september and october wrap-up + november tbr
september and october wrap-up + november tbr
trying to finish the books I started & my bad reading months :(
Guysā¦.. Iām embarrassed about these past two months. I had SO many plans and they just didnāt pan out. I even fell behind for the first time all year in my Goodreads reading challengeā¦ and at one point I was super far ahead.
I donāt really know whats going on because Iām actually enjoying the books Iām reading. Though I think one problem is Iāve been reading these books a LONG time (half started before I went away) and so I got a little disengaged.
I also only finished one book in September because I was away for the majority of it.
Anyway! Hoping to turn things around in November. I have a few books I still need to finish that Iāve started, and a lot on my list Iād really like to get to.
Itās Non-fiction November, so Iāve picked out a few non-fiction to fit the month as well. I always try and read a few more than normal this month, but I donāt think I could ever be one of those people who only reads non-fiction.
But Iām getting ahead of myself. Letās start with the wrap-up!
Mile High, Liz Tomforde | ā°ā°
This was a total wildcard read for me, but I was in Heathrow Airport ā¦ boredā¦ tiredā¦ needing to find something stupid to pass the timeā¦ and I did! This was a very easy read, it occupied me in the airport and on the plane and I liked that it required absolutely 0 concentration. During two back to back THIRTEEN hour flights, it was perfect. As soon as I got off the flight and it was daylight again and my brain was functioning though, this book was SO bad. Horribly written and itās so long but doesnāt even have that much drama? I admit it got the job done for what I needed it to do, but this book was really not good.
Who Gets to be Smart, Bri Lee | ā°ā°ā°
Bri Lee is a familiar face on my Substack. I read (and hated) her fiction debut The Work a few months ago. But in that review I mentioned I really liked her non-fiction (Eggshell Skull) and I wanted to read more of that.
I picked up Who Gets to Be Smart after I visited Oxford, because it starts with Lee going to visit her friend, A Rhode Scholar, in Oxford. I would say the first half of this book, which is half personal musings on her obsession with ābeing smartā, āintellectualismā and feeling included in education institutions and half exportation of the history of those institutions to be very engaging. The second half has a more Australian focus, and I just found it to be A: not as tightly written as the first half and B: a little too obvious for anyone whose watched the news in Australia.
Still though, I liked this, and I will continue to pick up her non-fiction.
Daydream, Hannah Grace | ā°
My best friend and I have a silly ābook clubā amongst ourselves where we read silly books and this was the pick of the month. Weāve both read Hannah Graceās previous book, both being fans of Icebreaker (itās so fun!) and finding Wildfire boring. This was her last chance to wow us and we both agreed Daydream was also not it. This book was not only boring, I also found it deeply unromantic. I genuinely thought the main guy was a massive wanker. It actually annoyed me how I was supposed to root for this couple. A true 1 star read, and IāM breaking up with Hannah Grace (if you see me reading the next edition of this series despite saying that, mind your business)
Death at Morning House, Maureen Johnson | ā°ā°ā°
Iāve previously read and had a lot of fun with the Truly Devious series. I didnāt actually know Maureen Johnson was coming out with a new standalone this year, but when I found out in October I picked it up right away. The YA genre of teen detectives is one of the few I still really enjoy, I find them very fun palate cleansers. One thing I like about Maureen Johnsonās books are they always have a historic element. A niche trope I love is ālost historyā or books where a muddled account of history which must be untangled is a main plot point and I feel a lot of her books (including this one) have that element. It was a solid three star for being a little predictable but I still had fun with it and enjoyed it for what it is.
A Room With a View, E.M Forster | ā°ā°ā°ā°
This is my third Forster book, and probably one of the ones I know the least about, despite it being very popular. This is very soapy, which I didnāt expect - but I found the melodrama quite fun. Itās super readable, and I think Forster is excellent at exploring social norms and class, but something about this didnāt grip me as much as Maurice, which I felt very emotionally involved with. This felt almost like a beach read in comparison (which may not be helped by the fact I read a large portion of it lying on the beach one day). I still liked it though, I just enjoy his writing and stories a lot. I am hoping that when I get to A Passage to India and Howardās End, I feel more attached to the characters. Until then, I do plan to watch the adaptation!
owned tbr - 11/32
Ticked off āA Room With A Viewā
Added āIntermezzoā, āJules Et Jimā to my TBR
24 in 24 - 12/24
November TBR
First, the non-fiction picks for the month!
Golden Maze: A Biography of Prague, Richard Fidler | currently reading
The first book of my non-fiction November TBR, is one Iāve been reading for a few months. I picked this up before I went to Prague and never finished it, but having continued it after coming back, I think Iām liking it even more. Prague is a beautiful city and Iām really liking getting to learn some more about the history of the city.
Uncultured: A Memoir, Daniella Mestyanek Young | book club
My book club has also decided to do non-fiction November and the book chosen was this memoir about a woman who grew up in a cult (Children of God). I really donāt know much more about it but I did briefly check out the reviews and they seem to be very positive. This is not the type of non-fiction I usually read so intrigued on how I feel about this!
Pixel Flesh: How Toxic Beauty Culture Harms Women, Ellen Atlanta
I saw this book in a bookstore in Bath and instantly knew I wanted to read it! Me and my friends have been talking a lot recently about Instagram and how glad we are we *just* missed it being super popular growing up because weāre sure it would have made us so fully insane as teenagers. This book basically explores that concept - beauty standards, the internet, and what itās like being inundated with gorgeous pictures of gorgeous people all the time. So it feels really timely to something Iāve been thinking about a lot lately.
Intermezzo, Sally Rooney | currently reading
I am really, really close to finishing this book so it feels a little redundant to have it on my TBR! Sally Rooney is one of my favourite authors, of course this book was an instant pick-up the second it came out. Her writing is, as always, outstanding. I do feel a little less passionate about this book than I did Normal People and Beautiful World, Where Are You? though. Itās probably more in the Conversations With Friends realm. Regardless, have enjoyed and looking forward to finishing.
Green Dot, Madeleine Gray | currently reading
This is the next book me and my best friend are reading together, we decided to do something a little more serious after Daydream. This is an Australian book about a girl who gets a job as a content moderator but then falls for her married older coworker. So far, itās really funny with an ironic tone that I find enjoyable. This main character is just a c*nt in the most fun way and Iām enjoying the humour of reading her be mean to people.
Jules et Jim, Henri Pierre-Roche | currently reading
This is the book I bought in Shakespheare and Company while I was in Paris - unfortunately, I then lost the book on the Eurostar (I cried, donāt even get me started). And to make matters worse, I was like, 70% finished! So Iām sort of debating if I leave this book unread and never buy another copy or if I buy another copy this month and finish it - can people weigh in? Another copy just doesnāt feel the same, but I actually wanna know what happens at the end!
If Beale Street Could Talk, James Baldwin | owned tbr
I think Iāve mentioned a few times on this blog that a bookstagram I follow has been doing a James Baldwin readalong. Well, itās finally time for me to join because the November book is If Beale Street Could Talk! I love Baldwin, Iāve read four of his books already and loved them all. I have seen the movie adaptation (which I thought was great!) so I do know the plot already but Iām still so excited to read this because of his gorgeous prose.
The Pairing, Casey McQuiston | 2024 release
My history with Casey McQuiston books is a little up and down but Iām intrigued by the premise of The Pairing so I want to give it a go. I have heard some mixed reviews so I would say Iām not going in with the highest hopes BUT I really just want it to be funny and entertaining so Iām also not putting the hugest expectations on this either. But I feel fun books are a spring essential, so this should be a nice break from the more serious books on my TBR.
Kairos, Jenny Erpenbeck | spring tbr
This book won the International Booker Prize in 2024 and Iāve really wanted to read it since that happened. Itās set in East Berlin, and I donāt think Iāve ever actually read a book set there. Much of the German fiction Iāve read has focussed on World War Two, so I think a more recent historical fiction could be interesting. Iāve heard great reviews of this one - the only problem is it has a tonne of reserves at the library, so unsure if it will become available in November or if Iāll need to wait until December.
Let me know what youāre reading in November! Hoping that this month will be really successful on the reading front because I MISS having big reading months - and I know Iāve said that practically every month for the last few months but ahh!! Iām in struggle town.
And as a side note, stay tuned for a lot more Substacks as Iāve been diligently typing away some content about my travel (bookish related, ofc) and some other things that Iām excited to share!
Until next time!