I only read eight books in September. Feels a little light for my normal reading speed. But I felt like I was in a reading slump for a while there. A few things I read in August weirded me out and it was hard to get into some of the books I picked this month. I’m going to focus on books I know I’ll like this month and hopefully get out of the slump.
Shutter by Laurie Faria Stolarz
A very meh book. Only finished it because I’ve been in a reading slump. Absolutely no mystery to it. Plus there were so many bits that were too unrealistic. He was just chillin’ in a barn for weeks in the winter? No way. And Day was so grossly obvious in her investigations. I had second-hand embarrassment.
A very bland book and if I ever checked things before I read them, I wouldn’t have even picked this one up since it’s YA.
Hope I get a good book to read soon.
Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
This was so well-done. The pacing at first seemed slow, but at the end it really pulled the story together. The seemingly mundane, day-to-day activities really drove home how isolated Rosemary was. Which led to her being so easily duped into thinking she was losing it.
Honestly, what doctor would say “don’t talk to your friends about being pregnant”? But she was so naive, so she took the bait.
When she connected all the dots, I was so panicked along with her. And there was so much dread in the final scenes. So wonderfully done.
The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum
This book was like a car crash – it was disgusting and awful, but I couldn’t look away.
Being told through an “innocent” bystander, and a child, really drove home the disturbing events of this book. He’s been taught to listen to the adults, but what about when the adult is condoning torture?
Even when I knew where it was going, I was still shocked when we got to it. I’m glad the more gruesome acts weren’t described, but you still felt the punch to the gut.
Can’t say I’d read it again. And it’s hard to say I liked it or that it was good. But I think it accomplished what it set out to do.
Get Your Book Selling in Kickstarter by Russel P Nohelty and Monica Leonelle
A great book. If you’re thinking about using Kickstarter, I highly recommend it.
Kickstarter will be a part of my business plan next year and this book will be right there the whole time.
Every part of the process is explained in so much detail, even a dummy could follow it. Can’t wait to use it in my business.
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
This was such a beautiful and exciting book. Alex was a wonderful main character and my heart went out to her during her struggles and emotional journey.
I loved the alternate history and how women simply turned into dragons. And then continued about their lives. The growth of each character coming to terms with the reality was well done.
My irritation grew every time they had to deal with the ignorant men and as they faced the womanly struggles of the day. And I was thrilled with the outcome in the end.
It was such a great book and I’m glad I read it.
Your First 1000 Copies by Tim Grahl
I enjoyed the format this book was written in. Giving two different authors advice through their different journeys gave me a lot of inspiration on how I can implement it into my own writing life.
This book was packed with great insights, tools, and advice. I’ll be revisiting it again to make sure I soaked up all the knowledge there was to offer.
The Ritual by Shantel Tessier
A pretty top-notch dark romance. The plot line wasn’t weak and there were a few shocking twists. I enjoyed the character dynamics and the growth they had. My favorite part was probably how it wasn’t a ‘love at first sight’ or ‘hardass turned mushy’ type of story.
The second epilogue felt a little unnecessary, but it did round everything out nicely.
Might have to pick up more from this author.
Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin
This was an emotional rollercoaster of a book. Riley is all of us who struggled in high school with our identity and self-expression. They are super brave to post on a blog all they are feeling, even anonymously.
The budding friendship and relationship were adorable and so real. And I really felt for Riley while they struggled with how to tell their parents. Especially with Dad’s campaigning.
The only issue I had was how many subplots were introduced without being fully explored. It felt like they were trying too hard to make every character well-rounded, but it fell flat.
A good book though.
I’ve almost reached my goal for the year. And I finished up the Books of Horror reading challenge with Becoming Rosemary. So, all in all, I’m pleased with my reading progress. Come back next week to read my deep dive thoughts on my favorite read of the month, When Women Were Dragons.