Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And due to lack of signal in Devon, I haven't been able to post in almost a month (I promise I was going to be posting my wrap up and TBR that week).
But better late than never I guess!
Here's an update on my readings past and future.
I hope you enjoy it!
September Wrap Up (2023)
I read a total of three books in September, for one reason or another, but they were all fairly large, and I'm happy with my consistency and my determination to read even a little bit each day.
1. Happy Place, by Emily Henry
I was determined to get this read in September, so it wouldn't be left on my shelf collecting dust until February/ March time (much like my Beth O' Leary books are now, but hey- I can't get to everything)! I did enjoy this one, but honestly, I felt like some parts with Harriet and Wyn- and their famililes- were just a little rushed and crammed in all at once. It would have been nice to read more about them, but that's just my personal preference. All in all a solid read- very much looking forward to her next publication.
2. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
This has been on my re-read list since maybe the start of the year, and it was so fantastic to actually follow through and pick it up again. I enjoyed it so much I even watched the film too. This is a pretty well-known book/film so I know a lot of you have read or seen it, but if you haven't, The Help is about Jackson, Mississipi in the 1960s. It follows Aibileen and Minny, two black maids, in their professional lives, raising their employers' white children from the time that they've had their first poo, and their personal lives, running for their homes when a white man goes on a shooting rampage. When Mrs Skeeter approaches them with the idea to write a book about their lives, three ordinary women take their first extroadinary step to changing their lives for the better.
3. The Shadow Sister (The Seven Sisters #3), by Lucinda Riley
I can't even begin to explain how much I enjoyed this book. After The Storm Sister I was eager to start the third book straight away. Not only did I really like the character of Star, the protagonist of the third book, but I knew where she ended up. But as I'm borrowing these books from a friend, it was of course some time until I was able to pick it up.
But eventually I had it in my possession. Honestly, a bit slow starting, compared to the other two books, but in the other hand, it gave me a chance to fully come to understand what Star was all about, and once I got past a certain point, I genuinely couldn't put the book down. I flew through the substancial 660 pages in a week which for me, is no small feat. Once again, it helped that I was jumping from two protagonists/ time periods, and the sections were quite evenly spaced out, so I never felt like I was reading one character's story for too long. Honestly, at this point, I think I'll find it difficult to find a book in this series that I'll enjoy more.
October TBR (2023)
Although we're already 12 days into this month, I'm still going to write about the books I plan to read for the rest of it. There will of course be less books than usual, but the month just wouldn't be the same without my TBR, now would it?
1. Lyrical Ballads, by Wordsworth and Coleridge
After finishing Trouble Girls, by Julia Lynn Rubin (I'll talk about that on this month's wrap up) I was at a complete loss as for what to read next. Then I remembered a month ago, when I'd been reading The Shadow Sister, which takes place at Lake District, how eager I'd been to pick up some of the Wordsworth poems/books I'd accummilated back in July. And so, here I am, reading poetry for the first time in several years.
I'm not very far into it at the moment, just 35 pages in, but the beauty about this book is that if I like, if there's another book that I find myself drawn to, I can read that one and read maybe a poem or two a day, and slowly chip through them every so often, because I know I won't be in danger of losing the thread of it.
I have to admit, I'm not very practised in reading poetry, but so far I'm enjoying it, and I'm looking forward to reading more.
2. The Grasmere and Alfoxden Journals, by Dorothy Wordsworth
Ever since my partner and I visited Dove Cottage in July, the life the Wordsworth siblings shared has fascinated me. Mostly made from wood, they lived what we would call "Simple living". Plain food like bread, milk, beans, cheese and meat, and simply walking, exploring the landscape and writing all day. To me, that sounds amazing.
But one person that I was particularly interested was Dorothy Wordsworth, who wrote alongside William, was never published, actually contributed ideas and phrases to William's most known works. Which is why I bought this, as well as two other books. I'll be reading the poems first, because I have a feeling that I'll throw the poems on the ground and abandon it if I pick this up first, but I genuinely can't wait see inside Dorothy's genius brain.
3. The Mist, by Stephen King
This was meant to be part of the TBR for the 24-hour-readathon that I did in Devon last week, but because I had not yet finished my current read, this got put aside for another day.
Since this book is just 180 pages, I'm thinking I'll just be able to soar through it in a couple of days.
If you didn't know, The Mist, is basically about a man and his son, trapped in a supermarket with several other people. A mist has descended on their town and every night, and with it brings mystery creatures that attack the villagers. The man's wife is out there, but of course leaving would risk their lives.
That's all I know about it, which I know from the film that I saw many years ago, but it still remains a favourite. I'm very much eager to pick the book up.
4. The Moon Sister (Seven Sisters #5), by Lucinda Riley
`I can't believe how quickly I'm raking through these books! It feels like only last week I was picking the first one up and meeting all these amazing sisters. The Moon Sister, the fifth book in the series follows Tiggy, as she follows a job to the Scotland Highland, only to be led to her past in Spain, during the civil war. I know next to nothing about Tiggy, just that she's graceful and kind, but I just know I'm going to love her already.
Oh, why is there only one more sister book after this? I really don't want this series to end!
Okay! That's my Wrap Up for September & TBR for October!
I hope you enjoyed it, and feel free to comment what your current read is and what your thoughts are, I'd love to hear them!
I hope you have a wonderful evening and I'll see you all soon!
Byeeee!
-Abi xxxxx
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