September is over! I got some good reading done over the course of the month, and posted a video to my socials recapping it. Here’s the video, but keep scrolling down to see the list and some additional notes. By the way, this embed is from TikTok, but you can also find it on my Instagram and Facebook pages.

@halliday.nelson

September is over. Mine was fun. #booktok #readingwrapup #readmore #thichnhathanh #monaawad #lemonysnicket #christinahenry #jasonpargin #womenwhorunwiththewolves #localauthor

♬ original sound – Halliday Nelson

1. Women Who Run With the Wolves – Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D.

This one is a dense read, but very worth it. Honestly, it’s a good one to read through even if you’re not in the target demographic. It was originally published in 1989, so there are some points where it’s a little dated. I suspect if it were written today, there would be some more overt discussion about neurodivergence in there. Each chapter tells an archetypal story from folklore, then breaks down its components to more fully explore the messages and cultural relevance it holds about the feminine aspects.

2. Poison for Breakfast – Lemony Snicket

This one was fun. It was a quick read, but very funny while getting you to think deeply at the same time. There were a few times where the narrator had me thinking of Kurt Vonnegut’s character Kilgore Trout. When I finished it, I passed it right on to my partner who hadn’t read any Lemony Snicket before. I got to enjoy hearing a deep belly laugh out of him every few pages. The “big twist” is pretty easy to spot from the get-go, but even when you know exactly where it’ll end up, you want to follow along the narrator for every single step of his adventure.

3. Alice – Christina Henry

As you might have guessed from the title and cover, this is a reimagining of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. It’s a dark one. I’ve been a fan of Alice and Through the Looking Glass since I read them at a young age, and I’ve loved a number of retellings. This one does it beautifully. I had a local bookstore order me a copy of the second book right away once I finished it. It’s now sitting in my up-next pile, and I’m sure you’ll be seeing it featured in another recap very soon. That one is titled Red Queen.

4. Bunny – Mona Awad

This was a wild ride. It was a captivating example of an unreliable narrator. At no point in this book could I predict anything that was going to happen next, and the desperate need to know kept me turning page after page. I couldn’t put it down. Don’t let the hot pink cover fool you on this one, this is not a bright and friendly book. It’s gritty and acidic, and it doesn’t pull punches. If that’s your flavor, definitely dive in.

5. How to Listen – Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh was a Buddhist monk who passed away a couple of years ago. He was a thoroughly engaging speaker and writer. While he certainly makes reference to Buddhist concepts in the How To series, the books are written for audiences with any and all religious views. I keep a stack of a few of them on my desk, but How to Listen was a new addition to my collection and this was my first read through. My day is simply better if I read some of his work.

6. Under Lock & Key – Sarah Zane

I really liked the idea for this story. It’s a Sapphic retelling of the story of Bluebeard. Like I said in the video, it felt like it needed another draft. The book’s downfall was due to its length as a novella. The author had a lot of ideas for the characters and the world that they inhabited that had no bearing on the story’s events. If those ideas had either been cut down to short story length (like the source material it was based off of) or expanded upon to create a full novel with a more robust world, it would have worked better. I also could have done without the epilogue.

7. What the Hell Did I Just Read – Jason Pargin

I finished the book after I posted the video. I swear, this series keeps getting better as I go. As stated, this is the third book in the series. The first book is called John Dies at the End and the second is called This Book is Full of Spiders. (If you typically find your reading material in secondhand bookstores or thumbing through library shelves, you might find older copies published under the author’s old pseudonym of David Wong. That’s also the main character’s name.) This series is hilarious and terrifying and thought-provoking all within the same sentence. All throughout. I love it.

That Was My September

I want to hear from you! What have you been reading lately? Are you having fun with it? Have you read any of these titles from my September list? If so, what did you think of them? Tell me everything, and follow along for more!