Hello, fellow book junkies! In September I had the pleasure of reading ten novels and, though a couple came close, not a single one was a five-star read. Whether that’s a reflection of the books or of me as a reader (returning to work this month was a definite distraction), is hard to say. Every book had strengths and memorable moments. Here’s a recap . . .
YA Paranormal / Urban Fantasy
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin – Creepy in a good way, original (and humid) Miami setting. 4/5 stars
The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater – Part of what makes me love a book is getting to enter a brilliantly wrought world with outstanding characters. The Dream Thieves had this. So did the first book in the series, The Raven Boys, which I was so enamored with that maybe it was hard to love the second book as much. The Dream Thieves is still great and made me definitely want to read the rest of the series. Since one of my favorite characters is Blue, I’m especially looking forward to the third book, Blue Lily, Lily Blue. 4.5/5 stars
Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older 304pp – Brooklyn girl gets caught in a world of ancient spirits who come alive out of painted murals. Intriguing concept, bold characters. 4/5 stars
The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey – Strong writing (author Melissa Grey graduated from Yale) but the plot’s too reminiscent of Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone. 3.75/5 stars
YA Contemporary-Mental Illness
Made You Up by Francesca Zappia – Much funnier than I expected. Creative writing style, but not a super memorable plot. Saw the twist coming a mile away. 4/5 stars
YA Fantasy Romance
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh I go into every book with an open mind, but since romance isn’t my favorite genre maybe this wasn’t the right book for me. Disappointing. 3.5/5 stars
YA Suspense
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – Gifted teenagers help the FBI track serial killers. Enjoyable characters, interesting premise. I’ve read many suspense novels, so my standards are pretty high and this one was a bit predictable. Still a fun read. 3.75/5 stars
Adult Sci-Fi Horror
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Vividly imagined, quick read, (almost too) screenplay-ready. Memorable story! 4/5 stars
Adult Romance-Humor
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion audiobook Joyful, often hilarious story of a professor with Aspergers who’s on a mission to find a wife. Cleverly written–I love how the MC is often the unintentional superhero of the story. Rosie is a fun character, too. 4/5 stars
Adult Historical-Empowered Women
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier audiobook In the early 19th century, two bright women from different social classes bond over fossil hunting–in the early days when extinct dinosaurs were still thought to be giant crocodiles. Based on a true story. 4.25/5 stars
–Eve Messenger
Eve Messenger 
I’m just about to start Dark Matter today!
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Yay! It’s a highly entertaining read. Enjoy!
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Looks like you have a good month! 10 books. The Wrath and the Dawn must have mixed reviews.. I have seen 5 stars a lot but your rating is a bit low..
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It’s true, most people loved it, but it just didn’t click with me.
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Thanks for the heads up about Remarkable Creatures. I haven’t read one of her novels in a while. I will have to check it out.
x The Captain
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Awesome! I’d like to read her other books as well. Besides Girl With One Pearl Earring, which Chevalier books would you recommend?
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The Lady and the Unicorn and Fallen Angels. The unicorn one was of special interest to me because I love the Unicorn Tapestries at the Cluny museum in Paris. The rest of the museum is awesome too.
x The Captain
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Ooh I gave Dream Thieves the exact same rating!! So glad you liked it too 🙂
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The same rating, really? Wow! Did you read the rest of The Raven Cycle? If so, I’m curious to know what you thought of Blue Lily, Lily Blue.
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I haven’t read it yet- I just read Dream Thieves a month ago and only got hold of Blue Lily, Lily Blue a few days ago- I’m excited for it though! Have you had a chance to get to it yet?
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It’s on hold at the library. Waiting for some other smart reader to be done with it so I can finally read it. 😀
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Ahh well won’t be long then!! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
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Fantastic reading month! The 3rd book in The Raven Cycle was definitely my favorite 😊
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Yayayay, thanks for telling me that. I’m so excited to hear it!
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I read Remarkable Creatures awhile back (before I was on Goodreads, I think) and really enjoyed it.
I’ve got Made You Up on my TBR list. I’ve also got Traci Chee’s The Reader in my TBR pile. I’ve heard good things about it….
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Yay, The Reader is on my night stand waiting to be read. Interesting concept. Hopefully, I can get to it in October.
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