The year is slowly, but surely coming to an end. The leaves have turned from green to gorgeous autumnal hues. With the end of another month and another season, comes another what I've been reading recently post. Ever since I returned to university at the beginning of September, my reading has gone downhill. I miss the amount I was reading during the summer. I'm hoping this was just a blip and I'll be back to reading in no time.
September
In September, I read a total of six books. The majority of these were rereads for series with new books coming out in September.
The first on my list was one I started in August and that was Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin. Any longtime reader of my blog will be sick to death of me talking about this book. It was an absolute favourite of mine in 2019. With the sequel, Blood and Honey coming out in September, I needed a refresh as it had been almost a year since I read it. While I still loved this book, I did spot this time round that there were problems with the writing. The pacing was also something I had issue with as it seemed to jump quite quickly. Lou and Reid are still some of my favourite characters of all time. Compared to when I read it in 2019, I gave it 4.5/5 stars, taking off half a star after spotting all my issues with the book.
Then I reread Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling. Earlier in the year, before the JKR scandal happened, there was a community readalong on Instagram that I joined in on. It was a fun way to feel like a community during lockdown. However, once the news about JKR hit, the readalong was cancelled and I felt I could not continue rereading the series. I have since decided to continue rereading as I hate stopping in the middle of a series. I've made it very clear my feelings on JKR and no longer wish to be associated with her. I am only continuing because of the reason stated. I will no longer be giving her a voice on my platform. I will also not be rating her books anymore.
Finally, after two months, I finished the Diviners series by Libba Bray with The King of Crows. This was the final instalment in this series. I was a bit disappointed with this book as it felt very dragged out and not much happened at the same time. The ending was not as satisfying as I think fans were hoping for. I have a whole review of my thoughts on this book, which you can read here. I gave it 3/5 stars.
Another reread for me was The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu. This is the Magnus and Alec spin off series they've been working on. Again, the latest instalment in the series was due out in September so I decided to reread the first one as I couldn't remember what happened. It was a good refresher before the newest release and meant I was ready when it came out. I'm very happy that Magnus and Alec are getting their own series as they deserve it. I gave it 4/5 stars.
I then read one of my most anticipated releases of the year, which was Blood and Honey by Shelby Mahurin. I had seen some comments before it was released that it was a bit disappointing as a sequel and sadly I have to agree. I was so excited to read it, but it fell flat for me. I found the lack of communication frustrating and at times it was a bit repetitive. I still enjoyed it, but it wasn't what I had hoped it would be, which has left me a bit unsure where I stand with this series. I have a review of this if you want to read my full thoughts here. I gave it 4/5 stars.
Lastly in September, I read The Lost Book of the White by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu. I found this to be an enjoyable read and I was glad to be back with these characters. I'm not sure what this adds to the original series, but I'm happy these characters are getting their own series. I gave it 4/5 stars.
October
October was a very poor reading month as I only read four books. This is the least amount of books I've read in one month in the whole of 2020. I had a lot going on with uni, but I'm still very sad about it.
The first book I read was A Single Man by Christoper Isherwood. It was a short book that I decided to read after watching Fosse/Verdon, which uses some of Isherwood's work and turns it into Cabaret the musical. It was a surprisingly moving book and has made me want to pick up more Isherwood. I gave it 4/5 stars.
My next read was Magnus Chase and the Swords of Summer by Rick Riordan. It had been over four years since I last read a RR book. It was also the last one I owned as I decided to get rid of my other ones. Personally, compared to my other experiences with RR's books, I didn't enjoy this one that much. It felt very dragged out and I didn't like any of the characters. Maybe if I had been younger, I might have enjoyed it, but I just don't feel that Rick's books are for me anymore. I have no interest in continuing the series anymore. I gave it 3/5 stars.
Then I read The Confession by Jessie Burton. I have a bit of a hit and miss relationship with Jessie's books. I've read her other two this year and I loved the Muse, but not the Miniturist. I decided to pick this one up to see if I could enjoy this one. I flew through it. I found it very easy to read and didn't want to put it down. It was very similar to the Muse. It has restored my faith in her as a writer and I would read more from her in the future. I gave it 4/5 stars.
My final read for October was The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow. I plan on writing a full review of this one as I have a lot of thoughts on it. While I found it very slow to read, I did really enjoy it. I loved the feminist elements and would love to read more like this in the future. I also want to read more from her in the future. I gave it 4/5 stars.
That concludes my most recent episode of what I've been reading recently. What have you been reading recently?
Carenza :) x
