🍂 September Reviews 🍁
September 1st-30th
2025 has been a great reading year for me. This was the month where I read the least amount of books, but I enjoyed the majority of them. I even found a couple new favorites. Here are the 11 books I read during September.
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Book 136: Katabasis
By R. F. Kuang
Read September 1st-3rd
Pages: 550
Release Year: 2025
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I highly enjoyed this descent into Hell with Alice and Peter. Mythology has been one of my great loves ever since I was very young. A katabasis (descent into the Underworld) is definitely one of the stories I have always been drawn to over the years.
It was interesting to see the version of Hell Alice and Peter experience during the book. Their odyssey was not only physical but also mental. The narrative was nonlinear in many different parts which added a lot to their story as a whole. I enjoyed seeing the depictions of the Underworld/Hell, but their journey with mortality and the trials they faced were what kept me invested in their story.
This book is a new favorite for me that I know I will want to revisit again in years to come. I would love to pick this up along with rereading Dante's Inferno. R. F. Kuang's writing was brilliant and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
It was interesting to see the version of Hell Alice and Peter experience during the book. Their odyssey was not only physical but also mental. The narrative was nonlinear in many different parts which added a lot to their story as a whole. I enjoyed seeing the depictions of the Underworld/Hell, but their journey with mortality and the trials they faced were what kept me invested in their story.
This book is a new favorite for me that I know I will want to revisit again in years to come. I would love to pick this up along with rereading Dante's Inferno. R. F. Kuang's writing was brilliant and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
Book 137: Conrad's Fate (Chrestomanci #5)
By Diana Wynne Jones
Read September 4th-7th
Pages: 352
Release Year: 2005
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Book 138: Cinder House
By Freya Markse
Read September 8th
Pages: 144
Release Year: 2025
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Anna Burnett does a wonderful job narrating Ella's story. Cinder House is one of the most interesting fairy tale retellings I have ever read and it's probably my favorite take on "Cinderella." I was drawn into the story because of the interesting premise and fell in love with it because of Ella's voice and her character.
Along with Ella's character, I loved this take on the prince. I will not spoil anything about his plot line, but I love how Freya Marske chose to take it.
This is a queer take on a classic tale that I could not get enough of, especially the way it plays with ghosts. Ella was tethered to the house throughout the entire book, which is what happens to all ghosts in the world of this story. The way magic worked throughout also intrigued me and I loved seeing different types of magic being used.
Freya's version of "Cinderella" was fresh and new in a way retellings aren't always. It had me wondering what was going to happen in a story I have known my whole life. I highly recommend reading this beautiful novella.
*Thank you to NetGalley for my audio ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Along with Ella's character, I loved this take on the prince. I will not spoil anything about his plot line, but I love how Freya Marske chose to take it.
This is a queer take on a classic tale that I could not get enough of, especially the way it plays with ghosts. Ella was tethered to the house throughout the entire book, which is what happens to all ghosts in the world of this story. The way magic worked throughout also intrigued me and I loved seeing different types of magic being used.
Freya's version of "Cinderella" was fresh and new in a way retellings aren't always. It had me wondering what was going to happen in a story I have known my whole life. I highly recommend reading this beautiful novella.
*Thank you to NetGalley for my audio ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 139: The Midnight Carnival
By Kenny Gould
Read September 11th-13th
Pages: 236
Release Year: 2025
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Kenny Gould said in his acknowledgements that he set out to write a cozy fantasy which felt like a warm hug. He definitely accomplished this in The Midnight Carnival. I loved Max's charming story and learning about this contemporary fantasy world. Some of the best parts of the book were getting to know the many different creatures and seeing how they were willing to work together to get the carnival in shape for its opening.
Kenny balanced the lighthearted scenes along with the heavier topics, such as the way many humans are trying to separate themselves from the monsters. I enjoyed getting to see their various perspectives on what was going on. It would be interesting to see other tales set in this world.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Kenny balanced the lighthearted scenes along with the heavier topics, such as the way many humans are trying to separate themselves from the monsters. I enjoyed getting to see their various perspectives on what was going on. It would be interesting to see other tales set in this world.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 140: Persuasion
By Jane Austen
Read September 15th-17th
Pages: 272
Release Year: 1817
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I wanted to love this book but it wasn't as great as I thought it was going to be. It has one of my favorite quotes from literature which I have loved ever since I first heard it in a collection years ago:
"I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago..."
There are many beautiful sections in this story, but it just wasn't for me at this time.
Book 141: Not Quite by the Book
By Julie Hatcher
Read September 18th
Pages: 317
Release Year: 2025
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Another romance book that was not what I wanted. It takes inspiration from You've Got Mail which is one of my absolute favorite movies. I thought it was instantly going to be a new favorite, but the romance didn't work for me.
I'm not fond of how the miscommunication trope was used throughout the book. It took up too much of the plot. Also, I could not stand the amount of lying. There were so many times that I just wanted them to sit down and have a conversation instead of running off from each other.
I was hoping for more scenes of them together throughout the book, so we could watch their love grow. The romance never felt real. There were some cute scenes of them together, but there wasn't enough. It would have been nice to get more of their online communications along with their real-life interactions. One of the best parts of a book like this is seeing those types of exchanges.
My favorite part of the book was the pure love of literature so many of the characters shared. I enjoyed reading the Emily Dickinson quotes throughout. The setting was another great aspect. Small town romances are wonderful, especially when you get to know so many of the side characters. I really liked how the language of flowers was used in this book.
I'm not fond of how the miscommunication trope was used throughout the book. It took up too much of the plot. Also, I could not stand the amount of lying. There were so many times that I just wanted them to sit down and have a conversation instead of running off from each other.
I was hoping for more scenes of them together throughout the book, so we could watch their love grow. The romance never felt real. There were some cute scenes of them together, but there wasn't enough. It would have been nice to get more of their online communications along with their real-life interactions. One of the best parts of a book like this is seeing those types of exchanges.
My favorite part of the book was the pure love of literature so many of the characters shared. I enjoyed reading the Emily Dickinson quotes throughout. The setting was another great aspect. Small town romances are wonderful, especially when you get to know so many of the side characters. I really liked how the language of flowers was used in this book.
Not Quite By the Book was a story I wanted to love, but it fell flat for me.
Nico has grown tremendously since he was first introduced in The Titan's Curse. I have loved seeing him develop as a character. His relationship with Will is adorable and I look forward to seeing more of it in the future. I love that we got to see him with his sister Hazel quite a lot in this book. They have a great dynamic.
Another wonderful adventure in the world of Percy Jackson. I highly enjoyed visiting so many of these characters again while meeting such interesting new ones. I cannot wait to see where Rick will take the next story.
Book 142: The Pumpkin Spice
(Dream Harbor #1)
By Laurie Gilmore
Read September 19th-20th
Pages: 373
Release Year: 2023
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I enjoyed this corny little small town romance. It reminded me a lot of many of the Hallmark movies, except with spicy scenes. This was exactly what I wanted from this book. I will be reading the next book in the series.
Book 143: J.R.R. Tolkien: The Father of Modern Fantasy
By Don Marshall
Read September 22nd-24th
Pages: 240
Release Year: 2025
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A perfect book for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien. Don Marshall gives so much information on Tolkien's life, literary works, and his cultural impact. I have been a fan of Tolkien for so many years and still learned plenty of new information from this book.
Readers get to see where some of his inspiration came from for his most famous works, along with other interesting tidbits and facts. I love how there were so many quotes from Tolkien's writings throughout the book. This would be a great addition to anyone's Tolkien collection. I know I will definitely get a physical copy to go along with his books.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Readers get to see where some of his inspiration came from for his most famous works, along with other interesting tidbits and facts. I love how there were so many quotes from Tolkien's writings throughout the book. This would be a great addition to anyone's Tolkien collection. I know I will definitely get a physical copy to go along with his books.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 144: The Court of the Dead
(The Nico di Angelo Adventures #2)
By Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
Read September 25th-26th
Pages: 448
Release Year: 2025
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Rick always does a wonderful job making his books topical, while keeping them true to his world. He has a distinct voice which shines through even when writing with someone else.
Nico has grown tremendously since he was first introduced in The Titan's Curse. I have loved seeing him develop as a character. His relationship with Will is adorable and I look forward to seeing more of it in the future. I love that we got to see him with his sister Hazel quite a lot in this book. They have a great dynamic.
Another wonderful adventure in the world of Percy Jackson. I highly enjoyed visiting so many of these characters again while meeting such interesting new ones. I cannot wait to see where Rick will take the next story.
Book 145: Lacuna
By N. R. Walker
Read September 27th-28th
Pages: 400
Release Year: 2020
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I highly enjoyed this fantasy world and romance.
Book 146: The Lost Spells
By Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris
Read September 29th
Pages: 240
Release Year: 2020
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September 29th, 2025 Reread:
One of my favorite poetry collections that I love rereading every couple of years.
October 6th, 2023 Reread:
I highly recommend this wonderful poetry collection. It is not only stunning to look at but the poems are incredible in every way. I cannot say how much I enjoyed my experience rereading this gem.
August 1st, 2021 Review:
This was a wonderful collection of poetry dealing with many different animals and plants. I love books like this so much, that gets me thinking. I'm very glad that I found this book yesterday at a book sale. It was a stunning collection that I enjoyed so much. Beautiful!
I highly recommend this wonderful poetry collection. It is not only stunning to look at but the poems are incredible in every way. I cannot say how much I enjoyed my experience rereading this gem.
August 1st, 2021 Review:
This was a wonderful collection of poetry dealing with many different animals and plants. I love books like this so much, that gets me thinking. I'm very glad that I found this book yesterday at a book sale. It was a stunning collection that I enjoyed so much. Beautiful!
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