Bryanna’s September Reading Wrap-Up
Now that October is almost over, I thought I would post my reading list from September! It had its ups and downs, but I very rarely ever actually regret reading a book. That could be fun blog idea though…
I’ll try to keep this short and sweet. Feel free to comment anything below, or ask questions. Hopefully this list can help you find your next read, or encourage you to read something you already have but have been avoiding.
September Reading List:
Top Three:
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield- I had seen this one for the first time when I was on a train from London to Edinburgh with my mom. A woman was reading it the table across from ours and I liked the way she looked, so I took a look at her book (yes, I do that….). I liked the cover and googled it. Turns out, it was right up my alley. Dual timeline, gothic, atmospheric vibes and a mystery to solve. We meet Margaret, a biographer who is hired to chronicle the life of an elusive author, Vida Winter. There are family secrets, hauntings, and the story is a wonderful mix between a gothic ghost story and a fairy tale. I really enjoyed Setterfield’s oneiric, dreamlike writing and could not put it down. But the greatest part, in my opinion, is that ultimately it is a book about the love of stories. You can tell Setterfield adores books, and the reading list you can create from her references is amazing. 4/5 stars. In stock!
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen- So far this is my favourite Austen novel. This was our book club pick, and it was also, so far, the largest book club we’ve had. We had high tea while we discussed it and we all felt very fancy. Anyways, it tells the story of Elinor and Marianne, or sense and sensibility respectively. Of course the main question the reader has to ask themselves is “Which one is better when it comes to marriage, conduct and friendship?” That is for you to decide while you read it, but I think Austen would agree that both are needed. As with most of Austen’s novels, it is a story of marriage vs. business, or if the two can even be extricated from one another. I really enjoyed it and identified with 17 year old emo Marianne so much it hurt. 4/5 stars. In stock!
Silas Marner by George Eliot- This one snuck up on me. Eliot’s writing took a second for me to get used to, to be honest. She really makes you work for it. I thought “Oh, this is a short book. No problem. Got this.” Yeah. I know now for Middlemarch to give myself plenty of time with that 800 page behemoth. This short story packs so much into it, and while it took me a second, once it was over I was devastated. The characters are so fleshed out and real, and it’s such a beautiful story about human connection and love. I have a separate blog about it for Victober you can read here, if you want to find out more. 5/5 stars. In stock!
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens- Still working through this one. Not because it’s tedious, just because it’s my going to bed book, so am really taking my time. Still loving it! 5/5 so far. In stock!
The Last Days of Kira Mullan by Nicci French- A fun thriller, perfect for a vacation/ airplane read. Questions the main witness’ sanity, kind of like The Woman in the Window by A.J Finn, or The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. 4/5 stars. In stock!
Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin- This was our book club choice for the Horror Book Club and it was meh. Went in a weird direction, didn’t really make sense, a lot of plot holes. Writing was great in parts and the story started out really strong, but the second half needed some help. 3/5 stars. Not in stock.
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry- This was our pick for the Big Book Reading Group. While it was a crowd favourite, and I can understand why, it wasn’t for me and I was a bit disappointed. The character work is amazing, the writing is easy to read and the story is good. But, too long and drawn out for me. 3/5 stars. In stock!
Beloved Poison by E.S Thompson- I picked this up in Edinburgh and unfortunately cannot order them easily here. But if you have a chance, grab it! There’s about 4 or 5 books in the series, all centred around the same characters. They’re all gothic, historical fiction thrillers, with very old school detective vibes to them. 4/5 stars. Not in stock (working on it).
The Darlings of the Asylum by Noel O’Reilly- A good concept: women locked in an asylum during Victorian Era England. That’s my jam. Give me some unhinged women not ready to marry. Execution was meh, and I was honestly a bit disappointed that the author is a man. But that’s just me. Easy read, some good parts but overall, theres’ better books out there about women being locked away. 3/5 stars. In stock!
There you have it. Hope something speaks to you and as always, Happy Reading!