What I Read In September + October TBR
I used to really not like these reading wrap-ups because I hated comparing the number of books that I read to the number of books that other people read. I would get stuck in that comparison cycle when I realized, you know what? I’m not writing these anymore.
But that all changed. I stopped focusing on the numbers and the number of books I read and just … read. I started reading again for self-care and instead of mindlessly watching the same TV show (Gilmore Girls) again and again, I picked up the book I was reading.
And that’s how I got to read 6-7 books a month.
For September, I read less than what I read in August, but that’s okay! I still read quite a few books (7 total!) and pleasantly surprised at some of them. I branched out of my usual romance reading and ventured into thrillers and more literary fiction. I am excited for books I want to read in October, meaning I have no books lined up and actually excited to add books to my TBR.
the house across the lake by riley sager
I am not a thriller fan, but that being said, I loved Riley Sager’s writing. He’s a popular thriller author who just released his latest book this past summer, The House Across The Lake. And without giving anything away, if you like no body, no crime by Taylor Swift (on Evermore), you will like this one. It’s a paranormal murder mystery (sort of) that gives The Woman In The Window vibes.
The main character is an exiled actress to her lake house, who also just lost her husband very recently and got fired from her current acting job. She drinks to cope and one night, she witnesses her neighbors across the lake having a very big fight and then the next day, the wife is missing. The main character fights to put the pieces back together and find the wife, who happens to be a new friend of hers, while dodging the husband and coping with her own husband’s death.
This was very good. I put it down several times because it was too scary (and even had to read a couple of romance books on this list) but overall, I would recommend even to someone who doesn’t normally read thrillers. Definitely a good read for the spooky month of October.
the love hypothesis by ali hazelwood
I finally read this beloved #BookTok book. Say what you want about #BookTok books, but I absolutely adored this love fest. This was an enemies-to-lovers (sort of) but mainly fake dating scheme set between a PhD student and a professor. It was steamy, but it wasn’t too steamy. (Although there were definitely a couple of chapters that included that, so if you’re into that, you’ll like it.)
Ali Hazelwood writes good characters, specifically in the STEM field, and I’m excited to read her next book, Love On The Brain, in October.
we’ll always have summer by jenny han
I flew through the last book in The Summer I Turned Pretty series on audio and let me tell you … if you are #TeamConrad, you’ll love this specific book in the series.
In the second book, we got to hear Jeremiah’s perspective (and voiced by the guy who plays him in the show), so in the third one (this one), we got to hear from Conrad’s perspective which was incredible because I think Conrad is the most complex character in this series. Belly and Jeremiah were annoying throughout this entire book, right until the very end. I liked hearing Conrad’s perspective in not only about his relationship with Belly, but on all sorts of things like the passing of his mom and the college transition.
I did love the ending and I’m excited to see how the TV series on Amazon Prime puts this story on screen.
the final gambit by jennifer lynn barnes
The third book in The Inheritance Games series released this month and it definitely did not disappoint. I’ve read mixed reviews for this one, but honestly? I loved every page. The story was a bit slow at first and I even set it down a couple of times, unlike the first and second books (which I devoured), but I would say overall, that I liked this one better than the second one. This one focused more on the family aspects of the Hawthornes and the game itself, rather than that love triangle between Emily, Grayson, and Jameson — and the whole Emily storyline that seemed to dominate the second book (I wasn’t a fan). While that was a portion of the third book, the third book didn’t focus on that as much and rather set the story on Avery and the Hawthorne brothers and trying to end the game once and for all.
This has been beloved on #BookTok and while I love that, I’ve seen a lot of people focus on the love triangle between Avery, Jameson, and Grayson, but I don’t even love this series so much because of that. I liked the hard-hitting, gripping, exciting puzzles and games that each page brought. It was basically an entire game of Chutes & Ladders. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a fantastic author of books like that (check out Little White Lies and Deadly Little Scandals!). I loved this one.
the american roommate experiment by elena armas
If you didn’t read The Spanish Love Deception, but want to read this one, let me tell you that you don’t have to read her first book to read this one. (Although that is definitely on my list now and I think everyone should go read that if you haven’t already.) This book follows Rosie and Lucas and their love story. Rosie is a new romance author who just quit her engineering job and now writing her second book—and has found herself stuck with writer’s block. On top of that, a pipe bursts and her apartment ceiling crashes down. She stays in her friend Lina’s apartment (Lina from The Spanish Love Deception) until the renovations are done when Lucas, Lina’s cousin, shows up to crash at his cousin’s apartment. This forced proximity romance turns into a fake dating scheme (or experiment) that I know romance readers will absolutely love.
SAVVY SHELDON FEELS GOOD AS HELL BY TAJ MCCOY
This was a cute, body positivity romantic comedy. The main character was plus size, which I always love reading as representation matters.
Savvy Sheldon works too hard at her job (and not receiving enough thanks), is dealing with home renovations, and just got dumped by her clueless boyfriend. When Savvy’s world starts to crumble, she knows it’s time for renovations. She starts from the outside in, beginning with her renovations, her relationship with her body, and her work/life balance. Along the way, she makes new friends, strengthens her old friendships, and even meets a new love interest. But what is Savvy actually chasing? Is she wanting to love the new body that she’s in and the new work/life balance she’s in, or will she have to realize that how she sees herself will first start on building a love that lasts.
I liked this one, although I think that the book focused more on the relationship with herself rather than any romance she had with anyone else. (Although I did love Spencer, the love interest, and his dog, Teddy.) It was an empowering rom-com, but I really did love the relationship she had and built with herself—not just with her body, but with her job, her friends, and how she viewed herself in the world. Overall, I would recommend.
black cake by charmaine wilkerson
I finished this just in time for this blog post, but I loved every page of this book. This historical fiction novel telling the story of two estranged siblings learning of their late mother’s past was definitely a page-turner. The chapters were relatively short, which I love, but the author packed so much and many incredible details into those short chapters. The story flashed back and forth from the late mother’s life through the years and to present day, to Benny and Byron (the adult children) learning about their late mother’s past. That’s a trope that I don’t normally like, flashing back and forth from past to present, but the author did it very well and again, I loved it and devoured this in a matter of days. If you haven’t read this one, definitely go read it.
October TBR:
Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory (already finished!)
Beautifully Distinct edited by Trillia Newbell (and written by a collection of authors)
Accidentally Amy by Lynn Painter
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (this is a reread and I may not do this)