September has been a busy month for me; I went on holiday, I visited my parents, and I started my last year of University. As such, I haven't posted reviews for many of the books I read this month so thought I'd give you a few of my thoughts in a wrap-up.
Here is all 9 books I read in September:
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe 5*
I started the month off reading a book for my course. This is set in Nigeria and follows a village before and after a white church move in during the British colonisation. I loved it so much. You are positioned as a sort of grey arera between to two stark contrasts: Okonkwo, the main black character who despises the whites, and the white Reverend who views the blacks as evil. Both communities are flawed and thus this book provides a more nuanced view of racial interactions.
Sadie by Courtney Summers 1*
I actually DNF'd this book, and will be posting about it later this week. I tried to listen to the audiobook but just could not get invested in the characters or the story. I thought the way they included the form of podcasts was interesting, but not enough to keep my listening past 40%.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas 5*
This was a re-read for me. I read the series two years ago and wanted to continue, but not before reminding myself what happened in the first three. I actually read this within a day while in Greece. Just as good as I remembered it to be! Might even be a favourite over the ACOTAR series.
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas 4.5*
Again, another read. I actually picked it up immediately after finishing Throne of Glass, and was able to finish really quickly on holiday. I did prefer the first book, despite more character development in this one as I felt the plot was a bit more messy. in the first you knew where you were going, whereas this one didn't have an exact aim, although i know that's why lots of people preferred it!
Tinderbox by Megan Dunn 5*
This was another book for University, for a contemporary Publishing module I am taking. It was so different to anything I've ever read. It is sort of non-fiction, written in the first person from the author, half about her time working at Borders (an old bookchain) and half about the process of writing her own book, a feminist retelling of Fahrenheit 451. What really drew me was such an accurate and funny focus on procrastination, especially when trying to write creatively. I would definitely recommend.
The Age of Akra by Vacen Taylor 3*
I read this as a part of a blog tour. You can see my post here.
Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas 4*
I was so gutted when I forgot to bring this on holiday, thinking the first two in the series would be enough (it wasn't!) I remembered this book less, so more was a surprise to me. It felt like a completely different book to the first two. Set in a different continent, Caelina trains in Magic whilst those she has left behind still deal with the politics of the court. I loved the introduction of Rowan, but felt that it took me longer to get invested with the amount of perspectives that were offered. I, personally, didn't think Dorian's perspective added much this book and should have been kept till the next book, where there is obviously going to be more drama (no spoilers).
Seasons of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih 3.5*
This was another book read for University and while I did enjoy it, I think I made the mistake of putting it down to do other work for a few days. by the time I picked it back up, I had lost my rhythm and got confused about a time jump. It took me much longer to get into. It was interesting to compare with Achebe's Things Fall Apart Though.
The Moth
So this isn't so much a book as a magazine that publishes poetry, short stories and art. However, I wanted to include it because I found such a wonderful short story in it: Tomato sandwiches by Michele Smart. It made me cry! It follows a grandfather who has to turn his granddaughter's life support off after a fatal car accident.
So, as you can see, a mix of fun reading and University required reading. I hope to keep this balance as close to equal as possible, especially with the addition of new audiobooks. If you're read any of the books I did, let me know what you thought.
For my more detailed reviews, remember to check out my goodreads.
Happy Reading :)