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September 2014 Wrap-Up and a Look to October

september 2014 reading wrap up

I feel like I started to get some of my reading groove back near the end of September. I’m not sure what clicked, but something must have because I finished eight pretty great books (and only one of them was a comic book!). I’m still struggling a bit with reviews, but getting over slumps is a process. At any rate, here’s what I finished last month:

  1. O’Malley, Brian Lee: Seconds (fiction/comic book)
  2. Atwood, Margaret: Stone Mattress (fiction/short stories)
  3. Tanner, Adam: What Stays in Vegas (nonfiction
  4. Galbraith, Robert: The Cuckoo’s Calling (fiction/audio book)
  5. Beukes, Lauren: Broken Monsters (fiction)
  6. Kim, Suki: Without You, There Is No Us (memoir)
  7. Richtel, Matt: A Deadly Wandering (nonfiction)
  8. Biss, Eula: On Immunity (nonfiction)

As you can see, I’m still a bit behind on reviews, especially of the nonfiction. I’m working on freelance reviews for What Stays in Vegas and On Immunity, so I’ll link to those when they go live. I’ll post a review of Without You, There Is No Us nearer to the publication date in October, and I’m working on some thoughts for A Deadly Wandering, so maybe I’ll be caught up soon.

I think my favorite reads of the month were Stone Mattress and On Immunity. They were both super smart and super great. And for those counting (mostly me), I’m at 75 books for the year — right on track to hit my goal of 100 books by the end of December.

A Look to October

Since October is Halloween month, I’m trying to sneak some creepy or scary books into my reading plans. I’ve got a couple of good nonfiction books on the pile that will fit the bill including Tinseltown by William J. Mann (Oct. 14 from Harper) and Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep? by Timothy Verstynen and Bradley Voytek.

My other favorite bookish event of the year takes place in October, Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon! This year I am going to be really ruthless about only picking up short books, so hopefully I can fly through several of the over my 18 or so hours of reading on Oct. 18 and 19. I’ve got a pile started that I plan to share later in the month.

But before all of that, I have a chunkster out from the library that I need to finish — The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters. This book, you guys, is so enormous, but 100 pages in and I know it’s going to be stellar.

What books are you most looking forward to reading in October?

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • bookmammal October 3, 2014, 6:11 am

    I’m reading The Paying Guests right now and have about 150 pages to go–SO GOOD!!!! I have the day off work today–guess what I’m going to be doing??? 🙂

  • BermudaOnion(Kathy) October 3, 2014, 7:01 am

    For me, writing the reviews is the hard part! I need to get Seconds for Vance – he loved the Scott Pilgrim books.

    • Kim October 12, 2014, 2:02 pm

      Oh yes… it’s so much easier to read than it is to write 🙂

  • Trisha October 3, 2014, 9:44 am

    Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep? – Okay, that title makes it a must-read for sure.

  • Tina Culbertson (@Novel_Meals) October 3, 2014, 12:52 pm

    I liked The Cuckoo’s Calling and read the next book, Silkworm, just a few weeks ago. You have a nice lineup of books!
    I am looking forward to finishing Broadchurch, Bittersweet and the latest Diana Gabaldon book.

  • Monika @ Lovely Bookshelf October 3, 2014, 2:54 pm

    What a great September! I’ll be interested to see what you thought of A Deadly Wandering. I was kinda “meh” over a lot of it.

  • Leah @ Books Speak Volumes October 3, 2014, 4:42 pm

    Those look like some good books! I’m working on bouncing back from a blogging slump, as well. Good luck!

  • Christina October 4, 2014, 1:50 pm

    Yay for crawling out of your reading slump! Perfect timing for the read-a-thon, too.

    I just added the audiobook of The Cuckoo’s Calling to my collection, and I was eying On Immunity at the library today. I’ll have to go back and snag it given that it was one of your favorites for the month.

    • Kim October 12, 2014, 2:03 pm

      It’s a super smart, meandering book. I feel like I need to reread it to really get at some of the arguments she was making.

  • Jenny @ Reading the End October 4, 2014, 4:02 pm

    Ooo, how was the Suki Kim book? I meant to try to get it at the library today, but I forgot my list at home and didn’t remember everything I was intending to check out. I, um, got a whole bunch of YA fantasy instead. :p

    • Kim October 12, 2014, 2:04 pm

      I liked that one a lot! I’m also really into books that go into hidden cultures like North Korean — I think I’ll have the review up next week.