September is the month that I discovered that two weekend days aren’t enough to recharge me for the rest of the workweek.
I’m not sure if it’s simply not enough time or if I’ve just not learned how to use that time to replenish my energy. Or maybe I could be building in recharge moments during the workweek so I don’t feel like I’m so far behind on the weekend. Whatever the secret, I’ve not figured it out yet, but I suspect it involves all the usual suspects (working out regularly, getting adequate sleep, eating more leafy greens…all of the things that are even more difficult to swing working a nontraditional full-time schedule).
Aside from the looming fear of burnout and the perpetual sniffles that seem to have settled in at my house, September went quite well, and I am very excited for my spooky/creepy October TBR!
September’s Completed or DNFed Books:
- Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beaty (this has been on my shelves for a couple of years. Middle-grade gothic fiction with the standard fears about friendship, fitting in, etc., alongside some kind of awkward human/animal hybrid stuff, all set at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. I wasn’t a huge fan.)
- The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (this series has been hitting the spot for me this month. I suppose they’re technically cozy mysteries, but the character development is phenomenal. It’s satisfying to have older characters who have both the vitality of people who have lived full and interesting lives along with the frailties and fears that accompany aging.)
- Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (one of the optional choices for my language arts classes this year, I picked this one up so I could talk with my students about it. I can’t figure out why a 12-year-old boy has the name of a Greek goddess.)
- Murder at Monticello by Rita Mae Brown (I might be losing steam with this series. It’s diverting in the moment, but I tend to forget the details almost as soon as I read them. Interesting to read about Jefferson’s genealogy from the perspective of the mid-1990s, though.)
- My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones (my favorite of the month, this is an homage to slasher films with well done social commentary and solid character development. The follow-up is on my TBR for October.)
- Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer (the sequel to Less, this novel has similar anxieties, insecurities, and absurd moments.)
- Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie (my requisite Christie for the month, this one features a crime committed in front of a whole group of people, which is kind of fun.)
- Triptych by Karin Slaughter (the first of the Will Trent series. I don’t feel inclined to read more of the series.)
- Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (I think I finally convinced myself that Slaughter’s work isn’t for me.)
- Gone Like Yesterday by Janelle M. Williams (my only DNF for the month. I was looking forward to this one, but it just didn’t pull me in. Part of it might be that the voices of the two storylines aren’t distinct enough.)
Stats (pretty charts thanks to The StoryGraph):
Currently Reading:
- The Pisces by Melissa Broder
- A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths
To-Read for October:
In addition to my StoryGraph, you can see my Litsy profile for status updates throughout the month and my Instagram (@ImperfectHappiness) for mostly not-book-related photos.
Imperfect Happiness 