Yes, I already posted my October wrap-up, but that doesn’t mean I forgot about September!

Stats

Total books read: 9

#readmyowndamnbooks: 5

Novellas: 2

 

The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake (5 stars) – This series is all about characters and vibes, and I’m relieved that I loved this second installment almost as much as the first. It made me extremely excited for The Atlas Complex, which comes out in January.

Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison (4.5 stars) – Is this my new favorite Rachel Harrison book?? It’s hard to decide, because I’ve loved everything I’ve read from her, but Such Sharp Teeth is definitely one of her strongest. Werewolf transformation is used to explore past trauma and the body horror aspects of womanhood, and it does very well exploring family and friend dynamics alongside and interwoven with its supernatural plotline. Really, really well done.

The Two Doctors Gorski by Isaac Fellman (4 stars) – I’ll pick up almost anything categorized as dark academia, and this novella was no different. It definitely took a different turn than I was expecting, which I appreciated, and had a very interesting premise and message.

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson (4 stars) – I think I may have anticipated a more subtle Gothic story with this one, but it’s definitively horror, and sometimes quite graphic. I liked our indomitable protagonist and the author’s imaginative take on the Blood Countess story.

The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay (4 stars) – I would say that this book isn’t my typical genre, but I do gravitate overall to books that sound strange, so maybe it is. The audio performance of this one is very well done and manages to capture the spirit of two narrators who disagree over the unfolding of events; it’s an atmospheric fall read that avoids overt gore but still manages to be subtly creepy.

Codename Charming by Lucy Parker (3.5 stars) – I wasn’t wowed by this follow-up to Battle Royal in the Palace Insiders series. The romance between an assistant to the royal family and a bodyguard was cute, but I wasn’t as captivated by these leads as I have been by some of Parker’s past protagonists.

What the Hex by Alexis Daria (3.5 stars) – A cute, witchy, rivals-to-lovers romance novella set on a hidden island populated by magical families and set during a wedding uniting two of them. Our main characters, the Maid of Honor and Best Man, need to work together to save the wedding and free their families from an unexpected curse; hijinks and chemistry ensue. This was a fun audio listen for Halloween season.

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber (3 stars) – This YA romantasy trilogy is extremely popular on BookTok, so I wanted to give it a try; I did find the main characters interesting, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style. I’m not sure yet if I’ll continue to the sequel.

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell (3 stars) – I picked up this thriller for book club, and although the premise sounded really interesting and I liked the multi-format audio performance, the actual plot was lackluster for me.