September 29, 2021
September 2021 Reading Wrap Up
How was your September reading?
September was an OK reading month for me. One long book affected my total book count (average month is 8-10). Why can’t these long books be worth three?!
Out of seven books, I had one 5-star reads (if I round the 4.5 up), three 4-star reads, three 3-star reads (and no 2 or 1 star reads or DNFs for the win!).
I’ve now read 86 books towards my year end goal of 100. Do you set a year-end goal?
My favorite reads of the month are Cloud Cuckoo Land (for its ambitious, creative, and complex story telling) and The Day the World Came to Town (for its memorable and inspirational content).
Did we read any of the same books?
***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Titles are Amazon affiliate links or my linked reviews.
ARC=Advanced Readers Copy (complimentary copy for review)
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
4.5 Stars (can easily be rounded up to 5). (ARC) Historical fiction, science fiction, contemporary fiction, myth mashup. Ambitious and complex storytelling. My review of Cloud Cuckoo Land here.
The Day the World Came to Town by Jim Defede
4 Stars. Narrative nonfiction. Inspirational and poignant. Review coming in November.
Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith
4 Stars. Historical fiction. Inspiring optimism. My favorite Smith is still A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Not reviewed.
Daughters of War by Dinah Jefferies
4 Stars. (ARC) Historical fiction. Compelling story of three sisters living and surviving during WW11. Review coming on November 16.
The House Swap by Jo Lovett
3.5 Stars. (ARC) Contemporary women’s fiction, rom-com. Quick, easy, and enjoyable. My review of House Swap here.
The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny
3 Stars. Detective, mystery, police procedural, crime fiction. #17 in the Inspector Gamache/Three Pines series. A good story but I’ve enjoyed others in the series more. Great cover though! My review of Madness of Crowds here.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
3 Stars. Nonfiction, memoir. Mother/daughter relationship and cancer content is too sad for me. Ended up skimming. Not reviewed.
QOTD:
What was your favorite September read?
Did we read any of the same books?
Which of these books is on your TBR?
ICYMI:
September Blog Posts:
Ten Books that Live Up To Their Hype
Cloud Cuckoo Land
The House Swap
The Medallion
Top 5 Stand Alone Books of Summer 2021
Fall 2021 TBR
Do Hype, Book Buzz, and High Expectations Affect Your Readng Experience?
The Dearly Beloved
The Madness of Crowds
The Only Plane in the Sky
Other Words For Home
If you Want to Make God Laugh
10 Books to Put a Smile On Your Face
The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman
The Vanished Bride
Bloomsbury Girls Cover Reveal
Happy Reading Book Buddies!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
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Book covers are credited to Amazon.
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i loved Daughters of War Carol and can’t wait for your review!
I liked it, too! More tragedy than I was expecting!
I think the book world is too caught up on the number of books read. A better stat is word count. I really enjoy getting immersed in a long book, then finding out it’s part of a series. Judging by how popular the Harry Potter books are, many people agree!
September was a slow reading month for me because I went on a two-week holiday to New Mexico and Arizona. We spent the days walking in the National Parks so I was exhausted in the evenings. So far, I have read 50 books this year. I also read fan fiction (my guilty pleasure) so my stats don’t really reflect my reading life.
One of my goals is to read books outside my usual genres, and I’ve done okay with this. I even dipped my toes into fantasy! Favorite book read in September was The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. I’m now reading the newly released second book in the series. It’s been a while since I laughed so hard while reading a book.
I’ve read some good reviews of the second Thursday Murder Club. I did read the first one and have the second on my TBR. Your vacation sounds wonderful! I dabble a bit in fan fiction for The Rookie #chenford It’s a fun diversion!
Beasts of Prey was mine!
Thanks for sharing!
I haven’t read any of your September reads Carol, though I do have the Louise Penny on order at the library. My favourite read for the month was Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. Happy reading for October!❤📚
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the new Moriarty Sandy!
Looks like you read some good books this month Carol. I added The Day the World Came to Town after the 911 memorials and it was mentioned by many people. I am on the wait list at the library.
For some reason I’m just seeing your comment from September! Weird WP! I’m reviewing The Day the World Came to Town on Friday! Hopefully your wait list will be short!
I hope you enjoy it, Carol. I will watch for your review.
Those super long books should count for more! They killed my recent review content haha
I wish Goodreads gave “extra credit” for books over 400 pages!
My favorite book was Blood Song.