September Wrap Up | Books and Baking

Okay, first off how on earth is it October? I feel like September has gone by so quickly, I don’t even know where the year has gone! September has been a relatively good reading month for me and I’ve managed to read 5 books whilst settling into university for my MA.

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Luckily, I’ve enjoyed all of the books that I read with a month full of 4 star reads, you can find my thoughts below!

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The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

Rating – ★★★★

The best way to describe this thriller would be: a remote Scottish highland setting, a blizzard, a group of old friends, a murder. This was a twisty thriller and definitely helped me to start getting out of my horrendous reading slump. I particularly enjoyed how Foley’s highly descriptive text brought the Scottish landscape to life. The multiple narration worked really well with the narrative shifts which helped to keep the pace up and create more tension.

“Some people, given just the right amount of pressure, taken out of their usual, comfortable environments, don’t need much encouragement at all to become monsters.”

I couldn’t put it down during the last third and would highly recommend this! I have a full review up on my blog which you can find here!

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The Perfect Couple by Jackie Kabler

Rating – ★★★★

In The Perfect Couple, freelance journalist Gemma comes home to an empty house, when her husband Danny should be home. But that’s not the only confusing thing, it appears that no one has seen Danny since they moved to Bristol. After reporting his disappearance, Gemma goes on a quest to find out the truth but she becomes the central suspect. Then, an unusual turn of events changes everything – there’s a serial killer on the loose. And their victims match Danny’s appearance. Is there a link?

“I knew what I had to do, to make it all better. To make it all go away, finally. To heal myself”

If you are looking for a twisty thriller I would highly recommend this! It had me guessing until the last chapter. I liked the character development throughout and how we watch the jigsaw pieces fall into place. It was an enjoyable read!

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Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Rating – ★★★★

I really loved this contemporary read about family dynamics, race, and finding yourself in a lost world. It was really hard to categorise this in terms of genre but I would say contemporary if I had to choose. Set in Ohio in the 1970s, the novel follows a Chinese-American family who are coping with the death of their middle child, Lydia. This was such a raw and honest account of what it is like to be different, and how it feels to cope with expectations.

“The things that go unsaid are often the things that eat at you—whether because you didn’t get to have your say, or because the other person never got to hear you and really wanted to.”

I would just say read this if you haven’t! It will make you think, it might make you cry, but I’m sure you will take something away from it. The imagery and symbolism is rich and this text would make for such an interesting analysis. I think I’m going to write a full review because there is just so much to be said about this book.

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The Year Shakespeare Ruined My Life by Dani Jensen

Rating – ★★★★

Allison Green is desperate to be this years valedictorian, so she agrees to produce her school’s production of A Midsummer Nights Dream. That was her first mistake. The second is agreeing to go on a date with her oldest friend Jack, when she’s actually crushing on Charlotte. This was a light hearted YA read with LGBTQ+ representation. I really enjoyed this fun and at times quirky romance as it was an easy read. I don’t usually read romance but it was really cute! It’s a story about love, honesty and being yourself.

“If only she could borrow some of the confidence I had in her, she would be unstoppable”

If you like fluffy romances I would recommend this! The cover is also really nice. Thank you Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh

Rating – ★★★★

I managed to squeeze in another read before the month was up, and I’m glad I did! I picked this up fairly recently as I loved Thirteen, another book in the Eddie Flynn series by Cavanagh. I was gripped from the beginning: two sisters on trial for murder, they accuse each other. Who do you believe? This book was laced with red herrings, twists and that all made for an enjoyable read. I thought that the characters were cleverly portrayed and their personalities all came into play which allowed for more avenues to be explored. If you’re a fan of courtroom thrillers, pick this one up…only after you’ve read Thirteen!

“Whoever tells the best story wins”

Cavanagh has really established his name in the thriller genre and I cannot wait to pick up the rest of the books in the series! I’m also excited for his new book which I think is out in summer 2021.

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As we go into October I’m hoping to read more cosy reads and some thrillers. I can’t wait for Autumn! I would love to hear what has your favourite read of the month been in the comments!