September 2021 Wrap Up

 I know I only shared my July and August wrap up a few days ago but it is already time to wrap up September. I can't believe how fast this year is flying in! September was a really busy month for me, and on top of that I was ill for basically all of it, so I didn't get a lot of reading done at all. I only read 3 books in the month, which is more than August but still not enough for me to be happy with. None of my September reads were really stand-outs for me but let's talk about them

Hate Notes by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward -

When I'm feeling slumpy, I tend to pick things up on a whim in the hope it can keep my attention long enough for me to finish it. That is what happened with this book. It is a hate to love workplace romance, which I seem to be reading a lot recently, following a woman who finds a note inside a wedding dress and ends up becoming the assistant to the writer of the note. The premise of this didn't actually excite me all that much so I'm not sure why I thought the book itself would. It was an average book for me, with a decent hate to love romance between two kind of dull characters. I didn't gel with the main characters, but I did enjoy their banter and the romance was pretty sweet. I thought the whole letter storyline was a bit odd and made our heroine seem a bit creepy, and it didn't really add a whole lot to the story. I also wasn't a huge fan of chronic illness being thrown in as a twist or a plot device, I felt as though that could have been incorporated a bit better. Overall, it wasn't anything special or exciting but I would read from this author duo again.

Rating: 3/5

Lessons In Corruption by Giana Darling -

I was in the mood to pick up something totally different so I went with a MC romance. This is the first book in Giana Darling's Fallen Men series, which is raved about within the romance community. The first book is a forbidden romance between the 18-year-old son of the MC club president and his young teacher. I'm not into age gap and I'm not into student/teacher romances, but I didn't hate this. I really enjoyed both King and Cress as characters and loved getting introduced to the world of the Fallen Men. I am definitely invested in this series and the Fallen Men already. However, I don't think this was ever going to be my favourite in the series. While I really did enjoy the relationship between King and Cress, that was mostly because a lot of the time I could ignore the student/teacher part. It did cross a bit of a line for me at times in terms of that aspect, though, which did make me uncomfortable but that is totally a me thing. I also found myself getting a bit bored in the middle and feeling as though it could have been shorter. Other than that, I enjoyed the relationship, the bit of action at the end, and getting an introduction to the Fallen Men MC.

Rating: 3.5/5

Dark by Penelope Bloom -

This is another book that is totally different from what I usually read and I only picked it up as I am trying to complete BooksAndLala's Buzzword challenge this year and the buzzword for September was 'Dark'. This is the third book in a mafia romance series that I have never read before. It follows a therapist who ends up sleeping with one of her patients, who happens to be involved in some bad stuff, and of course she gets pregnant and he disappears before she can tell him. I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to. I know a lot of people hate the secret baby trope but I don't mind it and actually enjoyed it in this book. I wasn't really invested in these characters because the book was so short and full of action that we didn't really get to know them. This also meant that their romantic connection wasn't really developed much, so I wasn't that invested in their relationship. I did find the action fun and gripping, it kept me reading to know how their story would end. Overall, this was better than I expected and I had fun with it, but it definitely wasn't the best book I've ever read.

Rating: 2.5/5

Those are the three books I read in September. Thankfully, I seem to be getting out of my reading slump and I'm now in the mood to read again. I'm hoping I can make up for my lack of reading in the coming months.

What was the best book you read in September?

Sophie :)

Yet Another eBook Haul

I've been at it again with the ebook buying! I have bought hardly any physical books in 2020, but have been making up for it in ebooks. I didn't get quite as carried away this time around, only 19 books in the last two months. These were all either free or on sale through ibooks and Kindle.

1. A Favour For A Favour by Helena Hunting - The second book in a sports romance series following a hockey team. I already have the first book in the series on my Kindle so I'm ready for a series binge.

2. A Secret For A Secret by Helena Hunting - The third book in the same series.

3. It Was Always You by Brenna Aubrey - A Christmas brother's best friend romance novella.

4. Christmas On Main Street by Leanna Morgan - A Christmas romance, I think featuring some kind of secret Santa.

5. Rescuing You by Sarah Taylor - A steamy romance novella between a firefighter and a teacher.

6. Burn For Me by J.H. Croix - A second chance romance, also involving a firefighter.

7. Burn So Bad by J.H. Croix - In the same series, this is a hate to love romance with a firefighter.

8. Merry Me by Amanda Siegrist - Another holiday romance, with what sounds like a bit of a grumpy hero.

9. Christmas Trio by Shanid Boyes - A MMF steamy Christmas novella.

10. Dirty by Paula Cox - A dark, romantic suspense novella.

11. The Wreckage Of Us by Brittainy C Cherry - A NA romance between a girl with a rough home life and a musician, by an author I have heard so many great things about.

12. The Christmas Invitation by Trisha Ashley - A Christmas novel about a woman who spends Christmas in a small town and bumps into a man from her past.

13. The Turn Of The Key by Ruth Ware - Finally going to try out some Ruth Ware! This is a thriller involving a woman who gets a job as a nanny in a Highland home and then ends up in prison.

14. The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware - Another Ruth Ware thriller, this time set on a cruise ship where a woman witnesses someone being thrown overboard.

15. Can You Hear Me? by Jake Jones - A little bit of non-fiction. This is a memoir from a paramedic in the UK.

16. One New York Christmas by Mandy Baggot - Another Christmas story! This one follows two best friends who go to New York for Christmas.

17. All About Us by Tom Ellen - And another Christmas novel, following a man who goes back in time to the moment he chose his current relationship over 'the one that got away' and must decide if he would do things differently.

18. This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens - A New Year's romance following two complete opposites who share a moment on NYE and find themselves bumping into each other throughout the year.

19. Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas - A NA romance I knew nothing about but everyone seems to love it. It looks to be following two childhood pen-pals who meet in real life.

Another 19 books that I don't have a clue when I'll ever get to! Hopefully I can read a few of the holiday books in the coming months, but we'll see.

Which of these should I make a priority?

Sophie :)

September 2020 Wrap Up

It's starting to get to that crazy time of year again! September was a busy month for me, with work being quite intense and barely any time off. Not only did I struggle to blog, I only read 4 books in the month, which is the least I've read in a month all year. Three of them were pretty chunky books, but it is still a little disappointing to me. On the plus side, every book I read in September I rated 4 stars, so at least I enjoyed everything I read. 

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer -

After finishing my reread of the Twilight series, I finally got around to reading the newest Twilight release, Midnight Sun. This was my most anticipated release of the year and I was so relieved that I ended up really enjoying it. Midnight Sun is essentially a retelling of the events of the first book in the series, but told from Edward's perspective. I found that I enjoyed Edward's perspective more than Bella's, as I often found Bella to be quite an annoying character. I was worried I would be bored as I know the story of Twilight so well, but it felt completely different from Edward's perspective. Certain events from the original book had more depth and were more explained seeing them from Edward's side, which I found so interesting. I'm still not entirely sure what he saw in Bella though, she was just as annoying as I had always found her to be. Overall, I really enjoyed diving back into this series and loved the nostalgic feeling of experiencing a Twilight book for the first time.

Rating: 4/5

City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare -

Once again I have started rereading this series in the hopes of finally finishing it. This was my third read of City Of Bones and my feelings about this remain the same. I really enjoy this world and learning about the Shadowhunters and their history. I love all of these characters and the relationships they have with each other. I remember finding this first book quite confusing initially, but by the third time through I don't have that problem. I have a super short review from my first time reading it here. I'm looking forward to hopefully making my way through this series soon.

Rating: 4/5

Hook Shot by Kennedy Ryan -

After all of the vampires and paranormal creatures, I needed a bit of romance. This is the third and final book in Kennedy Ryan's Hoops series, featuring three basketball romances. Hook Shot follows Lotus, the cousin of Iris in the first book, and Kenan, August from book one's teammate. I really liked Lotus in the first book and couldn't wait to get more of her story. Both Lotus and Kenan have so much going on in their personal lives, meaning that this book dealt with some very difficult topics. Lotus' abuse as child is touched on in the first book and is discussed again in Hook Shot. I found it incredibly powerful to read about Louts facing her past and the people who help her do so. We also see Kenan dealing with a very public divorce and trying to co-parent his teenage daughter with his difficult ex-wife. There were just so many really interesting aspects to this story and they were just as important as the romance itself. I loved the way the romance developed and just how well they dealt with everything that was thrown at them. They are definitely one of my favourite couples, and individually two of the best characters I've read about. My only complaint about this book is that it felt a bit too long. Every time I thought it was just about to wrap up nicely, there was more. However, I did really enjoy this book, and this series as a whole.

Trigger warnings for sexual abuse, attempted suicide, death of a loved one.

Rating: 4/5

Down Among The Sticks And Bones by Seanan McGuire -

And back to the vampires and paranormal creatures we go. This is the second book in the Wayward Children series, which follows children who go through doors to other worlds. The second book in the series follows Jack and Jill, who we meet in the first book, and tells the story of their time in a world of vampires and mad scientists. This was such an interesting read. I loved getting to know Jack and Jill's back story and getting to know them more as characters. I found their world really interesting, although a bit confusing, and enjoyed getting to discover it with them. These books are so well written, with every part so important to the story. It's so clever but also so whimsical and almost like a fairy tale. This was a really enjoyable read and so quick and easy as it is so short.

Rating: 4/5

Those were the four books I read in September. Not a great month in terms of quantity, but it is great that I enjoyed all of them. Hopefully with a bit of time of work this month, and being in a better headspace, I can read a bit more in October.

What was the best book you read in September?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up | May - September 2019

Life is crazy. Blogging is hard. I read some books, let's talk about them while I have a spare five minutes!

In all seriousness, I am currently the busiest I have been in a long time and blogging has had to take a serious back seat. I am trying to post wrap ups when I can, but I doubt I'll have anything more than that for at least the next month or so. I've hardly even had time to read recently, which makes me quite sad, but I did manage 3 books in May, 3 in June and 3 in July.

Strictly Between Us by Jane Fallon -

This was a complete cover buy, but sadly not one that paid off this time. This follows a woman who uses her assistant as bait for her best friend's husband, who she is convinced is cheating, and things get very messy. It turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. I disliked most of the characters and didn't really see any kind of character development, they stayed selfish and unbearable for the whole book. I also wasn't a fan of the cheating storyline. I'm not someone who always dislikes cheating in books, I think a cheating plot can be done well, but I didn't like this one. Especially as I felt many characters did not receive any consequences for their actions and blame seemed to be placed predominantly on one party when many were involved. It did have some redeeming qualities; it has some funny moments, there was one characters I liked, and it was a pretty quick read for being over 400 pages. However, it was still a disappointment.

Rating: 2.5/5

Lucky In Love by Kasie West -

Speaking of disappointing reads, I am so sad to say this is possibly my least favourite book from one of my favourite authors. I adore Kasie West but this story just fell flat for me. This is about a girl who wins the lottery and has to deal with all the changes it brings, including how differently people are suddenly treating her. I'm generally not a fan of lottery win storylines and this was no exception. I didn't dislike the book, I just found the plot to be predictable and filled with unnecessary drama. The characters were fine but forgettable and didn't live up to what I have come to expect from Kasie West's books. I guess I can't love everything she writes.

Rating: 3/5

Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins -

This is the second book in the Royals series, a series following a Scottish royal family and American teens who find themselves involved in royal drama. The second book is set in a Scottish boarding school and find American Millie sharing a room with the princess of Scotland. I have such mixed feelings about these books as a Scottish person myself. After reading Royals, I claimed that it would have been a 5 star read had it not been set in Scotland as I found many of the inaccuracies too difficult to ignore. However, I went into this book with the mindset of the Scotland in this book being entirely fictional, which made it a lot easier for me to simply laugh at the inaccuracies and focus on enjoying the story. I think these books are so much fun! I love all the characters and particularly loved the boarding school setting in this second book. I also really enjoyed the romance and found myself really rooting for them from the outset. As long as you don't believe this is what Scotland is actually like, I would definitely recommend giving these books a try.

Rating: 4/5

The Second Summer Of The Sisterhood by Ann Brashares -

After reading the first book in the series two years ago, I decided it was definitely time to continue with the second book. The second book takes place the summer after the first, as the girls once again go their separate ways for the summer with the travelling pants to keep them connected. This was a different reading experience for me as, unlike with the first book that I read after watching the movie so many times, I did not know this story at all. I didn't enjoy this as much as the first, particularly as I didn't enjoy Carmen's storyline, but I still had a lot of fun being with these characters again. I loved Bridget's story in this book and really enjoyed seeing her character grow and develop so much. I can't wait to carry on with the rest of the series.

Rating: 3/5

Did I Mention It's 10 Years Later? by Estelle Maskame -
This short novella/bonus chapter was released to celebrate the anniversary of the release of Did I Mention I Love You? It takes place 10 years after the end of the DIMILY trilogy and was a lovely insight into how all of the characters are doing in the future. This was so lovely to read as I often finish books or series and wonder how the story would continue - if couples would stay together, new friendships would last, family issues would be resolved - so I enjoyed getting some of those answers. The DIMILY trilogy is a favourite of mine, so of course I loved this.
Rating: 5/5

Girl In The Mirror by Cecelia Ahern -
Let me just say that I adore Cecelia Ahern, she is one of my favourite authors. However, this wasn't for me at all. Girl In The Mirror features two short stories, one of the same name and The Memory Maker. One I thought was just fine, the other I didn't understand at all, but I couldn't tell you which one was which. In fact, I don't really remember a much about either. I think that tells you my general feelings. Disappointing from a favourite author.
Rating: 2.5

Listen To Your Heart by Kasie West - 
Kasie West is another of my favourite authors, as I already mentioned, and as far a I can remember I enjoyed this book. It follows a girl who ends up as the host of her school's podcast, which is completely outside of her comfort zone, and has to give advice to callers; including a guy asking for advice about his crush, who she believes to be her best friend. It was pretty typical Kasie West, fun and cute with a sweet romance and some nice friendships. It wasn't my favourite of hers but it did give a great Summer vibe, with the lake being a big part of the story, which was exactly what I was looking for.
Rating: 4/5

Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame -
This was a reread for me. After reading Did I Mention It's 10 Years Later, I was desperate to go back and read this first book in the series again. I have a full review of this book, and the series as a whole, and I stand by pretty much everything I said in both. I did enjoy this more upon reread, I think as I had more of a connection to the characters and the story, but did still have the same issues as I had the first time around. This is my least favourite in the series, but I do still love this book, and the series as a whole.
Rating: 3.5/5 (maybe 4 this time)

Becoming by Michelle Obama -
If you don't know about this book, where have you been? This is Michelle Obama's memoir, following her life and journey to becoming one of the most influential women in the world. I have huge respect for her, I think she is an incredible woman, and this absolutely grew and grew while reading this book. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Michelle Obama herself, which added another level to the reading experience. I felt as though she was sitting in the car with me, telling me all about her life. I found it so interesting to hear all about her upbringing, her career, and particularly to find out more about her as a person, rather than Barack Obama's wife. As with most memoirs, I did get a little bored at some parts, but overall, it was a really interesting and enjoyable book.
Rating: 4/5

And that is it. I didn't read a single book in August or September, which is so disappointing as that is the longest I have gone without reading a book in years! However, life is just so crazy at the moment. I am happy to report that I have read a couple in October so far, which I will hopefully be able to share with you at the end of the month, if I can get myself back on track. For now though, those were all the books I read in May, June and July.

What is the longest you've gone without finishing a single book this year? Any tips for finding time to read when life is too crazy?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up | September 2018

I started off this year so well! For the first few months I was reading at least 6 books a month, but now I can't seem to get past 4. In previous years I would be over the moon with that number of books in a month but now it's a bit disappointing for me, I wanted to read more! Despite the number not being as high as I would have liked, the quality was there. I, who rarely gives out five star ratings, gave two books that honour in September. I guess I can't complain too much.

PS I Still Love You by Jenny Han -

This is the second book in the To All The Boys I've Loved Before trilogy. After reading the first book in August, I immediately watched the movie and then, of course, just had to keep on reading the series. I didn't like this book quite as much as the first but I did still really enjoy it. I wasn't too happy about going from one love triangle in the first book to yet another one in the second, it was a bit too much for me. However, I really love the characters in this series and it was great to read more about them. The relationship between Lara Jean and her sisters is the best so I was glad to have more of that in the second book as well. Despite not completely loving the plot of this second book, I still loved reading it and can't wait to see how the series ends.

Rating: 4/5

It Ends With You by SK Wright -

This is a YA mystery/thriller about a girl who is murdered and her bad boy boyfriend is the main suspect. This was an interesting take on the generic mystery/thriller. The story itself was nothing new, popular girl gets murdered and everyone assumes the boyfriend with the poor family background is to blame, but the way the story is told is quite unique. I found it interesting to hear the story from six different perspectives and a couple of different timelines. It was a little confusing at first and took some time to get used to who everyone was but it made things more intriguing and added to the mystery. Unfortunately, there was just too much about the book that I didn't like. Some relationships were too strange, some of the characters really annoyed me and none of the plot twists or reveals were surprising. 

Rating: 2.5/5 | Review To Come

Love Is The Higher Law by David Levithan -

This was a reread for me. It follows three teenagers in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and how their lives are changed. I loved this book when I first read it but since that first read I knew I wanted to reread it around the anniversary, as I felt I didn't fully appreciate it the first time around. It's hard to explain but rereading it when I did was a completely different experience. I have a full review that gives my more detailed thoughts but there were a couple of minor things I highlighted negatively in that review that I disagree with now. So basically, check out that review for my full thoughts but ignore any of the negative comments, I absolutely adore this book and you should definitely read it!

Rating: 5/5 | Review

This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay -

I have mentioned my love for medical memoirs several times on here but I have never loved one as much as I loved this one. This is Adam's stories of being a junior doctor in the NHS. The book is packed full of hilarious stories that those who work in healthcare can most likely relate to in some way, and those who don't can get an idea of some of the things healthcare workers deal with on a daily basis. I was laughing out loud constantly, which doesn't happen often when reading, and just adored the way the stories were told. However, it wasn't all lighthearted and laugh out loud funny, the realities of life as a junior doctor in the current NHS were apparent. The struggles and horrendous expectations were well documented and this book does a great job of quashing some of the inaccurate statements made about junior doctors in the press. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, but most importantly it made me proud to do the job I do and proud of all the selfless staff giving up so much of themselves to work within the NHS.

Rating: 5/5

Hopefully I can get back to reading more than four books in October! If not, I'll be more than happy with the quality of my book picks being just as good as those great books I read in September.

Did you read any 5 star reads in September? What was your favourite book of the month?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up & Haul | September 2017

As you may have been able to tell from lack of blog activity throughout September, I have had yet another super busy month. Luckily, I went on holiday at the beginning of the month and read a few books during my time away as I haven't had the chance to pick up another book since coming home on September 10th! It would seem starting back at uni and going straight back out onto placement has taken all of my time. Even as I'm writing this I should really be doing a whole pile of uni work! Things have been so busy lately but hopefully I can get back into the swing of things soon. With September being so busy, I only managed to read 3 books, and DNFed one.

   

Onyx by Jennifer L Armentrout -

This book took me forever to get through! This is the second book in the Lux series, which follows Katy who finds out she has moved in next door to a family of aliens. I really enjoyed the first book but sadly this one was not as good. Some aspects of the story I still enjoyed but for the most part I found it to be kind of boring and just didn't have the desire to keep picking it up. After reading this book, I don't think I will pick up the rest of the series.

Rating: 3/5 | Review | ATY Challenge: #18 A really long book (Lux: Beginnings)

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins -

This was my most anticipated book of the year but probably the book that I was most wary to pick up. This is completely different from anything Stephanie Perkins has written before as it is a slasher movie style horror novel in which high school students in a small town are being killed off one by one. I am not the biggest horror fan so I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this but I ended up loving it. It read more like a contemporary with horror elements, which I think was good as an introduction to the genre, but I could have done with a bit more of a horror feel. There were some aspects of the story I felt were unnecessary but overall it was a very enjoyable read. I would definitely be interested in reading more of her writing in this genre in future.

Rating: 4/5 | Review To Come

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher -

With the insane hype surrounding this book following the success of the TV show, it seemed about time that I picked it up. This book is basically the story of why one girl in high school decided to kill herself and is told in the form of tapes she has recorded and sent to the people she feels have played a part in her decision. Despite so many people loving this book, I really did not enjoy it. I hated Hannah and thought the reasons she gave for committing suicide were ridiculous for the most part. To me, this book was basically saying 'life is hard sometimes' is a reason to kill yourself. I don't think this was a good representation of suicide or mental illness. If it wasn't for Clay's character, I probably wouldn't have made it to the end.

Rating: 2/5 | Review To Come

Behind The Song by KM Walton -
When I saw this anthology on Netgalley, I requested it straight away as the premise sounded so interesting. It features stories from various YA authors and musicians inspired by songs. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me and I only managed to read the first three stories (well, I DNFed both the second and third) before giving up altogether. I expected this to be more about music when actually the stories, or at least the ones I read, turned out to be odd and a little pointless. I guess I just didn't get it.
Rating: DNF

Being so busy in September also meant not buying any books at all! I did, however, receive some books for review, both via Netgalley and from authors themselves.

The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook - I read and enjoyed her book With Malice earlier this year and this one seems like the perfect October thriller read.

36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You by Vicki Grant - A YA contemporary involving a psychology study bringing a couple together. 

The Story Of Lizzy & Darcy by Grace Watson - A modern day adaptation of Pride & Prejudice featuring two female main characters.

White Water, Black Death by Shaun Ebelthite - A thriller which takes place on a cruise ship and seems to involve a secret Ebola outbreak and a mysterious death.

Swan Song by Charlotte Wilson - A YA contemporary set in London featuring ballet.

Simple Soul Of Susan by Noel Branham - A chick-lit/romance about a woman who was in love with her childhood best friend but her life took her on a different path and away from him.

That was September for me. Not the best reading month, little in number and a few disappointments, but hopefully October will be better. How was your reading month in September?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up & Haul | September 2015

September has been another crazy month for me and one that included quite the reading slump. For some reason I just had no desire to read anything and the more I tried, the worse it got. That is why, along with being busy with starting back uni and all of that fun stuff, I have read a grand total of 2 books this month, and one doesn't really count.

My Life In September...

- I am planning to go back to uni to do a different degree next year so its open day time again.

- I went away for the weekend with my mum to visit my best friend.

- Unfortunately, I went back to uni so that is taking over my life again.

- My best friend the I went to visit had a beautiful little baby! This is the most exciting thing ever!

Watched In September...

- Love, Rosie (rewatch) - 5/5

- Tarzan - 3/5

- Insurgent - 3.5/5

- Orange Is The New Black Season 1 - 3/5

- Gossip Girl Season 2 (rewatch) - 5/5

Read In September...

More Weird Things Customers Say In Bookshops by Jen Campbell -

This is the book that doesn't really count, considering how small it is. This is a book full of funny and interesting things people say in bookshops and is the second instalment. I read this first one and liked it, I gave it 3 stars, and this one was also good, just not quite as good. I found this book to be not quite as funny as the first. It is still a good, fun read if you are looking for something short and quick. 3/5

Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire by JK Rowling -

This book both got me out of a reading slump and put me into one. I picked this up in an attempt to get me out of a reading slump, and it worked. I couldn't put it down and it made me actually want to read for the first time in a couple of months. However, as soon as it finished I was straight back into a slump because I enjoyed it so much. I think this may be my favourite of the books so far, probably because it was the first of the books that I had never seen the movie adaptation for so knew very little about what was going to happen. 4/5

Bought In September...

After reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in September, I went straight on to Amazon and bought the final three books in the series; The Order Of The Phoenix, The Half Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows. I can't wait to read these books and hopefully finish the series this year.

Blogged In September...

- I reviewed The Distance Between Us by Kasie West.

- I hauled the books I bought in August.

- I reviewed The Heir by Kiera Cass.

- I shared my Top Ten Series I Have Yet To Finish.

- I wrapped up August.

- I reviewed We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach.

- I did the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag and updated you on my challenge progress.

- I shared some mini reviews of recent reads.

- I listed my Top Ten Completed Series.

- I reviewed Paper Towns by John Green.

- I shared some mini reviews of some non-fiction reads.

That was my month of September. What did you read in September?

Sophie :)

September 2014 | Book Haul

Over the past few months, I have developed a serious problem with book buying. I can't seem to resist the beautiful, shiny new books and no matter how much I try, I can't not buy them! OK, so it's not quite that serious but I have been buying a lot more books than usual recently and September has been no exception with a total of 14 books bought.

Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson - You may have already seen this book in my September Wrap Up. This is one I was desperate to read in September. I had heard some great things about it and with the movie coming out at the beginning of September, as soon as I saw it in Waterstones, I picked it up. In short, this is about a woman who looses her memories every night while she sleeps.

Panic by Lauren Oliver - This was one that I had heard about but hadn't even added to my TBR on Goodreads when I bought it. I was interested in the concept, graduating seniors of a small town who compete in a dangerous game named Panic (yeah, that's about all I know), but had heard such mixed reviews that I was not entirely convinced. However, I saw it on offer so I bought it on impulse.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn - This was another impulse buy. After reading Gone Girl and not being entirely sold on it, I had no desire to read the rest of Gillian Flynn's books. However, I was this as I was browsing and thought I would see what it was about. Dark Places is about a girl who sends her brother to prison for the murder to her entire family at just 7 years old and now, 24 years later, is beginning to doubt whether she was right. I was intrigued so I decided to give Gillian Flynn another try.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - I have heard so many people say they love this book yet I don't even know what it's about! I really just wanted to see what all of the fuss was about and bought it when I found it on offer.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - I want to love Rainbow Rowell as much as everyone else but I have yet to read any of her books, despite owning Fangirl. I do have very high hopes though so I went ahead and bought another of her books, which I know very little about.

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson - Since You've Been Gone is a book that I have been dying to get my hands on ever since it came out but I was buying so many books that I couldn't justify paying full price for any. Eventually, I found this book on offer and grabbed it very excitedly. This is about a girl whose best friend goes away one summer but leaves her a list of things to do, which she then completes in the hope that her best friend will come back when she does.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusack - I have had a couple of friend recommend this book to me and I tend to take their recommendations quite seriously as they know me really well, so will usually know what I will like. I know nothing about this book other than it is historical fiction and is narrated by Death. 

Four by Veronica Roth - As a Divergent lover, I was desperate to get my hands on this as soon as it was released but I hated the UK cover so, since none of my Divergent books match anyway, I was trying to find a US edition to get the pretty cover. Then I found the pretty UK cover, fell in love with it and now get to admire it whenever I want. I should probably read Allegiant now.

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging, It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers, Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas, Dancing In My Nuddy-Pants, ...And That's When It Fell Off In My Hand, and ...Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers by Louise Rennison - These are the first six books in the Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series. I have read the first few of these books when I was younger but decided to buy the series and reread/finish it. I found the box set of the first six books on eBay for just £3 so I grabbed them.

Those are book I bought in September. Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Are there any of these books you would like to see a full review of?

Sophie :)

September 2014 | Wrap Up & October TBR

This month has been a crazy busy month, meaning I have had almost no time to read. Unfortunately, it looks like that will not be changing any time soon.

My life in September...

- I started my third year of uni and hate it already!

- Managed to fit in two weekends away with my family. These were the only times I got any reading done!

- I voted on the future of my country in the Scottish Referendum then made myself ill by staying up all night watching the results.

- I finished watching House (possibly another reason for the lack of reading) and the last episode destroyed me!

- I finished watching Season 5 of The Vampire Diaries (I put off the last two episodes for months) and again the last episode completely destroyed me. I cried for like an hour afterwards!

- I rearranged my bedroom and proudly built my new Ikea bedside table all by myself! It's the little things that make me happy.

Read in September...

Where Rainbows End by Cecilia Ahern - 

I absolutely loved this book! It is about two school friends, Alex and Rosie, who are separated when Alex and his family have to move from Dublin to Boston for his father's job. It follows them through their lives in the form of emails, letters, instant messages and newspaper articles. I really loved the characters and the unique format. Review to come. 5/5

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins -

As much as I loved this book, I didn't enjoy it as much as Anna and the French Kiss. Lola follows our main character Lola as she comes to terms with the fact her old next door neighbour, who she has some history with, has moved back in to the house next door. I liked Lola but I found her harder to relate to than Anna and made it a little harder to first get into the book. I did end up really enjoying it though. Review to come. 4/5

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins -

I loved this book! It is definitely my favourite in the series. Isla follows two characters who we first meet in Anna and the French Kiss, quiet girl Isla and best friend of Etienne St Clair Josh as they begin to realise that their mutual crush is, in fact, mutual. I loved Isla and Josh as a couple and, although I did find Isla a little annoying at times, I liked them both as individual characters as well. I cannot rate this book highly enough. Review to come. 5/5

Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson - 

This was my least favourite of the books I have read this month but it was good. It is about a woman who can only hold on to her memories until she falls asleep at night so cannot remember who she is when she wakes up in the morning, until she starts keeping a journal. I liked the idea of this book and it was done well but it wasn't as great as I expected it to be. I even managed to guess the ending which I had hoped not to. Review to come. 3/5

Currently Reading...

The Maze Runner by James Dashner -

I wanted to read this in time to watch the movie when it comes out next week in the UK. I'm only about 30 pages in at the moment but so far I am struggling to get into it. I know I need to give it more time but at the moment I am just really hoping it gets better soon.

To read in October...

Before We Met by Lucie Whitehouse -

I like to read darker books in October with it being Halloween but I don't do well with really scary or creepy things so mystery/thriller type books are as far as I go. Before We Met is about a woman whose husband doesn't come home one night and in searching for him she comes across some secrets of his life before they met. The premise intrigues me and the cover is beautiful so I'm excited to read it.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn -

This is another mystery/thriller book to get me in the Halloween mood. I read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn at the start of the year and didn't love it as much as, it seems, most people did. I thought I would give one of her other books a go and Dark Places intrigued me. It's about a woman whose brother was sent to prison when she was seven years old based on evidence that she had given but she is now starting to doubt what she heard so begins investigating who killed her family. I hope I like this better than Gone Girl.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead -

I have had this book on my shelf for years now but never got round to reading it. What better time to read about vampires than Halloween so I am going to try and get round to it in October. All I know is it is about a boarding school for vampires.

Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series books 1-3 by Louise Rennison -

I have already read Angus, Thongs & Full-Frontal Snogging, It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers and Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas a few years ago but I plan to reread them before continuing on with the series. They are really quick reads so I should hopefully get through them.

I have such a busy month in October, especially with uni work, so I think I have been a bit too ambitious with my TBR but I never end up sticking to a TBR list anyway, I just like making lists.

What have you read in September? And what are you planning to read in October?

Sophie :)