🍂 September Reviews 🍁
September 1st-30th
In September, I read 26 books with 5922 pages. I had a great month of reading and found many new favorites. My favorite books from the month were: Hollywood, Ending by John Green, Styx (Goddesses of the Underworld #2) by Nikita Gill, To the Stars and Back Volume 1 & 2 by Peglo, and Finding Home Volume 4: The Gardener by Hari Conner.
Hope you enjoyed what you read this month and that October is even better!
Happy Reading.
Book 131: Castle Swimmer: Volume 4
By Wendy Martin
Read September 2nd
Pages: 288
Release Year: 2026
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My favorite volume from the series so far, especially the memories. It was great getting a second adventure from Kappa and Siren this year and seeing more of their journeys with their companions. I also loved getting to know more about the world and the other creatures.
This volume deals a lot with fears and desires especially with the creatures Siren, Pim, and Pagoon come across. Those scenes were so interesting. I enjoyed getting even more world-building.
I'm highly looking forward to seeing what will happen next in the future volumes from this series.
*Thank you to Ten Speed Graphic, Wendy Martin, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 132: Shock & Awe
(Sidewinder #1)
By Abigail Roux
Read September 3rd
Pages: 125
Release Year: 2015
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I didn't enjoy this one as much as I wanted to. It could have been much longer and given more time to build up the relationship between Kelly and Nick. Going in, I knew this was part of a shared universe with another series of the author's but did not know it was so connected to it. So, that might have affected my enjoyment of this one. I wouldn't mind picking up the other series eventually and getting to know more about this world and characters.
Book 133: To the Stars and Back, Volume One
By Peglo
Read September 4th
Pages: 416
Release Year: 2025
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This was one of the absolute sweetest graphic novels I have ever read. I adored Kang Dae and Bo Seon story so very much. The found family aspects were wonderful! It had me laughing so many times especially the notes underneath the Twine University Sign. I also couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud with the wall situation. Hilarious!
We also get to know about the trauma from both of their pasts and those parts really touched my heart. Kyo and Cindee were wonderful secondary characters and I love the bond this group all formed. Absolutely beautiful with stunning illustrations.
Book 134: To the Stars and Back, Volume Two
By Peglo
Read September 4th
Pages: 448
Release Year: 2026
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I highly enjoyed this continuation of Bo Seon and Kang Dae's story. This time mainly from Bo Seon's perspective. Peglo's illustrations are absolutely stunning and the story is wonderful! There were so many panels in this volume and the previous one that I could not stop staring at while reading. I adored watching these two fall in love.
There were so many scenes I adored and one of the best dealt with stars. I won't spoil it but I'm sure those who have read this will know. Also, love the continuation of notes on the university sign. So darn funny.
I want to gush about how much I adored the found family dynamics in both volumes. The bond that Bo Seon, Kang Dae, Kyo, and Cindee form is beautiful. The scenes with them all together or broke off into groups are some of my absolute favorites.
To the Stars and Back is definitely a series I will be returning to many times in the years to come. It is such a sweet romance that brought me so much joy to read, along with the wonderful characters. I highly recommend this one.
Book 135: Styx - The River
(Goddesses of the Underworld, #2)
By Nikita Gill
Read September 2nd-6th
Pages: 384
Release Year: 2026
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Nikita Gill is my favorite poet and I have been eagerly awaiting this book ever since I finished the first last year. Her style of writing is always spectacular. I love her way of telling these goddesses' stories. This time with a focus on Styx and Asteria.
Styx is another goddess whose backstory I did not know much about. I like that this book begins a generation before Hekate and leads up to the events of that book. She is treated differently by her family and most around her because she does not have the good looks that her mother and sisters have. Also, she does not have the powers she believes she deserves as the eldest child of the Titans. The story follows her as she learns to conceal the feelings of resentment she holds for those who treat her terribly.
The other perspective in this book is of Styx's cousin, Asteria. Styx and Asteria form a tight bond throughout their adolescence, especially after they realize the powers they have that they do not want anyone else to know about. I adored following both of them throughout the book and seeing the events of the story through their eyes. Their sister-like bond was one of the best parts of this entire book and makes the events of Hekate even sadder. I now want to reread it after reading this.
I will never get tired of finding new retellings of these myths and getting to see them through a different perspective. Going into this one, I knew where the story was eventually going to go because of my knowledge of the myths surrounding the Titanomachy and from the previous book. The journey there though was beautifully written and so incredibly powerful. I love how Nikita's writing immerses you from the very first page until the end. She brings life to these stories and makes the reader relate to these goddesses through their story.
Also, I want to mention how much I adored the relationship between Styx and Pallas. Such a wonderful depiction of them.
This like the first book is perfect for fans of Greek Mythology retellings, novels written in verse, and stories with strong female characters at their center. Nikita Gill is an amazing poet and I cannot recommend her writing enough. Her writing shines throughout this entire book and I will definitely be getting a copy for my collection. I cannot wait for the third book in series, whose goddess I predicted.
*Thank you to Little Brown Books, Nikita Gill, and NetGalley for my arc of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 136: Finding Home Volume 1: The Traveler
(Finding Home #1)
By Hari Conner
Read September 6th
Pages: 149
Release Year: 2018
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September 6th, 2026 reread:
I had an amazing time revisiting this again last night. Hari Conner's illustration style is absolutely stunning.
July 29, 2019 read:
I really love this story so much! I've read this entire volume once already on Tapas (over time) and now as a full volume together. It's great.
Book 137: Finding Home Volume 2: The Healer
(Finding Home #2)
By Hari Conner
Read September 7th
Pages: 196
Release Year: 2019
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I adore this series with all my heart and I had a wonderful time rereading it. Hari's illustration style is one of my absolute favorites for webcomics/graphic novels. I particularly love their way of playing around with the format for different scenes, for instance when music is being played/sung and also when someone is talking and another character cannot hear them.
Book 138: Finding Home Volume 3: The Prince
(Finding Home #3)
By Hari Conner
Read September 7th
Pages: 132
Release Year: 2020
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My gosh this series is so incredible! I remember reading parts of this volume when it was originally being released on Tapas years ago now, but for some reason I stopped reading it. I'm glad I finally decided to come back and finish it because this was beautiful! I adore Hari's style and will forever recommend this wonderful webcomic/graphic novel series.
Book 139: Finding Home Volume 4: The Gardener
(Finding Home, #4)
By Hari Conner
Read September 7th
Pages: 224
Release Year: 2022
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I'm glad I finally finished this series and I loved the conclusion to Chepi and Janek's story so much. There are so many stunning panels and pages throughout this entire series and this one had some of the best. I would love to have a print of one of them from the very end of the book. It might just be my favorite image from any of the volumes.
Book 140: Twig's Traveling Tomes
By Gryffin Murphy
Read September 8th-10th
Pages: 350
Release Year: 2026
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Twig's Traveling Tomes is a charming and whimsical novel that I recommend to fans of cozy fantasy stories. Another great example of a found family that I loved watching come together. I enjoyed getting to know these characters so much. The relationship they all formed was special. My favorite character from the group other than Louella and Everett, was definitely Midge. She was a riot!
Before each chapter there is a short excerpt from a different book in the world of the story. Many of them are ones Louella sells to patrons in her shop or that she reads herself. I wanted to read many of the books that were mentioned. I will forever love a book that celebrates the written word and the joy characters have while reading.
Another aspect of the story I loved was the adventure the group went on to help find the Grimoire for Feralorn. His dramatic personality brought so much humor to the book and I adored him.
Love the tongue-in-cheek meta scenes where Louella is thinking about something that often occurs in the books she reads, while it is happening in the story itself. There were a few of these moments and they made me chuckle.
Imogen Church's narration was perfect for this story. She is one of my favorite audiobook narrators of the year and made this book even better than it was with her narration. I enjoyed the voices she created for each of the characters.
*Thank you to RB Media/Recorded Books, Bindery Books, NetGalley, Edelweiss, and Gryffin Murphy for my audiobook and eARCs of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 141: Disney The Sword in the Stone Vol. 2: Merlin's Tale
By Erica Schultz
Read September 11th
Pages: 80
Release Year: 2026
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I enjoy books that continue, give different versions of, or are preludes to Disney movies. This one is for one of my favorite Disney movies The Sword in the Stone. Merlin has always been a character I have loved and I liked getting his backstory in this graphic novel.
Book 142: Off the Trail (Sanctuary Lake Retreat #1)
By Elle Waters
Read September 11th-12th
Pages: 260
Release Year: 2026
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One of the coziest romances I have read in a while and I enjoyed every single page. The perfect book to read in the fall.
I was first drawn to this book because of the retreat. One of my favorite aspects of this story was getting to see Shawn and Blaze spend so much time together through the activities. I love when a romance focuses on building a bound between the romantic leads and when we really get to know them each by themselves too.
This was a heartfelt story and it felt healing. Both men have dealt with hardships in their lives and grow separately and together. It had all the charm of a small-town romance and great side characters. I look forward to reading more books in the Sanctuary Lake Retreat series.
*Thank you to Lemon Tree Books, Elle Waters, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 143: The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder
(Lewis Barnavelt #5)
By John Bellairs and completed by Brad Strickland
Read September 13th
Pages: 153
Release Year: 1993
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I'm finally continuing on with the Lewis Barnavelt series. This adventure follows Lewis and his uncle Johnathan during their trip to Europe, which is set during the events of the previous book. I enjoyed this novel and how most of it is set at Barnavelt Manor in England.
John Bellairs was great at creating an eerie feeling in his books and it seems like Brad Strickland was very good at imitating his style. I'm not sure how much was written by either man, but this feels like the other books I read of John's.
Book 144: The Doom of the Haunted Opera
(Lewis Barnavelt #6)
By John Bellairs completed by Brad Strickland
Read September 13th
Pages: 160
Release Year: 1995
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Another great adventure with Lewis and Rose Rita working together again. I really enjoyed this one and there were plenty of eerie moments.
Book 145: The Specter from the Magician's Museum
(Lewis Barnavelt #7)
By Brad Strickland
Read September 15th-16th
Pages: 160
Release Year: 1998
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Definitely one of the creepiest books from the Lewis Barnavelt series so far, especially with the spiders. This was the first in the series that was completely Brad Strickland's and I think he did a great job of continuing with the world John Bellairs created.
Book 146: Two Truths and a Lie: Fun Facts, Unusual Knowledge, and Trivia to Test Your Wits
By Drew Basile
Read September 19th
Pages: 224
Release Year: 2026
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I have been a big trivia buff ever since I was a child. Learning new and interesting facts has always intrigued me and I highly enjoyed going through this entire book. There are many ways to play through it, which is completely explained at the beginning of the book, though I'm sure people could come up with plenty of ideas on their own too.
There are twelve different topics with 23 topic sets each. The categories are: History, Geography, Nature, Science, Psychology, Sports, Culture, Arts, Food, Technology, Law & Order, and Language. Every topic set has three statements: two truths and a lie and players must pick out what the lie is out of the set. My mother and I played through many of the questions together and many of them had us laughing along with the random facts. I like how the ebook takes you right to the answers at the back of the book.
I know I will be getting plenty of more use out of this book. Also, I wanted to say that I really love the cover design of this book. It was the reason I first decided to pick it up. If you enjoy random bits of trivia, I highly recommend this book.
*Thank you Zeitgeist, Drew Basile, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 147: We've Been Here the Whole Time!: A Not So Sacred Guide to All Things Native America
By Joey Clift
Read September 17th-19th
Pages: 224
Release Year: 2026
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A humorous book full of facts about Native American history that a lot of people could greatly benefit from. There is so much I didn't know before picking it up. Joey Clift does a masterful job of structuring this book along with giving all of these pieces of history. It had me laughing quite a bit and also thinking.
The information is all highly accessible because of the way Joey decided to tell it all. He breaks down these topics in a way that made them enjoyable to read but also does not downplay how important they were. Also, the illustrations by Julie Fiveash were great additions to everything. I highly enjoyed the way this book was designed.
*Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing, Joey Clift, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 148: Legends & Lattes: The Graphic Novel
adapted by Samuel Sattin, based on the novel by Travis Baldree, and illustrated by Shanti Rittgers and Sarah Webb
Read September 19th-20th
Pages: 208
Release Year: 2026
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An absolutely wonderful adaptation of one of my favorite cozy fantasy novels. Legends & Lattes is a comfort read at it's finest and the illustrations in this graphic novel go along so well with Travis Baldree's world. I would love to be able to go to Viv's coffee shop and try some of Thimble's bake goods. Viv, Cal, Tandri, and Thimble are a found family I adore.
I've been meaning to get back into the Legends & Lattes series and I believe this was the perfect way to do so. If you are a fan of the wonderful original novel or are new to the world, I highly recommend this. I cannot recommend Travis Baldree's books enough. Samuel Sattin did a great job adapting the story to a visual format and Shanti Rittgers and Sarah Webb's illustrations are stunning.
*Thank you to Ten Speed Graphic, Travis Baldree, Samuel Sattin, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 149: The Beast Under the Wizard's Bridge
(Lewis Barnavelt #8)
By Brad Strickland
Read September 21st-23rd
Pages: 160
Release Year: 2000
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My favorite book in the series since The Ghost in the Mirror and it is definitely the best for me from Brad Strickland's continuation of John Bellairs' work. I'm a big fan of the unsettling feeling throughout most of this book, though I will say the end was wrapped up too quickly for me.
Book 150: The Tower at the End of the World
(Lewis Barnavelt #9)
By Brad Strickland
Read September 23rd
Pages: 160
Release Year: 2001
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This was a definite decline for me from the last book. I still enjoyed it but not close to as much as the others before it. By this point in the series, I really don't think we have to rehash so many different aspects or character traits like Mrs. Zimmermann's love of the color purple. I liked the idea with the tower and there were many creepy scenes in this that I enjoyed.
Book 151: The Whistle, the Grave, and the Ghost
(Lewis Barnavelt #10)
By Brad Strickland
Read September 24th
Pages: 152
Release Year: 2003
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This book was very similar to a previous book in the series, The Figure in the Shadows and I believe John Bellairs did the story so much better. Also, Lewis had so much character growth in previous books and this felt like a step backward for him. The worst book in the series so far.
Book 152: The House Where Nobody Lived
(Lewis Barnavelt #11)
By Brad Strickland
Read September 24th-25th
Pages: 173
Release Year: 2006
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I enjoyed this adventure much more than the last, but it still isn't as good as the others that came before it.
Book 153: The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer
(Lewis Barnavelt #12)
By Brad Strickland
Read September 25th
Pages: 168
Release Year: 2008
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This is one of the best of the books in the series of the ones written by Brad Strickland. I highly enjoyed the plot of this and getting more of Uncle Jonathan's backstory with the other magic users. Quite interesting. Also, the nod to (my favorite of John Bellairs' books so far) was great! The Face in the Frost
Book 154: All the Sunshine in the World
By Caroline Brooks DuBois
Read September 26th
Pages: 368
Release Year: 2026
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A poignant novel in verse about a young girl dealing with grief and guilt after the death of her sister. Tolly's sister, Sunny died about six months before the book and Tolly fears she might be partially to blame for her death. Both her and her parents don't talk about Sunny's car accident. They all deal with grief in their own ways, which makes Tolly feel isolated. Tolly is also dealing with feeling lonely in school after a fallout with her friend group and losing her phone.
Caroline Brooks DuBois beautifully crafted this book. I believe the formatting absolutely fits the story and Tolly's narrative voice. She often feels like she is too much for those around her because she is inquisitive and talks a lot. Many young readers will relate to her story. The story matter is heavy and is handled with such care. Middle school is hard enough for young adults to handle let alone losing a sister and then feeling like you are losing everyone else in your life too.
I listened to the audiobook which was read by Taylor Meskimen. She did a wonderful job narrating Tolly's story and creating a voice for her. It is a format I highly recommend for this book.
Tolly's guilt hurt to read at times and really hit me hard. Losing someone you care about so dearly is hard for anyone, but especially when you believe you could have been at fault. The look into friendships was also a very important of the story. I think the friendship fallouts in this book are realistic, even if they were upsetting. The Luddite club at the school was a great aspect of novel and I enjoyed seeing Tolly open up more with her new friends. One of my favorite scenes happens near the end of the book and it deals with Tolly and one of the members of the club. It is so beautiful.
*Thank you to Recorded Books, RB Media, and Caroline Brooks DuBois for my audio copy of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 155: Hollywood, Ending
By John Green
Read September 27th
Pages: 304
Release Year: 2026
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John Green's writing is phenomenal! He has a style which stands out in everything he writes and this book was no exception. I will forever love how much of himself he puts into his novels and how they always feel so authentically his. There is no one who writes like him. His masterful storytelling brings Juniper and Kai's story to life in such a vivid way. I know I'm going to be thinking about the novel for a very long time. There were so many quotes that stood out to me, which I tabbed throughout the book.
Hollywood, Ending at times is heartbreaking, touching, and incredibly funny. It took me on quite the emotional journey when I read it throughout the day yesterday and I'm grateful to be able to get the chance to experience a new John Green novel. The story is one of his absolute best and is my favorite of his novels. Its reflections on internet culture, public vs. private lives, art, Hollywood, and the cost fame can have for a person is very meaningful. The romance was beautiful and I adored these characters. I like how we get both Juniper and Kai's perspectives on the events occurring before, during, and after they make the movie. Also, the way he integrates their pasts into the story was beautifully done.
One of my absolute favorite quotes from the book that I related to on a very personal level:
" 'That felt honest,' she says after I tell her. I don't answer. Not sure what to say. 'I was never an actor,' she tells me, 'but there's something akin to that in writing. The feeling of losing oneself, that it isn't even you writing the words but you are instead a kind of aqueduct through which the words flow.' "
Book 156: The Call Me Ishmael Phone Book: An Interactive Guide to Life-Changing Books
By Stephanie Kent and Logan Smalley
Read September 29th
Pages: 256
Release Year: 2020
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Such an entertaining interactive guide for book lovers. I love interestingly formatted books and this is one of the most unique I have ever found. It is formatted like a phone book, where you can call a number with an extension and get people's testimonials about books. There are many of the testimonials throughout the book and they vary in content. Some are quite touching, surprising, and insightful. They worked for me because I now want to read many of the books mentioned.
Along with the testimonials, there are bookish ads, bookstore checklists, and so many different literary Easter eggs. I really enjoyed finding the many nods to different books throughout the book. Many of them are quite creative.
