Reviewing the 28 Books I Read Recently (what a ROLLERCOASTER) 📚 August and September Wrap Up

I did find the mystery interesting. The world building continued to be interesting, but I did find some of the writing quirks started to jump out to me and feel a bit strange.

I think the first time I gave it four stars and even though I still think it's a breath of fresh air, it's a lovely calm moment. I think it's a sweet book.

This one for me was actually my favorite of the three, mostly for the mystery element and the thematic exploration. I thought that those were both really well done and the expansion of the world building that continues through all the books.

I did find it entertaining. I enjoyed it. I felt like it lived up the characterization and the writing, the pros and the way the clues are laid out and everything.

I thought she was very well characterized. I thought she was strange and unique and interesting. And there were times that I was a gasast and confused and perhaps even disgusted at moments, but I found it impossible to put down.

I enjoyed it. I thought it was fun. You could have gone a little deeper into the exploration of its themes for sure, but I found it entertaining.

The way that the themes were handled I found very basic. The ways that the religion developed over time I found very offputting. The characterization was pretty underdeveloped for me personally, especially for our protagonist, Blacktail, who is the wolf dog that we followed the whole time.

Anyway, I hated this. One star. I had a terrible time.

It really veers off the idea of these secret societies at Yale and the ethics and the privilege involved and college life and just goes in a completely different direction that I found so much less interesting. And the way the book ends just feels like it completely forgot how it started and what it was exploring in the first book and left so many things unresolved and I was very disappointed.

I really didn't connect to it. I really didn't like the writing style. I really struggled with the protagonist.

I gave this four stars. I thought it was really fantastic.

I found it very heartwarming at times, heartbreaking at others. I found the commentary worked.

I found this quite enjoyable, quite a quick read, quite an interesting read. I thought the world building was cool.

I will say that it was beautifully written. I thought the pros was quite lovely, but I just found that this dragged and it didn't really go to the places that I hoped it would go.

Hellbent continued to be a let down for me even after reading 9inth House and having less fun with it. And I gave Hellbent three stars again for all the same reasons, although it was a lower three star on reread.

I found it incredibly visceral and emotional and intense. It was such a hard read, but it was beautiful.

I really did not like the dynamic between the love interests. The loss of the best friend and the grief over that and reckoning with the huge decision to become a parent and in this way was barely explored.

Otherwise, I found this collection so worth reading and so insightful and interesting and thoughtprovoking. And that essay was as well. I just think that the details that were included in that collection are generally go against the guidelines of what eating disorder organizations recommend for how to talk about experiences with eating disorders, tell stories about eating disorders without risking triggering other people and risking harm to other people.

But I still had a great time. I had a lot of nostalgia for the story, but I had forgotten a lot of the little details.

I adored this so much. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm going to be very vague.

On reread I had more issues with 9inth House than I remembered and also just I have grown and changed as a reader. What I look for in books has changed.

I also love Rebecca by Daffany Demorier. This is no different.

I found this in equal parts hilarious where I was laughing until I cried and then two seconds later I would be sobbing my eyes out from something sad or emotional. I found this so cathartic when it comes to grief and very moving.

I found it so heartwarming and sweet and realistic and lovely and kind of funny and silly in moments. It is a bit of a romcom.

I just had such a mixed experience with this. I was really frustrated.

I hated this book. Okay. I will likely be reading another Elizabeth Stout soon because she has been shortlisted I believe for an award.

I really wanted to like it but I just found it so messy. I found it so chaotic.

I liked the characters well enough, even if Dan himself was a bit bland. And I ended up finishing this feeling quite hopeful for the rest of the series and having had overall a pretty great time with it, even if it wasn't perfect.

I read The Vegetarian years ago and I loved it and I've been wanting to read more of her works since then.

I didn't feel nearly the same magic that I did reading her wayf farer series or reading to be taught of fortunate which is my favorite of hers a novella that is very quick if you like sci-fi this one just didn't quite click for me the first time and in rereading it I think you know I there are things about it that I really appreciate and I did really enjoy our discussion I thought it was really interesting I just for whatever reason either time that I read this could not really connect to the protagonist decks I just found them frustrating and I felt like there wasn't as much interiority as I would like for them.

I just ended up finding this to be really unexpectedly heartwarming and devastating and I cried really hard a couple times near the end and I just loved it. I just loved it.