Sunday Salon: August and September reading reflections

I was a bit busy with Melbourne Writer's Festival wrap ups last month to do my August post, so this post will include both August and September.

Whilst the total read in August in no way matches the 31 book that I read in July, a total of 20 books is still better than any of the other months in the year. Here are the books read in August:

The Heir by Grace Burrowes 4.5/5
Meet Letty by Alison Lloyd 3.5/5
City of Promise by Beverly Swerling 4/5
Something About You by Julie James 4/5
Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman 4/5
Creed's Honor by Linda Lael Miller 4/5
Fools Rush In by Kristan Higgins 2.5/5
Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani 4/5
The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do 4/5
Unveiled by Courtney Milan 4.5/5
Unlocked by Courtney Milan 4.5/5
Unclaimed by Courtney Milan 4.5/5
Meet Poppy by Gabrielle Wang 4/5
The Private World of Georgette Heyer by Jane Aiken Hodge 3.5/5
The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig 4.5/5
Sylvester of the Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer 4.5/5
Empire Day by Diane Armstrong 4/5
A Notorious Love by Sabrina Jeffries 3/5
Die for Me by Amy Plum 4/5
French Lessons by Ellen Sussman 3.5/5

and here are September reads:

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich  3.5/5
White Time by Margo Lanagan  4/5
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar 4.5/5
Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming 4.5/5
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan  4.5/5
His at Night by Sherry Thomas 3.5/5
Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins 4/5
My Husband's Sweetheart by Bridget Asher  3.5/5
Sex, Gossip and Rock 'n Roll by Nicola Marsh 3.5/5
Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton 4/5
Tiger Hills by Sarita Mandanna 4/5
The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn 3/5
Until There Was you by Kristan Higgins 3.5/5
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear 4/5
Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy 4/5
Immoveable Feast: A Paris Christmas by John Baxter 4/5
Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart by Sarah MacLean 4/5
Storm Front by Jim Butcher 4/5


In terms of challenges in August I completed the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge and What's in a Name Challenge by reading City of Promise by Beverly Swerling and Sylvester or the Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer respectively. My main focus in September has been the RIP challenge with White Time, Maisie Dobbs, Storm Front, Forest of Hands and Teeth and Out of the Deep I Cry all counting towards that challenge. There are a couple of other challenges that I am doing really badly at and I suspect I won't complete this year - namely the Ireland Challenge and War Through the Generations.

Currently reading:

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman - As part of the ongoing readalong for RIP VI.

Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart - Also a read for RIP VI. This was recommended to me as a fantastic place to start reading Mary Stewart.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater - I was contemplating joining a second book club that focuses on romance and urban fantasy. This was their September selection but in the end I couldn't actually attend because it a big family weekend here this weekend. I am still planning to finish reading the book though.

Up next:

My next read will be a choice from The Time in Between by Maria Duenas, A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett, The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark or The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong. I am leaning towards The Time in Between and A Hat Full of Sky, but we will see.