Wow, September was a great reading month for me! I participated in both 30 Books in 30 Days and in Series September (two different reading challenges I love). With so many books, I didn’t love all of them, but so many of them were such fun reads!
I read 33 books (including some novellas/short stories) in September and 6,720 pages, for an average of 203 pages per book. I read 27 books by female authors and 6 by male authors. I borrowed 20 of the books and owned 13. I read 11 physical books, 14 eBooks, and 9 audiobooks. 19 were part of a series, and I started 4 new series and finished 6 series I am currently in the middle of. I had 8 stand alone reads. I read 7 middle grade, 3 YA, and 20 adult books. I read 3 new releases. I shared 8 read alouds with my kids. I read 2 books from my 2025 TBR list and DNF’d one, bringing the total read/DNF’d to 25/33, with 8 remaining to read. I read 12 five star reads, 13 four star reads, 6 three star reads, 1 two star read, and 1 one star read.
It was hard to narrow down my favorites to just 5 this month, but here they are!
The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion by Beth Brower
This is maybe cheating just a little, because I read volumes 2-5 in September and just loved them all–each one got better. If I had to pick just one, I’d pick volume 5. These books take a little bit to get into, in my opinion, but the characters are so well done and the feel of the books is so fun, even while they handle deeper issues of grief.
What Does it Feel Like by Sophie Kinsella
I bawled (like I do anytime there is a mom with cancer, it’s hard for me to contemplate a mom leaving behind children). I loved the way this was formatted and was riveted the entire time. It’s short and sweet and based on the author’s real experience, which only made it better.
The Song of David by Amy Harmon
Another book I bawled through. I listened to this one and couldn’t put the audiobook down. I love the narrator and the characters. The ending drove me crazy (there’s a question throughout much of the book that gets left open to interpretation at the end, which is not my kind of ending) but I loved the rest of the book enough that it was still a favorite read.
I Think He Knows by Katie Bailey
Katie Bailey is one of my favorite clean rom com authors and this book was super fun! I love “friends with a famous actor” plotlines and I also fell in love with the main character’s daughter Legs (and her extended family) in the previous book. I highly recommend any of Katie Bailey’s books for no or low spice rom com lovers!
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Casimino
This is the newest release in the series (and is book 5). I have to admit that I really loved book 4 and thought the series should have wrapped up there, so I was hesitant in reading this one. I was pleasantly surprised in how much I loved it! It felt like it pulled back and slowed down a little again, and while what happened in past books didn’t disappear, it was almost a fresh start for the plot, which I really liked. Their neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, was the best part of the book, she is a riot!
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Those were my favorite books of the month of September! What did you read last month? What is a book you read and loved recently? I’d love to chat books with you.
August was quite the month. Trying to juggle a baby with older kids (summer activities, home school, extra curriculars, friends, all of it) is exhausting. I did get some good reading in though and really enjoyed a lot of the books I read!
In August, I read 17 books and 4,737 pages in August, for an average of 278 pages per book. I read 15 books by female authors and 2 by male authors. I borrowed 6 and owned 11 of the books I read. I read 4 physical books, 5 eBooks, and 8 audiobooks. I read 7 middle grade, 1 YA, and 6 adult books. I shared 6 read aloud books with my kids and read 5 new releases. I had 5 rereads and 12 new reads. I read 2 “new to me authors” and 10 previously read authors (not including rereads). I read 1 book from my 2026 TBR, bringing the total read or DNF’d to 23 of 33. I read 4 books in a series, finishing 2 series and starting 0. I read 10 five star reads, 2 four star reads, 4 three star reads, 1 two star read, and 0 one star reads.
The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto
I have loved the few books I’ve read by Jesse Q. Sutanto so far! I started with Vera Wong (my favorite so far) and this series is my second by her. I really loved the first book, but the second was just okay. I was very happy to find that I once again loved this third and final book in the series! It is wacky, but in the best way.
The Blackbird Girls by Annie Blankman
This middle grade historical fiction was different than I was expecting, but in a way that I loved. I was totally gripped by the characters and by the two main characters’ friendship. I learned about history and really enjoyed the “overcoming abuse” plotline. This would be a really good read for slightly older middle grade readers.
Rebel Summer by Cindy Steel
Cindy Steel is one of my favorite clean rom com authors and this book did not disappoint. It had a fun premise, a great “hate to love” romance, and characters that I loved reading about. I liked the way the author incorporated some of the heavier topics like emotional abuse into the light hearted romance.
These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
This was technically a reread for me, but I haven’t read it since I was a young girl, so a lot of it felt new to me. This has been my favorite of the series so far. I love Laura and Almonzo and seeing their relationship develop throughout the book is swoony in the best way.
One Wrong Step by Jennifer A. Nielsen
This was my final read of the month and I listened to it with my family in the car on a roadtrip (we listened to it in one day, there and back) and everyone loved it. The kids were begging to keep listening anytime we had to stop it and laughing at all the right spots and even my husband had us pause it when he ran in to grab some food somewhere because he didn’t want to miss it. It was educational, fun, and moving. I loved the theme of being able to let go of the past so you can move forward in your life and felt it was very well done. It got us through a long day of driving in the best way possible.
What did you read in September? What book have you read and loved recently? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
One of my favorite readathons to participate in each year is Series September hosted by one of my favorite BookTubers BooksandJams! It’s a way to focus on some books in series before the end of the year. I always love doing the 30 Books in 30 Days challenge as well, so I try to find books that will fit in both readathon challenges.
They do different prompts each year (you can find the prompts and their bingo boards in their announcement video). This year, their prompts have to do with the aesthetic of the books covers themselves, which is fun and unique.
I’m excited to get some series books read this month!
Prompt 1: Moody and Dark
My Book Choice: Perelandera by CS Lewis
This Space Trilogy is one that I’ve been wanting to read for a long time and I’m excited to finally be starting it. This is the second book in the series (the first book is one of my choices for a later prompt). I picked it for this prompt because the atmosphere on the cover seems to fit to me.
Prompt 2: Illustrated Cover
My Book Choice: The Genius File by Dan Gutman
This is a middle grade book by an author I like. I’m planning on reading this with my kids during the month. The cover is a cartoon-ish illustration.
Prompt 3: Fall Colors on Cover
My Book Choice: Spectacular by Stephanie Garber
Spectacular is a spinoff of the Caraval series, which I read a year or two ago. The red on the cover makes me think of fall colors (though I think it’s a more Christmas-y story).
Prompt 4: Blue Tones
My Book Choice: Kung Pow Chicken by Cyndi Marko
This is a chapter book series that my kids really like that I’ve never read. I’m planning on reading it aloud with them in the mornings during our reading time. The cover of the first book is a nice bright blue.
Prompt 5: Bold Type
My Book Choice: I Think He Knows by Katie Bailey
This is the sequel to a fun romcom I read last year that I really liked and I’m excited to finally be reading it. The words on the cover are nice and bold, fitting nicely with this prompt.
Prompt 6: Light Acadamia Vibes
My Book Choice: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower
I read the first book of this hyped up series a couple months ago and am very excited to be finishing it. I picked this series for this prompt because both the title and the cover somehow feel “academic” to me.
Prompt 7: Forest or Nature
My Book Choice: Out of the Silent Planet by CS Lewis
This is the first in the Space Trilogy that I’m reading this month and I picked it because of the “alien planet” nature–the mountains and oceans and trees–on the cover. There are other cover designs that are even more so than this one.
Prompt 8: Beautiful Cover
My Book Choice: Louisiana Longshot Jana Deleon
This is a short mystery book that I’ve heard really good things about. If I like it, then I’ll have a new mystery series I can read through. I picked it for this prompt because of the flowers and butterfly on the cover.
Prompt 9: Cozy Vibes Only
My Book Choice: Stranded Ranch by Cindy Steel
Cindy Steel is one of my favorite clean rom com authors and this is the last book by her that I haven’t read. It’s also part of my favorite series by her–Pride and Pranks. This is a very “cozy vibes” book, taking place at a ranch during the holidays. I thought it was perfect for this prompt.
What books are you reading in September? Are you taking part in this reading challenge? What series are you in the middle of? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Each September, one of my favorite BookTube channels Luminous Libro hosts a readathon called 30 Books in 30 Days. The idea is to read 30 books (or stories or poems, etc) in 30 days, or to read for 30 minutes day. I haven’t done it every year she’s hosted it, but the years that I have, I’ve always had a lot of fun! I wanted to try it again this year–the worst that can happen is I don’t hit 30 reads but read more than I would have otherwise!
I picked some short stories and shorter novels knowing that it will probably stretch me quite a bit to get that much reading in this month. We’ll see how it goes with 5 kids, a 4 month old, and homeschooling!
1 The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman
I have read one book by this author and want to read more. This short story was on sale earlier this year for Kindle, so I own the ebook. I thought this month was the perfect time to enjoy this short story.
2 The Lamp by Agatha Christie
I recently bought this short story for Kindle when it was on sale as well. I’ve been working my way through all of Agatha Christie’s works and am excited to read this one this month.
3 Rebel Summer Bonus Scene: Dax’s Perspective by Cindy Steel
Another short story! These will really help me reach 30 this month. I read the novel Rebel Summer in August and decided to save this short story for September.
4 Spectacular by Stephanie Garber
This is a novella in the Caraval series, which I completed a year or two ago. The audiobook is about 3 hours long, which feels like a perfect length for my reading goals in September.
5 The Four Loves by CS Lewis
CS Lewis is another author I’m slowly working my way through. This nonfiction book is short and I am planning on reading a little bit in it each day until I finish it (hopefully in the month of September).
6 and 7 Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra (Space trilogy 1-2) by CS Lewis
This space trilogy is one I’ve been wanting to read for years. I own the second and just got the first from the library. It is short enough that I feel it’s reasonable to read it this month and am excited to finally jump into it!
9 Louisiana Longshot by Jana DeLeon
This is a short middle grade mystery book that I recently bought the ebook for. I have heard so many good things about it and am really excited to try it!
10 Okay for Now by Gary D Schmidt
Gary D Schmidt is such a great author! I am planning on listening to this with my kids during the month (I just got the audiobook from the library).
11 The Genius Files by Dan Gutman
Dan Gutman is another author I really love. I am planning on reading this aloud to my kids at bedtime once I finish up our other current reads.
12 Babysitter’s Club 4: Mary Anne Saves the Day Ann M. Martin
The kids and I have been reading the Babysitters Club series together and just started book four. We’re all loving it and they are such short reads, it’s perfect for September.
13 Babysitter’s Club 5: Dawn and the Impossible Three by Ann M. Martin
I originally had told the kids I would read the first 4 books aloud to them. They’ve been begging for the fifth one as well and I decided to go ahead and read it with them. We own it and it is from Dawn’s perspective, I feel like it’s a good place for me to stop with them (and they can continue on their own after if they want).
14-18 Kung Pow Chicken (books 1-5) by Cyndi Marko
Every time I do this challenge, I love to pick a new chapter book series that my kids either love or that I think they’ll love. This year I picked Kung Pow Chicken. My kids have gotten it from the library before and Rylee especially loves it, but I’ve never read it. I am planning on reading it aloud to them during homeschool (we have a time set aside each day for me to read to them). They are such short books, I know we can get through them all during the month and I think we’ll all have fun with them.
19 Stranded Ranch by Cindy Steel
I’ve also been reading through all of Cindy Steel’s books. She writes clean rom coms that I just love. This is the final book by her that I haven’t read and it’s short enough I felt I could include it in my September reading. I always fly through her books.
20 The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
I’ve been rereading all the Little House books this year and just loving it. They are all pretty quick reads and this one is one of the shorter ones. I don’t remember if I’ve actually read it as a child or not, but I’m really excited to read it after how much I’ve loved revisiting all the others.
21- 27 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower (books 2-8)
This is a series that has gotten so much hype, I’m excited to get into it. I read the first one a few months back and decided to save the rest for September (knowing they would make great short reads for this challenge).
28 Parker Pyne Investigates by Agatha Christie
This is my main Agatha Christie read for the month. It’s not shorter than normal, but it’s one of the only full-length books I’m planning to read and I usually get through her books fairly quickly.
29 I Think He Knows by Katie Bailey
This is also not a particularly short read, but I got the audiobook from the library in August without ever actually getting to it. I want to listen to it before my hold ends, so that means it has to be in September. Katie Bailey is another of my favorite clean rom com authors, so I think it is one I will get through quickly!
30 Behind Enemy Lines by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Jennifer A. Nielsen is one of my favorite authors (we listened to One Wrong Step by her as a family and all loved it). This one is a little different–she normally writes realistic middle grade historical fiction (though she has some fun fantasy books) and this one is a time travel historical fiction. It’s only about 4 hours long, so it feels perfect to squeeze in this month. It’s part of a series by various authors and I haven’t read the others, but it sounds as if this can be read independently, so I guess we’ll see.
What books are you reading in September? Are you joining this reading challenge? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Man, hasn’t the summer just flown by? I feel like the more kids I have (and the older they get), the faster time flies. I don’t know if I have ever had a summer go by so quickly as this one has. It was a lot of fun though and I had some great reads!
In July, I read 18 books and 5,627 pages, for an average of 312 pages per book. It wasn’t my highest reading month, but it was close to the highest month for pages read. I read 16 books by female authors and 2 by male authors. I borrowed 9 books and owned 9 of the books I read. I read 6 middle grade, 2 YA, and 10 adult books. I read 8 eBooks, 7 audiobooks, and 2 physical books. I had 5 rereads and 13 new reads. I read 1 new release and shared 5 read aloud books with my kids. I read 5 stand alone books and 5 books from a series, starting 3 and finishing 0. I had 11 five star reads, 4 four star reads, 2 three star reads, and 0 two and one star reads. I DNF’d 1 book.
Today I am sharing my five favorite 5 star reads from July! What books did you read in July? What is a favorite book you’ve read recently?
The One with the Kiss Cam by Cindy Steel
I love Cindy Steel–she writes sweet rom coms that I always binge read. This one has a super fun premise and fantastic characters!
What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski
I was surprised by how much I loved this one. It’s a middle grade/YA book about friendships and some heavier topics, all wrapped up in a mystery of what happened. I loved the mystery aspect of it and the way the heavier themes were handled.
Corsair’s Curse by Shari L. Tapscott
This underrated YA fantasy book was fantastic! It has dragons, a love triangle, and interesting magic. I really loved reading about the characters and their adventures.
Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancroft
This nonfiction book looks at abusive relationships, exploring why abusive men act the way they do and what you can do if you find yourself in a relationship in one, as well as red flags to look out for before getting into a relationship. He dispels different myths and lays out behavior you can expect to see, with lots of real-life examples. I found it fascinating. My husband also read it and it’s going to be required reading for our daughters when they reach dating age.
A Different Blue by Amy Harmon
Amy Harmon always writes such emotionally deep books. This was one of her earlier works, but I really loved it. There were aspects that I had to get over (the love interest starts off as her teacher, and nothing happens while he is teaching her, but it still felt a little weird), but there were other aspects of motherhood and childbearing that I just loved and bawled through. I could hardly put this one down.
Bonus: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
I know I’ve already shared five, but I couldn’t not talk about this reread–I read Anne of Green Gables aloud to my girls for the first time and it was a delight. They loved it and were laughing at Anne, my middle child related with Anne’s character, and I remembered why I love this book so much. Then we were able to watch the movie together, which they loved as well (and I havne’t seen it for so long, it was so fun to rewatch it and fall in love with Gilbert all over again). Sharing these things with my kids is such a fun part of parenting older kids!
Those were my favorite 5 star reads in July! What were some of your favorite books from last month? What is a book you’ve recently read that you just loved? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you and chat about books!
I have loved fairy tale retellings as long as I can remember. The first “real” novel I read was Harry Potter, but the second was Ella Enchanted. I was off track from school and walked through the snow to a daycare everyday instead of school while my mom was at work. One day, I got there and couldn’t find the book anywhere! I was devestated, because it meant I couldn’t finish the book, and I was right at the part with the balls. The next day as I was walking, I found the book sticking out of a snowbank! The cover was ruined, but the book itself was just fine and I was able to finish the story–which I loved. Char was my first “book crush” and I’ve reread Ella Enchanted more than probably any other book.
Today I wanted to share some of my favorite fairy tale retellings! Let me know some of your favorites–I’m always on the lookout for some new fun ones!
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Ella Enchanted is a book most people have heard of, but it is my most favorite retelling (and the first I ever read!), so it had to be included. It is a Cinderella retelling. One of its biggest strengths is the way it goes deeper on some superifical aspects–like the relationship between the prince and Cinderella before the ball–in a way that makes it feel very real. I highly prefer the book over the movie and will always be in love with Char.
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Fairest takes place in the same world as Ella Enchanted, though it follows comlpetely different characters (and actually takes place in a different country). I love the themes of beauty and self confidence in this Snow White retelling.
Just Ella by Maragaret Peterson Haddix
Just Ella is a sort of retelling of Cinderella–I say sort of because it picks up after the original story and explores what it might be like for Ella as she moves to the castle for her “happily ever after”. Needless to say, things aren’t all as they appear or as she expected. I love the way it plays on the original story and the love story in this one.
Palace of Mirrors by Maragaret Peterson Haddix
Palace of Mirrors is the companion novel to Just Ella and while it isn’t a direct fairy tale retelling, it’s very fairy tale-esque with the princesses and plot. Haddix’s writing style is fun and easy to read, making these fairy tale books very enjoyable.
Cinder by Mariss Meyer
Cinder is a science fiction retelling of Cinderella and it is so fun! It is a great read even if you don’t normally enjoy science fiction. There are four books in the series and each is a fairy tale retelling that follows a new character, but that builds on the book and plot before it. After Cinder comes Scarlet–a Little Red Riding Hood retelling, Cress–a Rapuinzel retelling, and Winter–a Snow White retelling. It’s such a fun series with a lot of tie ins with the original fairy tales but enough uniqueness to really bring the story and characters to life.
Princess of Shadows by A.G. Marshall
Princess of Shadows is a fantasy Princess and the Pea retelling that was really fun to read! I really enjoyed the characters, the romance, and the world building. It was also fun to read a retelling of a less commonly found retelling.
Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston
Bookish and the Beast is also part of a YA retelling series that each follow a different character (and different fairy tale) in the same world. This is the third and my personal favorite, as it is a beauty and the beast retelling and focuses heavily on books–both things I love. The first is Geekerella–a Cinderella retelling, and the second is The Princess and the Fangirl–a Prince and the Pauper retelling. This series is clean when it comes to sexual content, but does have more language in it.
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Princess of the Midnight Ball is a sweet retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, great for younger readers as well. While it has romance in it, it has more of a “middle grade” feel to it than YA. The characters and plot are really fun and because I’m a dancer, I always love retellings of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George
Princess of Glass is the sequel to Princess of the Midnight Ball and is a loose Cinderella retelling. I loved seeing the ways this one differed from the traditional Cinderella story and all the shenanigans that take place alongside the romance.
The Stolen Kingdom by Bethany Atazadeh
The Stolen Kingdom is an Aladdin retelling with a really fun twist on the Jinni. The main character was especially fun to follow as she was proactive and strong, and I fell in love with Caden, or “Aladdin”, but my favorite character was the Jinni. This is the first of a series of retellings that are all fun, and it has a spinoff series that follows the negative arc of the main antagonist.
The Thirteenth Princess by Diana Zahler
The Thirteenth Princess is a Twelve Dancing Princesses middle grade retelling with a fun twist–the main character is the “thirteenth” princess. It is a fun, fast read that has particularly fun twists on the original fairy tale.
The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons
The Other World has loose Little Mermaid retelling vibes. This YA book has a love triangle and explores family relationships versus independence. I loved characters, the way the plot went, and the way everything resolved.
The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors
The Sweetest Spell is a very loose retelling of the Ugly Duckling. This middle grade book is so sweet and so enjoyable. I fell in love with all the characters, especially the main character Emmeline–she is so resilient, works through her doubts, and stands strong in the midst of terrible circumstances. The plot is really fun too, with great twists that I didn’t see coming.
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
The Goose Girl is one of my very favorite retellings, of a less-well known fairy tale also titled The Goose Girl. I absolutely love the world, the characters, and the character arcs of this story. The magic in it is very unique and fun and Shannon Hale’s writing style is captivating. This book is great for both middle grade and YA.
Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett
Rapunzel Untangled is obviously a Rapunzel retelling. It has a fun premise that the author does a great job delivering on. The retelling aspect of it is unique and the story is charming, great for a younger audience.
Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale
Rapunzel’s Revenge is a fun graphic novel retelling! This book has a unique take on Rapunzel–rather than the typical protagonist, you get to read about a proactive, cowgirl-style Rapunzel going on an adventure to escape her tower. There is a sequel–Calamity Jack–that is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk and finishes off the story. Both are really fun reads.
Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke
Mighty Jack is another fun graphic novel retelling, also retelling Jack and the Beanstalk. It ties in with Zita the Spacegirl (not a fairy tale retelling, but an awesome graphic novel series). My kids love this series and I, as an adult, also loved reading it with them.
Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden
I don’t know if the regency romance Seeking Persephone is meant to be a retelling, but my favorite part of it was the “Beauty and the Beast” vibes throughout. It also has tie-ins with Greek mythology. The romance is so sweet, I loved how their relationship developed and the slow burn of it. It’s one of my favorite regency romances, especially with the fairy tale retelling vibes.
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Gail Carson Levine
This is not necessarily a “fairy tale retelling” but it has fairy tale vibes and is based off of The Princess Bride, if Buttercup went out to serach for Wesley on her own after he left. I love the fairy tale vibes of this fantasy book, the sweet romance, and the plot twists along the way!
These are some of my favorite fairy tale retellings! What are you favorite retellings? I’m always on the lookout for some new good ones and would love to hear from you!
June was a busy month, with five kids and Leah getting older! We’ve had a lot of summer fun outside in the hot weather and we’ve been inching our way back to “normal life” as Leah’s naps have started getting more consistent. I was still able to read quite a bit, but with all that going on, I did have my lowest reading month of the year so far. I also had more books that I didn’t love as much, though some were really fun to read.
I read 13 books in June and 4,033 pages, for an average of 310 pages per book (this is my lowest reading month book and page-wise this year so far). I owned 8 books and borrowed 5 of the books I read. 11 were by female authors and 2 by male authors. I read 1 physical book, 8 ebooks, and 4 audiobooks. I read 2 middle grade, 0 YA, and 11 adult. I had 2 read alouds with my kids and read 0 new releases. I read 6 stand alones and 5 books from series (starting 3 and finishing 0). I had 4 five star reads, 6 four star reads, 2 three star reads, and 1 two star read.
The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty
I’ve been reading through all of Liane Moriarty’s books lately and I’ve loved them. She writes Chick Lit, often with a bit of thriller/mystery thrown in. The Hypnotist’s Love Story falls more on the Chick Lit end of things, but was still really fun to read. I loved the characters and was very invested in the story–a hypnotist starts dating a guy who is being stalked by his ex.
Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden
Courting Miss Lancaster is the sequel to Seeking Persephone, which is still my favorite in the series so far. I really enjoyed this sequel, though. The love interest, Harry, is adorable and I loved the chemistry between the two main characters.
The Coddling of American Mind by Greg Lukianoff/Jonathan Haidt
The Coddling of the American Mind was my main nonfiction read of the month and I was surprised by how much I loved it. I thought it was going to be hard to get through, but it was very engaging and I took a lot away from the book (I know because I keep referencing things the book talked about in conversations!).
Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
For a few years now, I’ve been reading Colleen Cambridge’s Phyllida Bright mysteries, which follow the fictional maid of Agatha Christie solving mysteires. They are so fun, I love them! I decided to try some of her other books and started with this one. I didn’t love Mastering the Art of French Murder as much as Phyllida Bright (part of that may simply be how much I love Agatha Christie), but I still really enjoyed it! It follows a fictional friend of the French cook Julia Child, solving a mystery in France post-WWII. It took me a little longer to really get into it, but once I did, it was so fun. I can’t wait to continue the series.
The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon
I tend to put off reading Amy Harmon books because they are never light, easy reads, but I pretty much always love them once I read them. The Law of Moses was a little bit of a different book–a contemprary with magical realism/paranormal and a dash of msytery/thriller. The characters were, of course, very real and well written, and the ending was very satisfying.
Those were some of my favorite books from last month! How was your reading month in June? What is a book you’ve read recently and just loved? I’d love to hear from you!
I have been a BIG Brandon Sanderson fan for many years. I was 19 when I read my first book by him (Way of Kings) and at the time, he had the Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, Way of Kings, and a few novellas published. I have reread a quite a few of books over the years, but when they anounced the release of the fifth Stormlight book for the end of 2024, I knew it was a good time for me to revisit all of the Cosmere books he’d written. I did not read Allomancer Jack, White Sands, or the Cosmere secret projects.
Note: The Cosmere is a fictional universe that many of Sanderson’s books take place in. If a book is a “Cosmere” book, it takes place on a planet in that universe. Think of it similar to Marvel, but with fantasy books. Not all of his books take place in the Cosmere and so far, you can read all the Cosmere books independently, without having to read all the connected books. But, it can be fun to find the Easter eggs in the connections.
I knew it was going to be a big undertaking, but I broke it down to about a book a month (some months had multiple shorter books to fit it all in) and I’m a big reader, besides the fact that his books are un-put-down-able. I was confident I could do it!
So …
How did I do?
I succeeded in rereading all the Cosmere books I set out to read! However, I didn’t quite manage to finish Wind and Truth in 2024 (I ended up reading it in January of 2025). Here’s how my year went:
January through March, I had planned on reading the original Mistborn books (the trilogy, Sercret History, and Eleventh Metal) and read them just as planned. I loved revisiting them! The original Mistborn trilogy remains my favorite work by Brandon Sanderson. I love the characters, the romance between Vin and Elend, the heist plot, the plot twist at the end, and the character arcs. This time around was really fun because I was listening to the third Mistborn book (while painting our living room) in conjunction with reading the ebook of Secret History (the two plots take place adjacent to each other as well).
In April and May, I squeezed two books in each month to read the second era of Mistborn (Wax and Wayne). I managed to finish the first (Alloy of Law) in April, but didn’t quite manage to finish the second (Shadows of Self) until May, but then I also did read the last two (Bands of Mourning and The Lost Metal) in May, catching up with my schedule. I always love Alloy of Law, it’s so funny and the characters and mystery are so fun to read about. Shadows of Self has never been my favorite, but there are still good parts. It surprised me how much I loved rereading Bands of Mourning and I cried again when I read the end of The Lost Metal.
In June, I read Warbreaker. Warbreaker is such a great story that plays with different tropes in interesting ways and has amazing characters. I am super excited that we are apparently getting another Warbreaker book soon!
In July, I read The Emporer’s Soul and Elantris (and Hope of Elantris). I had forgotten how much I love The Emporer’s Soul until I reread it. It is a novella, so it’s shorter, but the worldbuilding is really cool and the con artist plot line is right up my alley. Rereading Elantris, it’s probably my least favorite Cosmere book. It isn’t bad, but I didn’t love it as much I thought I would. I found myself not wanting to read it, or remembering what came next and not being excited for it.
August and September are when I started to get off track. I was supposed to read Way of Kings in August and Words of Radiance as well as Edgedancer in September. However, I ended up having morning sickness during these months, so my reading was very much mood reading, especially in August as I was in the thick of it and just trying to survive feeling sick all the time with four kids to take care of.
I started reading Way of Kings in September and finished it in October. I then immediately picked up Words of Radiance and Edgedancer and finished those in October as well. I absolutely loved reading Way of Kings this time. I’ve always loved the book, but in the past, a lot of Kaladin’s parts dragged for me. That wasn’t the case this time, for whatever reason. I just thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end, and the ending made me cry (like it does every time). I also really enjoyed my rereading of Words of Radiance. Edgedancer was just okay this time around.
November was very busy for me–holidays with four kids and being pregnant is no joke. Despite the business, I managed to read both Oathbringer and Dawnshard. Oathbringer is one of my favorite endings of all time. It helps that Dalinar is my favorite character in Stormlight. I know this is a lot of people’s least favorite book because of pacing, and on this reread I could see why with how the first half of the book is so full of meetings, but honestly, the pacing has never bothered me and I love the ending so much. The themes and character arc felt even more powerful to me this reread with some of the things going on in my personal life. It is so powerful.
In December, I almost managed to get all the way caught up. I finished my Rhythm of War reread, though I finished it after the release of Wind and Truth. It was Christmas time, so I was busy and reading more holiday books. I also just had a harder time getting into it. The first time I read it, I didn’t love it. I liked it more this time around, but I didn’t feel the same pull to pick up the book and keep reading that I do with the first three. Those three are long, but it’s hard for me to put them down and get anything done. With Rhythm of War, it almost feels like the opposite. I will say, I love (and have always loved) the Navani plot line and this time around, I felt much more invested in Kaladin’s plot line as well.
I also read Sixth of Dusk and Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell in December, between Christmas and New Years. Both are novellas. I absolutely love Shadows for Silence. I know so many who love Sixth of Dusk because of the cool world building (and it does have that), but I personally find the plot a little boring to get through.
I also started Wind and Truth near the end of December (while I was reading the novellas), but I didn’t finish it until January of the next year. I didn’t hate the book, but like with Rhythm of War, I didn’t feel myself just wanting to read it nonstop and was honestly fairly disappointed with it.
Wind and Truth Review:
This review is not going to be completely spoiler free, because I want to talk about things that I liked or didn’t like in the book, but I will try to keep things vague enough that the spoilers aren’t too crazy.
I want to start by saying that part of my disappointment came from expecting this book to be a bit of a climax, in wrapping up the first arc of the series. Instead, we got a book that felt very much like a setup book (and my understanding is this was what Sanderson was going for). I’m not sure if this is why I felt bored during much of the book or if it was something else. The other part of my disappointment came from what felt like a shift in the themes and feel of the book. I’ll go more into that later.
There were many things about the book that I enjoyed. My favorite part of the book was everything Adolin. His sections in Azir were all so enjoyable to me. I loved seeing Adolin and Yanagawn’s friendship develop and Yanagawn’s character development. I was very invested in Azir and Adolin’s role there. I also was very interested in everything happening with the deadeyes and the climatic moment there was great.
There were some backstory scenes that we got to see as the characters were in the spiritual realm that I liked. I also loved the section where we get to se Jasnah humbled–I know some people didn’t love that part, but I thought it was very well done, realistic to what would happen, and honestly, it was satisfying to see someone able to do to Jasnah what she often does to others.
With the end of the book, the things liked the most were Sigzil’s sacrifice, Szeth’s arc, that Dalinar chose to protect Gavinar, and the wrap up with the herald’s. These things were fun to read and felt satisfying to me as a reader.
That being said, there were quite a few things that detracted from the reading experience for me. For some reason, there was so much of the book that just dragged for me. The worst were the scenes where Honor was telling his backstory–these felt like straight up exposition dump and I found myself getting annoyed every time it went back to his veiwpoint. Honestly, though, most of the spiritual realm felt long and uninteresting. I have a hard time with dreams in books and the much of the spiritual realm felt dream-like, so I’m wondering if this is part of why I struggled with it. I’m not sure, but I had an especially hard time with caring about Shallan’s veiwpoints in the spiritual realm.
The other part of the book that was very boring to me was Sigzil’s sections, and I think it’s because I had already read The Sunlit Man (which was recommended to be read before Wind and Truth). I already knew so much because of the Sunlit Man that it was not exciting to read and all the tension I would have felt otherwise about their struggles was gone. Like I said before, I did love his climax, but the rest of his sections were just harder to get through. In fact, most of the fight scenes until day 9 felt a little pointless to read and I found more boring. It almost felt like it didn’t even matter until it was closer to the end of the 10 days.
If you take the bulk of the spiritual realm and the bulk of the fight scenes, it makes up most of the build up in the book and it’s easy for me to see why I had a harder time getting through the book. On top of this, I found myself often pulled out of the story by more modern language. The worst offense for me was the constant use of the word “therapy”. It literally was driving me crazy, though there were other phrases that felt very out of place to me too. It seems like such a small thing to have a few out-of-place words, but it actually had a big effect on the reading experience for me.
With the word therapy, I also had a hard time with the fact that Szeth is the one who has the main character arc, but we see so much of his perspective through Kaladin’s eyes. Kaladin’s character is simply trying to “fix” Szeth and it’s honestly way less fun to watch someone trying to fix someone else than it is to watch a character struggle themselves to fix themselves. This was one of the way that themes in this book felt different to me than in the past books and it had a big effect on the reading experience.
And finally, the contest of champions. This was the thing that the last few books have really been leading up to and it was a huge letdown for me. I hated–absolutely hated–who the champion was. From the beginning, I have held firm that I could handle anyone being the champion except one person. And guess who the champion was? Yep, that person. I also hate the way they became the champion, it makes me sick. Then the contest itself very anticlimatic. I was just expecting so much more from it and it just kind of … fizzled.
Overall, I think the sections I enjoyed made it worth reading and I plan on continuing the series. I am hoping that this book is a one-off and not the start of a different trajectory for the series. I love the first three books, like the fourth book, and was disappointed with this one, but I hold out hope that I can love (or at least like) the sixth. I guess we’ll see.
So those are my thoughts on Wind and Truth and how I did with my Cosmere rereadathon. It was so fun to revisit so many of my favorite books in 2024! Have you read Wind and Truth? What did you think of it? I’d love to hear your thoughts, even if they differ from mine!
May was not my greatest reading month, but it could have been worse. I was in the thick of it with five kids, just trying to survive that newborn stage but also starting to try to actually do other things as well. It was really rough because Leah would not let me set her down during the day for naps much. We ended up taking a “summer break” from school a little early even to try to help. But, when I wasn’t on my phone while nap trapped, I did get time to read while snuggling my baby.
I read 19 books and 5,328 pages in May, for an average of 280 pages per book. 15 books were by femaleauthors and 4 were by male authors. I read 2 physical books, 10 ebooks, and 7 audiobooks. I read 5 middle grade, 4 YA, and 10 adult books. I borrowed 9 of the books I read and owned 10 of them. I read aloud 4 books with my kids and read 4 new releases. 4 books were rereads and 15 were new reads. I read 3 books in a series, finishing 1 and starting 0. I had 10 five star reads, 4 four star reads, 5 three star reads, and 0 two or one star reads.
The Other World by Abbie Emmons
This YA contemporary is one I’ve had on my TBR for quite awhile now and I loved it! Abbie Emmons has a YouTube channel talking about writing and I have always enjoyed watching her videos and learning from her. It was fun to finally read one of her books and to enjoy it so much. The Other World has Little Mermaid retelling vibes, a well-done love triangle, and some captivating character arcs. I am looking forward to trying Abbie Emmons’ other books.
London Calling by James Ponti
London Calling is the sixth book in the City Spies series. My kids love the series (we listened to it together) but I have to admit I was starting to get a little tired of it and wasn’t as excited to have a new book come out. It surprised me, though, how much I enjoyed it! I really loved seeing more of Mother’s kids and the entire plotline around them, and the plotline around the super computer. This book made me excited that there will be a seventh!
The Survivors by Jane Harper
Despite being third here, The Survivors may have been my favorite book this month. Like Jane Harper’s other books, it is a slowburn, character-driven thriller. They never seem like my kind of books before I read them, but I’ve loved every single thing she’s written. This one follows a small family of three as the murder of a nonlocal girl mixes with accidental deaths of the past. I loved the characters and the journey they went on. I am really excited for her next book!
Next Level Plot by KM Weiland
Next Level Plot Structure was my nonfiction read of the month and it was very well done. I read her first plot structure book (Creating Character Arcs) years ago and got a lot of out of it. I wish I had done a refresher of that book before reading this one, as this uses a lot of information from the original book to go deeper. Sometime in the future, I’d like to revisit them in succession.
By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
By the Shores of Silver Lake was technically a reread for me (I am rereading all the books this year using this reading chart), but the last time I read it was when I was a little girl and I have very few memories of it (most of my Little House memories come from the show).
Those were the books I loved most in May! What books have you been reading and loving lately? What five star reads did you have in May? I’d love to hear about your recent reads and chat about books!
Audible is doing a big, sitewide sale this week (ends June 8) in honor of Audiobook Month! I love when Audible does this sale, because a lot of books are steeply discounted (under $5 or $10, which is very rarely seen with audiobooks). It’s a great way for me to stock up on Audible books. I have added quite a few books to my cart, all under $5 (I won’t be sharing the exact price, though, because the prices can vary some from person to person based on purchase history, browsing history, etc).
Today I am sharing the books I am buying on the sale!
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay are all on a good sale. We own the books, but not the audiobooks, so I thought this would be a good chance to get them. My own kids are also getting closer to an age where they might enjoy them.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Sunrise on the Reaping is the newest release in the Hunger Games world and I haven’t read it yet. I was originally planning on skipping it, partially because I wasn’t blown away by Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Since then, however, I have heard that a lot of people love it, even when they didn’t love Ballad. I decided I should give it a try, especially at such a low price.
From Sand to Ash by Amy Harmon
Amy Harmon is an author I’ve been working on reading through all her books and really loving most of them. I’m excited to try From Sand to Ash!
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
The Hobbit is such a classic and owning this on audio could open it up to my kids in a new way (I’ve read it to them before).
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Ender’s Game is the only Orson Scott Card book I’ve read, but I really enjoyed it. I think it has some language and violence in it, so I wouldn’t have the kids listen until they were teenagers at least, but it is one I also have been considering rereading.
The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith
This is a series I read quite a few years ago and really loved it. The Vine Witch is the first in the series, but also wraps up fairly neatly as a stand alone.
The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton
The Great Train Robbery is written by the same author as Jurassic Park, a book I found myself surprised by how much I loved it. I am excited for this one, because I love heist-type books and I’m interested to see if I will like anything else written by this author.
The Gorgon’s Fury: Tales of Newel and Doren by Brandon Mull
The Gorgon’s Fury is the newest release in the Fablehaven world. I’m mostly buying this for my kids, as they love Fablehaven, but I’m also interested for myself because Newel and Doren were some of the best characters in the Fablehaven series.
Pay Attention Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt
Pay Attention Carter Jones is a middle grade coming of age contemporary that I read a few years ago and absolutely loved. I could see myself revisiting it, but having it on audiobook also makes it more likely some or all of my kids will eventually read it too (or maybe we’ll listen to it as a family!).
The Fill-in Boyfriend by Kasie West
I’ve slowly been reading my way through Kasie West’s books and enjoying them. Like all of her books, The Fill-in Boyfriend is a sweet and clean YA romance. I haven’t read this yet and I think it will be perfect when I’m in the mood for something fun and light.
Lucky in Love by Kasie West
Lucky in Love is another Kasie West book I haven’t read. She had quite a few others on a pretty good sale, but these were the only two under $5 for me and since there were already so many books I wanted to buy, I was trying to limit my buys this time around.
So True a Love by Joanna Barker
Joanna Barker is another author that I have been reading a lot of lately and really loving. She writes regency romance and So True a Love looks like a cute one! It’s the sequel to a book I recently read by Joanna Barker that I loved and I’m excited for the “investigation” side of it.
One Wrong Step by Jennifer A. Nielsen
This has been on my TBR for awhile–I actually have a hard copy from the library right now, but I have only made it a few pages in with the new baby. Maybe having it as an audiobook will help me actually get to it. One Wrong Step is a middle grade historical fiction about climbing Mount Everest.
The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery
I didn’t know LM Montgomery had written more than Anne and Emily until recently, but The Blue Castle became one of my absolute favorite classics when I read it! It has a romcom feel to it and it’s fun to see the way the main character grows into herself. I’m very excited to own the audio version of it.
Infinity Blade: Redemption by Brandon Sanderson
Infinity Blade wasn’t my favorite duology (I’ve never played the game) but it is by Brandon Sanderson, so of course I am going to own for only a couple of dollars.
Murder Takes the Stage by Colleen Cambridge
I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and I have loved the Phyllida Bright series (Murder Takes the Stage is the fourth). Now I only need the first in the series and will own all the books on audio. I got the audiobook from the library to read them originally and really loved narrator as well.
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Matilda is a classic for a reason and I’m excited to own the audiobook, especially for my kids. There were a few other Roald Dahl books on a pretty good sale, but this was the only one that was under $5 for me.
The Sherlock Society by James Ponti
James Ponti wrote City Spies and Framed!, both of which the kids and I have really enjoyed together. I think The Sherlock Society is his latest series and I’ve been wanting to listen to it with the kids. This one is the only book I am getting that isn’t under $5, but it’s still on a good deal and I was planning on buying it this month or next anyway.
Those are the books I am buying during this Audible sale! It’s a pretty good haul and I’m excited for all of them! Are you getting any audiobooks this week? What are some of your favorite books to listen to?
