re missing out!
If you want to purchase any of the books mentioned in this article, please consider using my affiliate link with my favorite independent book store, The Ripped Bodice, or using my referral link to libro.fm for an audiobook!