What I've Read So Far This Month: September 2020

 So I still haven't quite gotten back into the swing of posting after I finish every book. I have to admit that I like not having to write things down & remember everything while I'm reading. I like just enjoying a book, or in this case devouring one, I'll get to that in a bit. So far this month I've read 4 books so I wanted to give a little update, one of them was insane, I have to get my thoughts out about it!

I talked about the 2 books I had read already when I did my monthly TBR, you can go back & look at those if you want. So far I've enjoyed everything I've read this month & we're only half way in. You can follow me on Instagram under the same name & vote on my next pick if you want. 

On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle

This was our book club pick for this month. I have been really struggling with reading the book club books the last few months so I was really proud I caught up on all of them but one so far this month. I also finished this one 2 weeks early! This is the first in a series about a NYC coffee house manager/part owner who discovers her assistant manger injured one morning on the job. She has a hunch it's not an accident & naturally with this type of story it wasn't. She is involved...kinda...with her ex husband who is smoking hot. Then there's another love interest, as is the way with this stories. This book is very similar to our other book club books in some ways, but also different in enough ways that I want to continue the series on my own. That has only ever happened once before with a series we started & I finished the whole thing, almost 30 books last year. I'm excited to continue this one. I will say I'd recommend this book for coffee drinkers, there is a lot of tips & tricks she gives along the way. I'm not sure how many, if any, are true but they sound pretty legit. I listened to it on audio & read which is my favorite thing to do these days, I can get through books in half the time doing that. Audio reader wasn't bad, good voices with different accents.

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

  This is the book that was voted on by my Instagram & Facebook followers. I was seeing things online about it so when our library got it in I checked it out. I honestly 100% thought that it was gonna be just another vampire romance book but oh dear lord was I wrong! Scary, horrifying, gross, disturbing, evil, skin crawling, enchanting, crazy, amazing...I could keep going. It was so gross at times I could feel goosebumps on my arms & I felt like I might throw up but I couldn't stop. It was like a train wreck & I just couldn't look away. Once I started I couldn't stop, I devoured it in a matter of hours over several days. I have barely slept for the last 3 days between reading & listening on audio. I was also taking it to work & reading on my lunch & I almost couldn't put it down. This is one of the craziest books I have ever read but I loved it. I really want to read more by this author. You will NEVER in your life read a vampire book like this. RECOMMEND RECOMMEND RECOMMEND MUST READ!

August 2020 Wrap-Up & September 2020 TBR

 I have been a little out of the picture in the last few months. Admittedly between packing, then moving, & now settling in reading hasn't been the first thing on my mind. This even goes for my book club. I felt so bad that the last 3 months I hadn't read the book at all or I did not finish it before the meeting. So now I'm doing a little better & I'm starting back at it. I feel like when I get tired I don't have as much motivation to read. I will also say that I haven't been writing an individual review for the few books that I did finish because it felt nice to just read the book & enjoy it, rather than have to remember everything for the review, is that a bad thing? We'll see what happens going forward. I like having a creative outlet & I also like writing but is anyone other than my family even reading this?

August 2020 Wrap-Up

State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy

This was our June book club book. It is first in a series that I believe is ongoing. We follow a woman that works in the White House kitchen & is up for a promotion to executive chef. It was really interesting to see the inner working of the White House, or at least I'm assuming the book is based on true things. I liked this book because unlike some of the other ones we have read I didn't know who the killer was right away. 

September 2020 TBR 

These are the books I've already finished this month that I started in August:

Red Velvet Revenge by Jenn McKinlay

This was the book club pick for August & I was about half way in when the meeting happened. It is 4th in an ongoing series about a cupcake shop in Scottsdale. These books are some of my favorites that we've read & based on the cliffhanger that happened at the end of this one, that is very out of the norm, I want to keep reading the series. 

The Honey Don't List by Christina Lauren

Did you know that "Christina Lauren" is actually 2 women that write under a combined name? I didn't until I started reading this book. I have heard good things about these authors in the past but this was my first time reading a book by them. I really liked it! I want to read more. perfect for fans of Lauren Weisenberger & Sophie Kinsella. This book was great on audio because there it's told from 2 different view points so there is a male & a female reader. It follows the girl who is an assistant to a big wig hollywood tv design couple & the shows "engineer". There's drama, romance, & it was really funny.  

Ratscalibur by Josh Lieb

I just happened to see this book come in on audio in the book drop & I was like WHAT! I will say it was very strange, kinda gross at times, but very fun. Great kids book if you like to read juv lit. It says it's the first in a series but there has never been anymore & it came out years ago??? Not sure what is up with that. It takes place in NYC & a boy that's just moved to town gets bitten by a rat & he turns into one. It's a new take on Arthur & the knights of the round table. 

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These are the books I plan on reading for sure this month:

On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle

This is our book club book for this month & I'm finally gonna finish it before the meeting! So far I'm on Chapter 7 & I will say there is A LOT of stuff about coffee in the book. 

Hail to the Chef by Julie Hyzy

This was our book club book for July & since I didn't finish the 1st one until a few weeks ago I'm going to get to it this month mainly for the principal of it. 

Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake by Sarah Graves

This is the book club pick for October but I want to get to it before just in case I start slacking off again!

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These are other books that are a possibility for this month:

Some of these books I have had on my TBR for months & I really do want t read them so here's hoping I get to them this month FINALLY!

The Betrothed by Kiera Cass

I became obsessed with wanting to read this book after I read all The Selection books in a matter of weeks. But...my problem is this book is in a series & I'm worried if I read it & the next one isn't out I'm gonna be mad because there's gonna be a cliffhanger ending. So, that being said, we'll see if I get to it yet or if I decide to wait. 

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

I'm having the same problem with this book as the one above. We have this one & the next one is published but we haven't gotten it in yet!

The Portal & The Burning Queen by Kathryn Lasky

We got these in a while ago & just look at the covers! No wonder I was excited about them. It's just a 2 book duology so I don't have to have series anxiety over these which is good. 

House of Salt & Sorrows by Erin Craig

This book is a standalone that is on a lot of book lists. It sounds like a darker version of the story of the 12 dancing princesses which I loved as a kid!

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

This book is also a standalone & it sounds really cool!

Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine

She is one of my favorite authors & this book was on our YA new shelf, even though it is an older book that is also a standalone retelling of the story of Romeo & Juliet. 

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

I've been hearing things about this book online & in magazines so when we got it in I had to grab it!

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What am I watching on TV when I'm not reading???

Lately I have been into Netflix original movies & series like Sweet Magnolias, Virgin River, The Lost Husband, & Love Guaranteed. I also rewatched all of Gilmore Girls for like the 4th time & I started watching Good Girls on Netflix too. I like the series but I'm on season 2 & I'm starting to get bored so we'll see if I continue it. Watching some of these shows has also increased my TBR since they are almost all based on books.